"Action and truth" - teaching method by Harald Gross
The success of a seminar is determined not least by whether the participants put what they have learned into practice. A simple and attractive way to support the transfer of knowledge into practice is the "Action and Impact" teaching method.
At the end of a course, all participants receive an action and impact sheet: a simple A4 sheet with two fields: An action field: 'I'll do this' and an impact field: 'With this impact'. The participants select a project and note the action and impact on the sheet. They then present their planned actions and hoped-for intentions. Depending on the size of the group and the time available, this can be done as a whole group, in small groups or together with a learning partner.
Regardless of the form, all participants specify a concrete project for themselves and name the desired impact. This combination of action and impact is the basis of professional thinking. Whether in IT training, a management seminar or a hygiene course, the participants consider: "What effect do I want to achieve after this seminar?".
Perfect start for multi-part courses
The action-impact sheet can be used at the end of a seminar. Learners then state their intentions. In the case of multi-part courses, I have had good experience with starting the second or third part of the seminar with the action/impact sheet. Now the participants report on their experiences. These are usually very valuable minutes of learning. The participants recall the content of the previous course and report on their specific experiences.
I was so impressed by what the learners reported about their practical experiences that I began to use the "action and impact" method at another point in the course: Right at the beginning of a new seminar. Right in the first few minutes. Now I ask the participants at the start of the topic: "What are you already doing? With what effect? Write down a specific action or attitude and present it."
