Creative Learning
Surprise! Creative learners are not necessarily artists. As a matter of fact a lot of attorneys embrace the creative learning style.
When you think of creative learning, think self-directed learning. Those who learn creatively tend to take initiative and discover the world on their own terms, at their own pace. They are usually comfortable taking risks and making mistakes, relying on their intuition to lead them to their attainment of knowledge.
This is perhaps the most challenging learning style for trainers to prepare for. By their very nature, those who embrace creative learning tend to wander off course. Do you have a student who reads ahead of the syllabus or who clicks on application menus instead of following instruction? Most likely, he’s a creative learner. What about the attorney who waves away your instructions and asks a question that seems non sequitur? She’s probably a creative learner too.
Creative learners will keep you on your toes as they tend to lead the learning process while you follow, providing supporting knowledge during their discovery process. It’s a challenge, but allowing a creative learner to lead has its benefits, leading to greater comprehension for significant portion of your student population.
How do you prepare for creative learners? Be prepared and be nimble. For creative learners an effective trainer must be opportunistic, ready for action and flexible. You must be satisfied that such training efforts – though they may seem scatter shot from the point of view of a formal outline – are powerfully effective when working with creative learners.
The next time you develop a course, consider adding elements of creative learning as part of the complete package:
- Add open-ended challenges at the end of course modules, including exercises that generate thought and don’t necessarily produce a single, concrete answer.
- Anticipate that creative learners will “paint themselves into corners.” Instead of directing them around potential problems, be prepared to show them how to get out of them. Teach them how to use the Help menu, for example. And reinforce the usefulness of the great reference materials you have provided to them.
- For individuals you have identified as creative learners, it may be worthwhile to schedule one-on-one sessions with them for a customized lesson. This will help eliminate disruption in a formal class setting.
- Keep a checklist of what you have covered and what you have missed; this will give you a chance to circle back and address topics that may have been bypassed during an interaction with a creative learner.