Global

Engaging learners: Active learning, questioning and group facilitation for trainers

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 8 details that are specific to your organisation.

See the live deckSee the full outline
Try the coursePreview the survey
Length
35 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
After a trainer's first few sessions
Last reviewed
21 Oct 2026
Questions that make people think
What would you do?

You ask an open question and nobody speaks

Try it: this is one of 18 interactive activities in the course.

What's included

Three pieces that work together

Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.

Self-paced course

Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.

  • 6 lessons, about 35 minutes
  • Tabs, sorting activity, process, scenario and quizzes

Live session deck

An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.

  • 10 slides
  • Quiz, word cloud, poll, ranking slides
  • A closing slide for your contacts

Two surveys

Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.

  • Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
  • 30-day check-in
  • Anonymous by default
  • Results feed your next refresher

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, learners can

Each objective and the lesson that covers it.

IDObjectiveSourceWhere it's covered
TO 393.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessmentn/aWhole course
SO 393.1Explain why participation matters for attention and recall, and name common reasons learners disengageBest practiceWhole course
SO 393.2Choose an active learning method that fits the session objectiveBest practiceWhole course
SO 393.3Move from answer-seeking questions to open, probing and learner-generated questionsBest practiceWhole course
SO 393.4Set up a discussion or group task with clear roles, timing and a purposeful openerBest practiceWhole course
SO 393.5Read a flat room and choose a recovery move; know who to ask for support + your infoBest practice; organisation's training supportWhole course

Your part: what a template can't do for you

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 8 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
  • Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.

Course outline

6 lessons, about 35 minutes

Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

The room that went quiet

3 pages

7 min
Before you beginNoteList
Forty minutes of slidesTextImage
What went wrongTimelineQuiz
2

Why engagement matters and what puts learners off

3 pages

6 min
Motivation and attentionTabs
What discourages learners?Sorting activity
CheckFlashcardsMatching quiz
3

Choosing an active method for the objective

3 pages

6 min
Match method to purposeProcess
Methods in briefTable
Pick the methodChecklistQuizMulti-select quiz
4

Questions that make people think

3 pages

6 min
Types of questionAccordion
Rewrite itSorting activity
After the questionScenarioMatching quiz
5

Groups, energisers and recovering a flat room

3 pages

6 min
Cooperative groupsTabs
Energisers with a purposeScenarioQuiz
When you need supportProcessYour infoYour infoNote
6

Next steps and final assessment

2 pages

4 min
Your next stepsChecklistNote
PracticeQuizKey factNoteButtonYour info

Live deck and surveys

10 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop

Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.

ContentTitle, agenda, "everyone talks in this session
Word cloudOne word for a session you remember
PollWhat puts you off most in a training session?
ContentFour reasons learners engage (relevance, control, challenge, safety) and four question types
QuizWhich is an open question? "Is this clear?" · "How would you explain this to a client?" ✔ · "Any questions?" · "Yes or no?
QuizYou ask an open question and nobody speaks. You… (Wait, then offer pair time ✔)
RankingRank six energisers by how well they link to an objective
ScaleHow confident are you recovering a flat room?
Open-ended / Q&AA flat-room moment you have faced
Content · customiseClosing {{LD_CONTACT}}, {{SURVEY_2_URL}}, {{COURSE_URL}}
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
  1. Overall rating 5 stars
  2. Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
  3. What was most useful? multi-select
  4. Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
  5. What do you usually do when nobody answers? multiple choice
  6. Which skill do you most want to improve? ranking
  7. What is one thing that makes a group go quiet? short text
  8. I feel safe trying a new activity in front of learners. 1-5 scale
  9. One thing we should change or add open text
  10. Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
  1. Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
  2. How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
  3. Do you know where to find the training standards document? yes / no / not sure
  4. A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
  5. Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking

Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.

Make it yours

8 fields to fill in, and you're ready

Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.

  • Ld contact{{LD_CONTACT}}
  • Training standards link{{TRAINING_STANDARDS_LINK}}
  • Concern route{{CONCERN_ROUTE}}
  • Next course link{{NEXT_COURSE_LINK}}
  • LMS or record system{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}
  • Survey 1 URL{{SURVEY_1_URL}}
Show all 8 fields
  • Survey 2 URL{{SURVEY_2_URL}}
  • Course URL{{COURSE_URL}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run engaging learners: Active learning, questioning and group facilitation for trainers training online?

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

How often is this training needed?

After a trainer's first few sessions; when learner feedback says sessions feel flat; as a refresher before a big programme launch.

Who needs this training?

Corporate trainers, facilitators, mentors and educators who deliver live or virtual sessions and want learners taking part rather than listening; run by the head of L&D or the training academy lead.

What records should I keep?

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Can I edit the content?

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

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Last reviewed: 21 October 2026Templates are a starting point, not legal advice.

Ready to run it?

Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.

See the live deck