rapid learning stations: learning a lot in a little time ... · learning stations, can do all that...

Sharon Bowman 775-749-5247 [email protected] www.Bowperson.com © 2004 1

Imagine a training tool that keepsyour learners motivated and ac-tively involved while they reviewold information, learn new in-formation, practice skills relatedto what they have learned, ANDthat does it all at the same time!This amazing tool, called RapidLearning Stations, can do all that- and more!

What Is It?

Rapid Learning Stations is atraining strategy that has beenaround for decades and that ishighly adaptable to just aboutany topic and any size group.

Basically, you set up a number of“learning stations” around thetraining room – designated tablesor spaces where small groups oflearners will do specific learningtasks for a specific amount oftime. The small groups rotatefrom station to station, doing adifferent topic-related task ateach station. When all groupshave participated in all stationactivities, you lead a debriefingsession with the entire group todiscuss what they learned fromthe Rapid Learning Stations. Youcan also answer questions andexplore “next steps” during thisprocessing time.

What Does It Do?

The Rapid Learning Stationstraining tool enables your learn-ers to:

Review segments of previouslylearned information in a varietyof short, quick ways.

Rapid Learning Stations:Learning a Lot in a Little Time.

From: The Ten Minute Trainer.

By Sharon L. Bowman, MA

Professional Speaker and Corporate TrainerDirector, The Lake Tahoe Trainers Group

P.O. Box 564, Glenbrook, NV 89413Phone: 775-749-5247 Fax: 775-749-1891

E-Mail: [email protected] Web-Site: www.Bowperson.com

Rapid Learning Stations: Learning a Lot in a Little Time.From: The Ten Minute Trainer.


Teach themselves some new,topic-related information.

Practice topic-related skills for ashort period of time.

Learn from each other, self-correct and coach each other.

Link new learning to old learn-ing, and draw on what they al-ready know.

Keep both their minds and bod-ies awake and alert as they movearound the room doing variouslearning activities.

Participate in the training in aunique and novel way, therebyincreasing motivation and inter-est as well as learning and reten-tion.

Time, Materials, Set-Up

Before using Rapid LearningStations, you will need to do thefollowing preparation steps:

1. Decide what topic-related in-formation you want learners toreview, what new informationyou want them to learn, or whatskills you want them to practice.

2. Decide how many learningstations you want to include. Ageneral rule to follow is: Thereshould be no less than 3-4 and nomore than 6-8 people at each sta-

tion at one time. So if you have30 people in your training ses-sion, you can have as few as 4stations or as many as 10 sta-tions. Usually 4 - 6 stations willwork with most groups. If youhave ten learners at a station, youcan always divide them into 2smaller groups of 5 each beforedoing the station activity.

3. Decide what kind of activitywill be at each station. Activitiescan include: games, puzzles,worksheets, discussion questions,reading assignments, skills prac-tice in pairs or as a group, indi-vidual or group self-correctedtests, charts or diagrams to make,flashcards to review, direct in-struction from you or an assis-tant, presentations or skits toprepare. If you include the lastitem, learners can perform theirskits during the processing timeafter the station activities end.

4. Decide how long you thinkeach activity will take, and thentake the average of that time forthe length of all station activities.In other words, the time for eachstation has to be the same, so youwill have to adjust the station ac-tivities to fit the time allotted.

Station activities work best whenthey are from 5 to 20 minutes inlength. If you have to err, makethem too short rather than toolong. Whatever time you choose,



make sure that the station activitypretty much fits that time span.Allow for about 30 seconds rota-tion time between stations.

5. Time for the entire RapidLearning Stations process willvary depending upon the timeallotted for the stations and fordebriefing afterwards.

For example, if you have four10-minute stations, 30-secondsrotation time in between, and 15minutes to discuss the station ac-tivities afterwards, allow aboutan hour for the entire process.

If you have six 15-minute sta-tions, you may want to run fourof them for an hour, take a short5 - 10 minute break, and then runthe last two. With rotation time,the break, and whole-group proc-essing at the end of the stationactivities, allow for about twohours of Rapid Learning Stationstime.

6. Decide on a rotation signal touse. It may be high-energy mu-sic, a noisemaker, flashing theroom lights, or simply saying“Time to rotate.” Upbeat music isthe most fun signal, as it lightensthe mood and energizes thelearners as they move around theroom.

7. When setting up the trainingroom, designate certain tables or

breakout areas for the stations.Post each station activity set ofinstructions on a chart paper orhandout located at or near thestation. Make sure all necessarymaterials are at the station andthat there are enough materialsfor all rotations. If using games,have all game materials ready togo. If learners need to bringwriting or handout materials withthem to a station, make sure theyknow this ahead of time.

8. Do one final check of eachstation to make sure instructionsand materials are there and thatthere are enough materials for allgroups to be able to do the sta-tion activity (example: enoughart supplies, worksheets, blankchart paper, etc.)

