Global

Adult learning principles for trainers: Designing and facilitating sessions that stick

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 7 details that are specific to your organisation.

See the live deckSee the full outline
Try the coursePreview the survey
Length
30 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
In the first month of a trainer pathway
Last reviewed
21 Oct 2026
Grey areas: mixed rooms and unwilling learners
What would you do?

A senior technician says in a session "I have done this for twenty years, I do not need this"

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 30 minutes
  • Process, sorting activity, tabs, scenario and quizzes

Live session deck

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

  • 9 slides
  • Poll, quiz, ranking, scale 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 406.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessmentn/aWhole course
SO 406.1Describe commonly cited adult learning principles as useful working assumptions, and separate them from mythsKnowles (andragogy); see verification listWhole course
SO 406.2Use learners' motivation, autonomy and experience when planning a sessionBest practiceWhole course
SO 406.3Name the four stages of the Kolb experiential learning cycle and match an activity to eachKolb (see verification list)Whole course
SO 406.4Design a session in which learners experience, reflect, conceptualise and tryKolb; best practiceWhole course
SO 406.5Support self-directed learning and transfer to the job, using a facilitation planning checklist + your infoBest practiceWhole course

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

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 7 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 30 minutes

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

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

Why experienced learners switched off

3 pages

6 min
Before you beginNoteList
Two refreshersTextImage
What changed?ChecklistKey factQuiz
2

How adults learn: useful principles and myths

3 pages

5 min
Working principlesAccordionNote
Myth or realitySorting activity
CheckFlashcardsMatching quiz
3

The Kolb experiential learning cycle

3 pages

5 min
Four stagesProcess
Which stage?Sorting activity
CheckChecklistQuiz
4

Grey areas: mixed rooms and unwilling learners

3 pages

5 min
Experience cuts both waysTabs
The sceptical expertScenarioQuiz
Mandatory and unwillingScenarioMatching quiz
5

Self-direction, transfer and a planning checklist

3 pages

5 min
Support learners to steerProcess
Making it stick at workTabsYour info
Your planning checklistChecklistQuiz
6

Plan your next session and final assessment

2 pages

4 min
Apply itProcessYour infoNoteYour infoYour info
PracticeQuizKey factNoteButtonYour info

Live deck and surveys

9 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, "adults bring experience and want to know why
PollHow do you usually start a session?
QuizWhich opening fits experienced adults best? A history of the topic · A real work problem to solve ✔ · A list of rules · A definitions quiz
ContentThe Kolb cycle as four steps and one example for each
RankingPut the four Kolb stages in order
PollMyth or reality: adults always prefer to learn alone
ScaleHow confident are you planning an activity for each stage of the cycle?
Open-ended / Q&AOne part of your next session you will start with a real problem
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. How do you use learners' experience in a session? multiple choice
  6. I include time for learners to reflect. 1-5 scale
  7. Do you plan anything for after the session? multiple choice
  8. I can change how I teach without worrying what colleagues think. 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? 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

7 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}}
  • LMS or record system{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}
  • Next course link{{NEXT_COURSE_LINK}}
  • Survey 1 URL{{SURVEY_1_URL}}
  • Survey 2 URL{{SURVEY_2_URL}}
Show all 7 fields
  • Course URL{{COURSE_URL}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run adult learning principles for trainers: Designing and facilitating sessions that stick 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?

In the first month of a trainer pathway, before a team redesigns its mandatory training, and as a refresher for trainers who lecture.

Who needs this training?

New and experienced corporate trainers, facilitators, mentors and educators who teach adult learners; run by the head of L&D or a train-the-trainer programme 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