Quiz Show Teaches Legal Concepts

Game Show Presenter software can now be ordered in a special Law Bundle that includes a 100-question quiz on Research Sources and Case Law. The bundle aims to enhance the learning experience in a law school first year Legal Writing and Research course.

Educators in law schools can modify the questions to their own needs and use the software's Quiz Editor to create their own quiz show presentations for classes and events.

The 100 questions of the game are in multiple choice format and focus on: basic legal terminology, basic information about research sources and concepts of jurisdiction and court hierarchy.

See our Law Quiz Show Bundle page for more information.

Training Workshop Essentials book released

Training Workshop Essentials: Designing, Developing and Delivering Learning Events That Get Results is the newest book by prolific training author Bob Lucas. This unique training resource offers trainers, educators, and facilitators a hands-on guide for designing and implementing training workshops and sessions that incorporate concepts learned from research on how the human brain best obtains, retains and recalls information. By using this proven approach, trainers can create memorable workshops that are dynamic, fun, and effective events.

The author shows how to design, develop, and deliver training from a whole-brain perspective that addresses the three different learning modalities (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic). Trainers can tap into accelerated learning strategies, address needs of different generational and diverse learners, and employ learner-tested techniques by applying key concepts from this book.

Training Workshop Essentials offers brain-based strategies and techniques that go beyond typical training methods. These approaches will reach out and pull learners into the session's content, and allow them to truly experience and retain the information long after the training ends. The book can be purchased at www.globalperformancestrategies.com

New "Creative Learning" book

Need fresh ideas to engage your trainees? Tap the mind of master trainer Bob Lucas. His most recent book "Creative Learning: Activities and Games That REALLY Engage People" is loaded with new activities and games that can be used by trainers, presenters and educators in virtually any type of indoor learning environment.

The book includes more than 50 icebreakers and introductions motivators, brainteaser and energizers transition and reinforcement activities, stories that teach and powerful session closers. But it goes further by exploring the theory and concepts behind using games and activities. Lucas discusses the research that supports the case for focusing on brain-based (active) learning, and the benefits of adding fun and novelty to the learning environment. He also offers guidance on the possible scenarios when these brain-based games might be appropriate.

The book is available here.

Kindle as Training and HR Tool

Amazon's version 2 of the Kindle electronic reading device makes this wireless, paperless technology even more interesting as a tool for training and human resources.

Most people think of the Kindle as an electronic book platform, which it is, but if you work in training or human resources, consider these other uses:

• Kindle can display PDF and Word files. You can simply email the files to the Kindle. That makes Kindle a very cost-efficient and green way to make your employee manuals and other workplace documentation available to workers who do not have PC access. Best of all, updating your documentation is as easy emailing the latest version to the Kindle.
  

• Kindle can read text aloud. This is a great capability for workers who need access to manuals of instruction or documentation as they are engaged in the work. They can keep their eyes and hands on the task while listening to the instructions. It also makes your information more accessible to workers who don't read well.
  

PDF technology has been great for distributing documents, forms and publications in electronic format, provided all your people are on computers. But now Kindle extends the range of all your docs, forms and pubs to reach your entire workforce without the necessity for universal PC access.

Make Compliance Training Fun

With a new year, comes new compliance training. Normally, that's nothing to get excited about. But this year, we encourage you to snap your trainees to attention by making compliance training fun. And we're going to help you do it.

Game Show Presenter software is a presentation tool that's been used to make training fun in a lot of not-so-fun occupations and mandatory training situations. It lets you put your compliance review in the form of a game show, which adds excitement, challenge, motivation and humor. If you have not tried this before, there is no better time to do so. Because it can really make a difference in the attitude and level of attention of your trainees. So grab the free trial of the PLUS Edition here. Try it. And if you find, as so many other trainers have, that it's an invaluable tool, then here's a special "new year" discount for you. Just type the word "compliance" in the coupon box on the order page and you can buy the popular PLUS Edition for just $99 -- a savings of $50! That offer is good through the end of January, 2009.

Happy new year!

Survey Asks Trainers: What Works?

A recent survey of 1,344 training professionals covers matters ranging from budgets to most effective T&D practices. Results of the 2008 Training Manager Survey can be viewed online.

Among the many questions put to trainers was this: "Select the top three training and development practices you feel are the most effective". The graph above shows instructor-led training was, by far, the top pick at 69%. E-learning hung back in 5th place with 43%, but was still far ahead of the remaining six choices.

Jim Donoho of Metri-Mark Inc. offered these highlights from the survey results:

• 47% expect a moderate decline in training budgets due to the economy (The survey closed Oct. 20, 2008, so it reflects at least some of the latest economic turmoil.)
  
• 71% of respondents said that their e-learning practices have changed the most in the past 2 years
• 66% strongly agree that e-learning is more effective when combined with other forms of learning
• 43% strongly agree that e-learning is not a substitute for face-to-face classroom learning.

New Blog Focuses on Teaching Games

We've added a new blog at www.fun-learning-tools.com. If you are a teacher, principal, student or parent, the new blog offers you news, reviews and ideas to make learning more fun and effective.

The blog you are reading now (www.gamesfortraining.com) will stay focused on training and presentation games in the workplace, government and nonprofit organizations. For either blog, your comments are welcome.