Planning and Delivering Inclusive Sessions

Lesson 3.1

Aims and learning outcomes

An aim is a broad statement of what the tutor intends the session to achieve.  A learning outcome is a precise statement of what learners will be able to do by the end.

Good outcomes use active verbs that can be observed or checked.  “Understand” and “know” are hard to observe; “demonstrate”, “list”, “explain” and “identify” are not.

Outcomes may address knowledge (what learners know), skills (what they can do) and attitudes (how they approach a situation, such as checking for danger before acting).  First responder sessions usually need all three.

Lesson 3.2

Structuring a session

A clear structure helps learners know where they are and helps the tutor stay on time.  A simple and reliable structure is shown below.

1. Opening. Welcome, safety points and the outcomes of the session in plain language.
2. Recall. Two or three quick questions on the previous session (retrieval practice).
3. Input. New content in short chunks, with demonstration where relevant.
4. Practice. Learners use the new learning, individually, in pairs or in groups.
5. Check of learning. Questions, observation or a short task to confirm the outcomes have been met.
6. Summary. The key points, a link to the next session and time for questions.

Timing realistically

New tutors almost always plan too much.  Allow time for translation, for movement between practical stations, for cleaning equipment and for questions.  Decide in advance what you would leave out if time ran short, and never leave out the check of learning.

Lesson 3.3

Explaining clearly

Clear explanation is the foundation of all teaching.  The following techniques help learners understand and remember.

• Chunking. Break content into small, logical pieces and check understanding after each one.
• Demonstrate before you describe. Showing a skill first gives learners a picture to attach the words to.
• Simple, consistent language. Use the same term every time for the same thing.  Avoid clinical jargon unless learners need the word.
• Worked examples. Talk through a full example, such as how you would assess a casualty, before asking learners to try one.
• Stories and analogies. A short, real story is remembered long after a list of facts.  Draw on local situations: a collision at a busy roadside, a burn from a cooking fire, a child choking at a family gathering or someone collapsing in the heat.

Lesson 3.4

Questioning

Questions are the tutor’s most powerful tool for checking and extending learning.

Types of question

• Closed questions have one correct answer and are useful for quick checks: “What is the first thing you check?”
• Open questions invite explanation: “Why do we check for danger before approaching?”
• Probing questions extend an answer: “What would you do if the road was still busy?”

Making sure everyone thinks

If you ask the whole group and take the first answer, the same confident learners answer every time and others stop thinking.  Instead:

• Pose, pause, pounce. Ask the question, wait several seconds so that everyone thinks, then name the learner to answer.
• No hands up. Explain that you will choose who answers, so everyone must be ready.
• Pair recall. Ask pairs to tell each other the answer before you take responses.

Respond to wrong answers kindly and use them for learning: “That is a common idea.  Let us look at why we do it differently.”

Lesson 3.5

Managing groups

CFAR groups vary greatly in size and make up.  Some situations need particular care.

• Large groups. Use co tutors, split the group into stations and appoint learners to help with timekeeping or equipment.
• Mixed status groups. When employers and employees, or elders and younger members, learn together, some may be reluctant to speak or make mistakes.  Consider separate groups for practice, or set roles that give everyone a voice.
• Dominant voices. Thank the learner, then direct the next question to someone else by name.
• Latecomers. Welcome them without disruption and update them during the next practical activity.
• Phones. Agree a rule at the start; learners may need phones for family or work, so a complete ban may not be realistic.

Most behaviour problems in adult groups come from boredom, confusion or discomfort.  A well paced session with plenty of activity prevents most of them.

Lesson 3.6

Resources when there is no power

CFAR courses are delivered in many settings, from well equipped training rooms to community halls with no electricity.  A good tutor plans for both.

Contingency planning

For every session, decide what you will do if the power fails, the projector does not arrive or the venue is smaller than expected.  A session that depends entirely on slides is a session at risk.