What have been your continuing education experiences lately? Let me guess: The speaker arrives and sets up his or her PowerPoint program full of great illustrations and easy-to-read text, and then proceeds to read the entire program slide by slide to the audience, which, after a few minutes, is well on its way to mass stupor.

If you are part of the audience in this scenario, what have you learned? Or perhaps the question should be, “What haven’t you learned?” For openers, you haven’t learned much about the subject matter, but you have learned a great deal about the presenter.

One thing you have learned for certain is that the presenter lacks respect for his or her audience. The audience is there to learn, not to be read to—you can expect that an audience of professionals already has the ability to read. Reading to an audience is not an accepted instructional technique, no matter how great looking the slides are. So you have also learned that the presenter may be good at assembling slides, but is not so good at teaching material to people.

Programs such as PowerPoint have fantastic potential as educational aids. But—and this cannot be overstressed—these programs are aids only, and cannot be employed as primary teaching tools.

So, how do we make con-ed experiences more meaningful to audiences? Here are some tips to follow.

First, we have to appreciate the purpose of continuing education courses. We must understand that these courses are meant to increase the knowledge and skills of the audience, not as time-fillers just to meet certification requirements. Con-ed courses are educational experiences, and the programs developed for them must be based on sound educational techniques. Among these techniques are motivation, group participation and reinforcement.

Second, presenters must look upon themselves as teachers. Anybody can simply present material to a group of people. However, good teachers can take an audience from ignorance to knowledge in a manner that is both instructional and entertaining. Good teachers also know that gathering material for presentation is simply the first step in instruction. The next step is devising a method for presentation that is logical as well as practical.

For our purposes, we can identify two types of con-ed presentations: knowledge-based and skill-based (these are sometimes combined). Now we can devise a plan of presentation for each.

A logical method for presenting knowledge-based material begins with telling the audience what knowledge the program is designed to instill in them. Make the points as specific as you can. For instance, you can say, “After this class is over, you will know how to protect yourself from bloodborne pathogens,” or, “When we’re done here, you will know the protocols for treating a suspected stroke victim.” Such statements will enable your audience to focus on what’s important to take from the material, and will help motivate attentiveness.

Next you must specifically state for your audience why it is important to know this information. Though this point may be self-evident to members of the audience, it’s a good motivational technique to state it aloud for them. For instance, an announcement such as, “You must learn this new protocol in order to comply with new state regulations” will do much to improve the attention of the class.

The third step consists of the actual presentation of material. Try to avoid a strict lecture presentation. Involve the audience as much as possible. Use an informal question-and-answer method and call on many different people to answer the questions you pose. If you have employed a slide presentation such as PowerPoint, reiterate important points from slides, but do not read them word-for-word to the audience.

Finally, end the presentation with a short summation of the material, then ask a few questions or give a short quiz for reinforcement.

Skill-based presentations generally follow the same principles, but certain procedures must be maintained. For instance, in teaching someone a new skill, it is best to demonstrate the skill twice. The first demonstration should be done without comments from the demonstrator. The second should be done with specific comments at each step. After answering questions from the audience about the presentation, have each student demonstrate the skill twice using other students in the class to comment on the presentations.

The key to teaching a skill is to have the learner visualize the motor movements necessary to carry out the procedure, and visualization is best accomplished through repetition. Thus, two demonstrations is a good compromise for most skills. The first is done without comment so as not to clutter the visual cues with verbal cues. Using the learners themselves to critique the practice sessions of other learners is a technique that gives the class members more practice while conserving class time.

After everyone has had the opportunity to both practice the skill and critique other members, bring the class back together for two last steps. First, review the steps with the class in a question-and-answer session. Finally, ask for questions to eliminate any confusion that still exists. A good practice at this point is to have other members of the class answer these questions as an informal but effective way to demonstrate knowledge.

In summary, any instructional program, whether knowledge-based, skill-based or a combination of the two, can be constructed to fit into the paradigms outlined above. These paradigms are simple to utilize and based on sound educational principles. By using them, you’ll find that not only will your programs be more successful at accomplishing your education goals, but as an added bonus, your audience will be treated to a more enjoyable learning experience.

John D’Angelo, EdD, EMT, is an EMT for Tri-Community South EMS in Bethel Park, PA. Contact him at jdangelo5@verizon.net.