Sharing Training Ideas Anyone??

[AIR]

For those of us who are Training Officers....
Who would be willing to swap training ideas / materials to keep things fresh and exciting?? I tend to have more "emersive" training sessions to help with the retention of the material being covered. I would be willing to share my ideas and materials if others would share theirs !!

For example, we do things like

• "hands on" infection control ( with uv lights and glow germ)
• escape room type puzzles
• "break in the bag" exercises
• game show type review sessions

 

[Carlos Danger]

There's certainly nothing wrong with trying to make education a little more engaging and a little less boring, but frankly, that's potentially a lot of energy expended for probably not a lot of return. Education doesn't need to be fun. Responsible professionals should be motivated to do it because they realize it is important, even if it isn't particularly enjoyable.

When I was the training director of a HEMS program years ago we would cover one or two clinical topics monthly, as well as one or two operational / safety topics. I would make up packets consisting of articles, excerpts from textbooks, and our relevant protocols and policies and everyone would read them on their own. Then at the monthly training meeting we would usually have a brief lecture on those topics by one of our medical directors, a guest lecturer from one of our receiving hospitals, or one of our flight nurses or flight paramedics or the pilots. This was also where we'd roll out protocol or policy updates. Hands-on skills practice was covered regularly on-shift. The real dry stuff like the annual IC education that OSHA mandates will never not suck, but it can be done super quick and easy. Watch a short video and read a policy and then sign a form to attest that you did it - done. Nowadays, I would do most of this online, and still do skills practice on shift. I would think getting most of the agency together for quarterly or twice a year in-person training meetings would still be useful, though.

As long as education is relevant and useful, you shouldn't have to twist people's arms or make it into a game to get them to do it. I'd focus more on making sure the education that you provide is of good quality and less on trying to make it into a game.

 

[AIR]

I guess I am confused as to why you think training shouldnt be "fun". I try to use ways to make the training MEMORABLE... so the information is retained longer. Our people often comment that they actually "learned" something
There are TONS of studies that show the value of engaging adult learners in inovative ways. I understand that many of you are stuck on "old school ways" and that is great... what I am asking is if anyone who is actually interested in sharing ideas that are not "lecture based" or 'traditional" type platforms.

 

[VentMonkey]

Waiver: not a training guy.

I don’t think anyone is against training being fun. I’d hardly call most people on here stuck in their “old skool ways”.

May I ask, what is your general audience? EMT? Paramedic? Flight/ critical care? All of the above?

What about your educational background? Can you cite any of the studies? I’m not doubting, I’m asking.

What are the retention and QA/ QI process like at your agency? This often (even if just in part) reflects some of what the training department is like.

Again, nothing wrong with how you’re doing things, especially if it’s working for your area—that’s great.

But, coming off as a bit abrasive without sharing your own background isn’t exactly going to yield a helpful response by some of the educated educators on this forum...

...looks to @NomadicMedic @DrParasite @Tigger @CCCSD

Help us help you.

I do feel there is a bit of a difference in approach to training say at the ground (ALS/ BLS) level at my agency vs. say our CCT/ flight division.

Typically the latter is a more mature, experienced, and vested provider who is more than likely self motivated enough to not feel the need to see training as always being a “fun” thing.

Engaging? Sure, but I don’t need to be physically exhausted by the end of a lecture on advanced airway concepts or ventilators.

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the open-mindedness on this forum, not to mention the multitude of backgrounds by other, seemingly more, educated providers than yourself.

They’re more educated than I, that’s for sure.

 

[Jim37F]

What's fun for some isn't fun for others.
I personally dislike Jeopardy style games in Con Ed, for example, yet that's often touted as an example of "Make it fun and interesting!!" And it does no such thing for me.

 

[VentMonkey]

What's fun for some isn't fun for others.
I personally dislike Jeopardy style games in Con Ed, for example, yet that's often touted as an example of "Make it fun and interesting!!" And it does no such thing for me.

That’s cuz big words make fireman head hurt

I get it, I didn’t care for it either.

 

[AIR]

Here are a couple of studies to look up:

Heldal I, Backlund P, Johannesson M, Lebram M, Lundberg L. Connecting the Links: Narratives, Simulations and Serious Games in Prehospital Training. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2017;235:343-347. PMID: 28423811.

Suppan M, Gartner B, Golay E, Stuby L, White M, Cottet P, Abbas M, Iten A, Harbarth S, Suppan L. Teaching Adequate Prehospital Use of Personal Protective Equipment During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Development of a Gamified e-Learning Module. JMIR Serious Games. 2020 Jun 12;8(2):e20173. doi: 10.2196/20173. PMID: 32516115; PMCID: PMC7295001.

Even the Department Of Homeland Security recognizes the importance of immersive training and is using "gamification" for training first responders. They use VR to train first responders on the subjects such as Active Shooter look up "EDGE" on DHS website.

