This presentation was given to the students in Summer Research Program at the Department of Supportive Care at the University Health Network.

1. Communicating your research
Tina Papadakos, MA(Ed)
Manager, eLearning & Curriculum

2. Learning objectives
1. Walk through a method for distilling
content for your target audience
2. Design interactions to support learning and
retention

3. What

4. 1. Distil your content

5. Adult learners
• Are more open to learning what (they deem)
they need to know
• Learn best if they believe the learning will be
successful
• Are more successful when they are able to
reflect on their own beliefs and experiences in
relation to new knowledge
• Are motivated to learn
Knowles MS, Holton EF, Swanson RA (2011) The adult learner : the definitive classic in adult education
and human resource development, 7th edn. Elsevier, Butterworth-Heinemann, Amsterdam; Boston

6. 3Ws and an H:
Answer questions

7. 1. Who exactly is your target
audience?
• Young
• Keen
• Educated
• It’s summer
so may prefer
to be
outdoors
• Generation Y
• Grew up using tech
• Multimedia savvy
• Value evidence
• Interested in human health
and conducting research
• Want to contribute
• 2%
nerd

8. 2. Based on your broad analysis about
‘Who’ you can answer ‘Why’
Why should they attend your talk?

9. 3. Based on your findings, what are the
3-5 most significant, relevant and
meaningful things your target
audience would benefit from
knowing?
What 3-5 things will they gain from
attending?

10. 4. How can you best present your
content to deliver your learning goals
and support retention?

11. Example: Readers Theatre

13. Distilling content for today with the
3Ws and an H:
Who: Summer students engaged in research projects
Why: Learn how to communicate your research results
What:
1. Walk through a method for distilling content for your
target audience
2. Design interactions to better support learning and
retention
How: Via PowerPoint with images, discussion/
interaction, print resources

14. Benefit of a ‘rapid’ 3Ws approach
• Helps you isolate the most salient information
• Forces you to be accountable to your target audience
(tell them what is most likely to be valued and
understood)
• Let’s them know exactly what they are signing up for
• ‘Bite-sized’ and easier to remember
Open to learning what (they deem) they need to know
Learn best if they believe the learning will be successful
Adult learners are more successful when they are able to reflect on their own
beliefs and experiences in relation to new knowledge
Enables you to express the value-add and motivate adults learners to engage

15. 2. Design interactions to better
support learning and retention
• Involve more senses in a learning process to
maximize effect
• Identify the most important message from
each learning objective and design an
interaction to reinforce it

17. Practice
• In small groups discuss your research project,
what your findings are/ what you expect them
to be, and how you might be able to produce
your results in a way that maximizes learning
and retention
• Brief report back

18. Summary
1.Asking yourself 4 simple questions can have a
significant impact on the quality and
relevance of your content
WHO, WHY, WHAT and HOW
2. The modality or modalities you produce your
content in will contribute to the uptake of your
messages. Design elements have an important
role in knowledge dissemination: Reinforce your
key messages with interactions

19. Questions?