Communicating your research

Tina Papadakos, MA(Ed)

Manager, eLearning & Curriculum

Learning objectives

1. Walk through a method for distilling content for your target audience

2. Design interactions to support learning and retention

What

1. Distil your content

Adult learners

• Are more open to learning what (they deem) they need to know

• Learn best if they believe the learning will be successful

• Are more successful when they are able to reflect on their own beliefs and experiences in relation to new knowledge

• Are motivated to learn

Knowles MS, Holton EF, Swanson RA (2011) The adult learner : the definitive classic in adult education and human resource development, 7th edn. Elsevier, Butterworth-Heinemann, Amsterdam; Boston

3Ws and an H:

Answer questions

1. Who exactly is your target audience?

• Young• Keen• Educated• It’s summer

so may prefer to be outdoors

• Generation Y• Grew up using tech• Multimedia savvy

• Value evidence• Interested in human health

and conducting research • Want to contribute

• 2% nerd

2. Based on your broad analysis about ‘Who’ you can answer ‘Why’

Why should they attend your talk?

3. Based on your findings, what are the 3-5 most significant, relevant and meaningful things your target audience would benefit from knowing?

What 3-5 things will they gain from attending?

4. How can you best present your content to deliver your learning goals and support retention?

Example: Readers Theatre

Distilling content for today with the 3Ws and an H:Who: Summer students engaged in research projects

Why: Learn how to communicate your research results

What:

1. Walk through a method for distilling content for your target audience

2. Design interactions to better support learning and retention

How: Via PowerPoint with images, discussion/ interaction, print resources

Benefit of a ‘rapid’ 3Ws approach

• Helps you isolate the most salient information

• Forces you to be accountable to your target audience (tell them what is most likely to be valued and understood)

• Let’s them know exactly what they are signing up for

• ‘Bite-sized’ and easier to remember

Open to learning what (they deem) they need to know

Learn best if they believe the learning will be successful

Adult learners are more successful when they are able to reflect on their own beliefs and experiences in relation to new knowledge

Enables you to express the value-add and motivate adults learners to engage

2. Design interactions to better support learning and retention

• Involve more senses in a learning process to maximize effect

• Identify the most important message from each learning objective and design an interaction to reinforce it

Practice

• In small groups discuss your research project, what your findings are/ what you expect them to be, and how you might be able to produce your results in a way that maximizes learning and retention

• Brief report back

Summary

1. Asking yourself 4 simple questions can have a significant impact on the quality and relevance of your content

WHO, WHY, WHAT and HOW

2. The modality or modalities you produce your content in will contribute to the uptake of your messages. Design elements have an important role in knowledge dissemination: Reinforce your key messages with interactions

Questions?