Principle 1
Engage & Motivate
Engage and motivate learners through meaningful experiences​
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Adult learners must see the immediate value to what they’re learning. I design learning experiences that are deeply relevant to learners’ roles and goals. These experiences connect to real work, inspire action, and drive immediate application.
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I focus on creating opportunities for active participation and application. By incorporating compelling, real-world stories and scenarios, I demonstrate how the content has made a tangible impact for others. My approach emphasizes a “show, don’t tell” approach, guiding learners to solve authentic problems, practice new skills, and collaborate with peers rather than passively consuming information. By structuring activities that mirror real-life challenges and providing space for feedback and reflection, I ensure learners leave with the confidence and competence to apply what they’re learning immediately. This combination of relevance, interactivity, and practical application transforms training into a meaningful experience that drives engagement and lasting impact.
Principle 1 In Action
Project Overview
​To support my team at Partners for Rural Impact in leading more effective, action-oriented meetings, I designed a comprehensive training experience focused on foundational skills in Results Based Facilitation (RBF). RBF is a powerful framework that equips leaders with tools to move groups from discussion to decision-making. Because these skills are essential to our team’s internal collaboration and external work with communities nationwide, the training was designed to be immediately applied and deeply relevant to participants’ roles.
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The training provides a dynamic practice space where learners can explore new skills, make mistakes, and learn from those experiences - promoting deeper understanding and long-term growth. Over the course of five months, participants engage in 36.5 hours of live, synchronous learning. Up to 18 of those hours are delivered in person, depending on group needs. The sessions emphasize active participation, real-world application, and peer collaboration. Learners practice their skills using authentic scenarios, facilitate increasingly complex conversations to build confidence and competence, and receive peer feedback and expert coaching.
My Role
​I have led the instructional design process from start to finish. I collaborated closely with a subject-matter expert to define the scope and sequence the content, balancing the depth of RBF’s complex tools with the need for immediate usability. We carefully selected which skills to teach at this level and designed learning experiences that allowed participants to apply those skills in realistic contexts. I continue to co-facilitate sessions for each new cohort, support iterative improvements based on feedback, and ensure the training remains responsive to learners’ evolving needs.
Outcome
The training’s success is evident in the high levels of learner engagement and thoughtful participation. Participants in each cohort ask insightful questions, demonstrating a strong grasp of the material. And they express confidence in applying their new skills. Post-training surveys confirm increased familiarity and understanding of core RBF tools, validating the effectiveness of the design in delivering meaningful, applicable learning. Additionally, managers on the team have shared that they’ve observed participants actively using the skills in their day-to-day work, further reinforcing that the training is having the intended impact.