 

[NomadicMedic]

I am a administrator of an EMS training officers group on Facebook and we have this conversation what seems like every couple of weeks. Everybody wants to make training fun. Because honestly, in most cases, training sucks.

as you well know, everybody learns differently. And what’s fun for one, isn’t fun for the others. Some of my folks love Kahoot. Others hate it. Some of my folks love the airway Olympics. Others hate it. Some of my people love to brainstorm treatment modalities, others hate it. You need to find ways to appeal to a broader audience, without cramming “fun“ down their throat.

 

[AIR]

Now I am sorry I even asked . This is exhausting.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Why? Because we're all saying that "fun" isn't always the answer?

 

[AIR]

No because I was asking if anyone wanted to share ideas in line with what we are doing.. and the response I am getting is push back. Many people want to keep doing things the way they were done for the last 10, 20, or 30 years.. Others are open to change. There ARE many ways to train. I wasnt asking for your opinion.. i was asking if anyone wanted to share ideas similar to mine. Obviously this is the wrong place to ask.

 

[ffemt8978]

No because I was asking if anyone wanted to share ideas in line with what we are doing.. and the response I am getting is push back. Many people want to keep doing things the way they were done for the last 10, 20, or 30 years.. Others are open to change. There ARE many ways to train. I wasnt asking for your opinion.. i was asking if anyone wanted to share ideas similar to mine. Obviously this is the wrong place to ask.

Just because you don't like the responses you received does not mean this is the wrong place to ask. Your post makes it seem like you were seeking affirmation and not information. If you were seeking information you would be looking for ideas different from your own and not similar to what you already do.

 

[mgr22]

i was asking if anyone wanted to share ideas similar to mine.

That says it all.

 

[AIR]

I posted GENUINELY looking for some ideas and to trade some training ideas...
What exactly IS WRONG with looking for more ideas similar in stye??? Any way.. peace to you all... Im thouroghly DONE with this site.. Good luck... stay safe and all that jazz.

 

[VentMonkey]

Ok, well before this thread is closed I’d like to add:

A) you’ve answered none of my questions about yourself, and B) as a recipient of training from time to time, I have often walked away satisfied with intriguing lecture-based training more often than not.

Also, I, like many others have, and will fudge surveys at the end of many courses just to beat feet out of there. It can be hard to truly gauge an audience.

 

[ffemt8978]

I posted GENUINELY looking for some ideas and to trade some training ideas...
What exactly IS WRONG with looking for more ideas similar in stye??? Any way.. peace to you all... Im thouroghly DONE with this site.. Good luck... stay safe and all that jazz.

Nothing wrong with it, but you don't get to dictate the responses you receive from our members. If you can't deal with that it is on you.

There is no need to lock this thread because it hasn't gone off topic and maybe some of our other members will find it informative and useful.

 

[DrParasite]

I posted GENUINELY looking for some ideas and to trade some training ideas...
What exactly IS WRONG with looking for more ideas similar in stye??? Any way.. peace to you all... Im thouroghly DONE with this site.. Good luck... stay safe and all that jazz.

I see.... you came here expecting an echo chamber of people who thought exactly like you, who would fluff your ego and tell you that you are doing everything correctly, and when you got some push back from more experienced providers (and a few instructors) who didn't see things your way, you threw a temper tantrum, took your ball and went home. I think that says a lot more about you than us.

There are plenty of ways to do training: personally, I think hands on is the best way to get people to learn, provided they have a strong enough didactic education to apply what they have learned. Like the "flipped classroom" style, the more hands on the better (although I disagree with 0 lecture because there are some topics that either the book doesn't cover or isn't clear enough). So in a 3 hour con ed class, have a 1 hour rapid review (with all students reading the content beforehand) where people can ask clarrying questions, and then 2 hours of hands on scenarios and application on what they learned.

 

[Peak]

Have you ever actually surveyed your group to see how they prefer to learn?

 

[luke_31]

Different training methods are fun for different folks. A great example for me right now is the IA Med Flight medical provider test prep class. Some of the online lectures are very engaging and I’m learning a lot from the videos of the instructors. But in one section I’ve been bogged down as the instructor’s style bores me and while some of the information is new, most of it is regurgitation of things I’ve learned in years past. I’m right now reading the textbook for that section to try and get a good grub myself before listening to him speak again. I’ve nodded off several times during his videos, where the others I was engaged and taking notes, rewinding to make sure I heard things correctly. As others have said there is lots of differences between adults with learning new or refreshing topics. No one method or even two methods will get everyone’s attention and having them enjoy what you’re teaching.

 

[VentMonkey]

@luke_31 was it Dillon’s? He’s the only one I can see coming off as a little dry.

Ironically enough I did the same things you were when I took their FMP. I took notes and double backed a lot.

I really liked how the gal taught ABG’s and felt overall, they all do a good job at their respective subject matters. I’m not big on cardiology, but felt he dumbs it down for even me. Same with hemodynamics.

Have you ever actually surveyed your group to see how they prefer to learn?

Judging by the OP’s responses, I do not know that this would end well, or in his favor; especially if everyone was honest.