Activity Instructions

1. Explain to the training partici-pants the purpose of the RapidLearning Stations strategy.Tell them how groups will rotate(clockwise, counter-clockwise,randomly), the time allotted foreach station, and what the rota-



tion signal is. Let participantsknow what they need to take withthem and what they do when theyfinish.

2. Check for understanding byasking learners yes/no questionsabout the procedure to make surethey know what they will be do-ing.

3. Have participants count offfrom one to the number of sta-tions you have (example: theycount off from 1 - 6 if you havesix stations). All the ones go toLearning Station One, all thetwos to Learning Station Two,etc.

4. Tell station groups to choose afacilitator for the entire process.Or they can choose a differentfacilitator for each station activ-ity. Also let them know that theywill be staying with their stationgroup for the entire activity.

5. Begin the Rapid Learning Sta-tions process and time each rota-tion (or assign someone to dothis). While the activities are

going on, walk around the roommonitoring the station groups,answering questions, and offer-ing assistance if necessary. Payattention to the station time al-lotted - if it seems too short ortoo long for most of the groups,then change it to fit the needs ofthe majority.

6. When participants have ro-tated through all the learning sta-tions, announce a short break,and then talk about the stationactivities with the whole group.Be sure to allow enough time forprocessing the entire learningexperience. Have a list of discus-sion questions posted that stationgroups can talk about amongthemselves first and then discusswith the whole group. Discussionquestions can include:

Which activity challenged youthe most?

Which activity did you learn themost from? Which was the mostmeaningful for you?

What were three important thingsyou learned from the activities?

What did you learn about your-self? About others?

What are three take-aways foryou from the Learning Stations?



What knowledge/skills will youuse back at work because ofthese activities?

What is your action plan as aresult of these activities?

What is one question you stillhave concerning any of thelearning station material?

7. Have participants acknowl-edge and celebrate their learningstation groups with kudos, ap-plause, handshakes, or high-fives.

Activity Variations

1. Instead of doing all the RapidLearning Stations in a row duringa specific chunk of time, scatterthem throughout your trainingday, having small groups go todifferent learning stations asbreaks between lecture segments.For example, you lecture forabout 10 - 20 minutes. Then eachtable group goes to a differentlearning station and does the ac-tivity there for about 5 minutes.Afterwards, groups return to theirtables and you lecture again untilthe next Station Break.

2. Instead of rotating groupsthrough the stations, you can ro-tate the activities from tablegroup to table group. Simplymake sure that everything neededto do each station activity is in alarge manila envelope or smallbox, and pass the envelopes orboxes from table to table.

3. Have a “game table” where allthe Rapid Learning Stations ac-tivities/games and instructionsare displayed. During a StationBreak, each table group canchoose an activity to do. Theyreturn all game materials to thegame table when done. Or yougive them enough time to choosetwo or three activities/games todo/play.

4. Have small table groups makeup the Rapid Learning Stationsactivities, complete with all nec-essary materials and instructions.Then do Activity Variations #2or #3 with the “learner-created”activities/games.

5. Post a list of “Early-to-Finish”ideas so that any group that fin-ishes before the station time is upcan choose something to do forthe extra few minutes.

6. Have learning station groupslead the processing afterwards,making up the discussion ques-tions and facilitating the wholegroup discussion. You become



the “guide-on-the-side” throughit all.

Final Thoughts

Rapid Learning Stations is anextremely versatile instructionalstrategy that lends itself to anumber of practical uses. With it,your learners can review already-learned information, becomeaware of new information, prac-tice skills, plan projects, study,quiz themselves or each other,and create their own perform-ance-based presentations usingwhat they have learned. Theskies - and imagination - are theonly limits with this useful, mo-tivational, high-energy trainingtool!___________________________

“Rapid Learning Stations!” is an ex-cerpt from Sharon Bowman’s newestbook The Ten-Minute Trainer! 129Ways to Teach it Quick and Make ItStick, to be published by Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer in 2005, and printed withpermission. Please cite the source whendownloading this material. You cancontact www.Bowperson.com for moreinformation about The Ten-MinuteTrainer.

Author and traveling teacher SharonBowman helps educators and businesspeople “teach it quick and make itstick,” - fine-tuning their information-delivery skills and turning their passivelisteners into active learners.

Over 40,000 copies of Sharon’s 6popular teaching, training, and moti-vation books are now in print. Titlesinclude: “Preventing Death by Lec-ture,” “Presenting with Pizzazz,”“How To Give It So They Get It,” and“Shake, Rattle, and Roll.”

Sharon is a member of the NationalSpeakers Association and the directorof The Lake Tahoe Trainers Group.She is also the “Trainer’s Coach,”helping individual teachers and train-ers polish existing lessons and trainingprograms, and creating new ones thatreach all learners.

For more information about SharonBowman and her books and training,log onto www.Bowperson.com, oremail her at [email protected].

For book orders, go towww.trainerswarehouse.com,www.amazon.com, or call BowpersonPublishing at 775-749-5247

rapid learning stations: learning a lot in a little time ... · learning stations, can do all that...

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