Before, During, After: Learning doesn't begin and end in the classroom.

Many people view learning as a one time event.  Go to class, learn something, leave.  However, we know that this approach doesn't lead to a high rate of retention.  You have to prepare for learning before you enter class, ask the right questions during class, and then review the information after class to get the most out of each learning experience.

Before

Think about what it is you want to "get" from the class.  Why did you register for this class - what appealed to you?

Look at the learning objectives and/or course description.  What do you expect to learn in this class?  Is there an aspect of the topic you don't see in the description/learning objectives that you expected to see?  Make a note of it so you can bring it up in class.

What do you expect/want/need to be able to do once you have completed the class?  If you don't know what the end result should look like then how can you determine if the class was a success?

What do you already know about this topic?  What questions do you have or what else do you want to know about this topic?

During

What material is being covered in this class?  What questions do you have?  Write them down as they occur to you so that you can ask the instructor.  Does anything seem to be missing?

Are you able to understand the material being presented?  If not, why not?  Do you need the instructor to repeat something or go over the material in a different way?  Don't be afraid to ask relevant questions. Do you need more information, details, or examples?

Take notes in class.  We forget most of what is covered almost immediately, so a written record of the important ideas can help you remember them.  Notes can also be helpful when sharing the information with your supervisor or colleagues.

After

Time to evaluate.  Were all of your questions answered?  Did you "get" what you wanted from the class or do you need to explore further?  Did the trainer share resources that will help you to go further with the topic?

What worked well for you?  What problems did you encounter with the information or the instructor?
If asked, could you provide your supervisor or co-workers with a summary of the information presented in class?  If you can't, it's a good thing you took those notes in class.  Review them to see what points you might want to revisit.

Where do you want to go from here?  What other elements of this topic are of interest to you?