It's not news that the effectiveness of any fire department depends largely on the quality of its training program. Unfortunately, few departments today have the luxury of providing the quantity of training needed to ensure that all firefighters have mastered all of their job skills. One way to overcome this shortage of time is to improve the quality of the training being delivered, and one of the ways this can be accomplished is by applying the principles of active training.

Active training isn't a new concept. Rather, it brings together several principles of adult learning into a comprehensive approach to the design and delivery of training. Active training's three components are

1) activity,

2) variety and

3) participation.

Activity involves engaging the learners' minds from start to finish. For example, rather than listening to a lecture about strategy and tactics, the participants are drawn into a discussion about how to apply tactics to various fireground situations.

Variety means using different instructional methods during the delivery of the class or drill. A key instructional principle maintains that different people process information differently. Visual learners process information primarily through what they see. Auditory learners process information primarily through what they hear and read. And kinesthetic learners process information primarily through what they experience and do. Instructors who strive for variety use different teaching styles so that all learners can process information more effectively.

Finally, participation means that learners are engaged in the learning process. In other words, the learners aren't casual observers, they're active participants in the presentation. Rather than dictating a lecture all day, the instructor asks the participants questions. He routinely asks "Why?" to generate discussion, and the participants are given an opportunity to have input into their learning experience by providing feedback to the instructor.

Here are a few tips to incorporate active training into your day-to-day classes and drills.

Present information in moderate levels of content. Psychologists generally agree that the mind can process only a small amount of information at one time. Often called a "chunk," this amount is five to seven bits of information. In terms of hands-on skills, a chunk equals one skill.

In active training, one chunk of information is presented and then applied through questions, activities, problem-solving scenarios or hands-on practice. In short, by presenting the information in small parts, then having the learners apply or practice the information, the instructor has increased the chances that the participant has learned the new information or skill.

Use a variety of instructional methods. Active training involves the use of different instructional methods during any given class. This includes combining lecture with discussion, company drill with case studies and one-on-one with group activities.

Instructors should also use appropriate audiovisual materials with any method, thus increasing the visual and auditory aspects of the instruction. However, don't lean too heavily on these instructional aids. There's a tendency among instructors to overuse and abuse audiovisuals, since they're so easy to put together with today's technology. A sharp PowerPoint presentation looks good and may improve learning, but it can't replace the role of the instructor and the importance of classroom interaction.

Create opportunities for interaction between learners and the instructor. An effective method for creating interaction is the use of questions, which can be used to stimulate thought, solicit answers to a problem or change an otherwise passive individual into an engaged learner.

Questions should also be used to generate discussion between students. Most students in fire service training courses have valuable experiences that can benefit others in the class. Use questions and guided discussion to bring out and highlight those experiences.

Activities can also be used to generate learner interaction. Not only do activities engage students, they also give them a chance to apply new information.

Recycle basic concepts and skills often. There are fundamental skills and concepts, such as teamwork, fire behavior, safety and building construction, that recur in our profession. Whenever possible, instructors should apply these concepts and skills during training. This will not only improve the current learning experience, it will reduce the need to revisit the concepts and skills separately in the future.

Solve real-life problems in training. Active training uses problems that learners can relate to. In fact, it's best when the scenarios and problems come directly from the local community. For example, use local buildings for scenarios when delivering classes on strategy and tactics, and when conducting ems training during cold weather months, use hypothermia, frostbite and similar scenarios. The more the learners can relate to the problem or scenario used in training, the more likely they are to store the concepts and lessons learned in long-term memory, where it can be used when needed.

Active training uses a variety of instructional methods during training, keeps training active and moving, and gets the participants engaged in the entire learning process. While these key principles aren't new concepts, they're basic skills that should be in every instructor's toolbox. By applying these methods, instructors will improve the effectiveness of the training and increase the satisfaction of the learners.