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Trainer Essentials: The Four Things that Learners 
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When you deliver a workshop on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) you want participants to 
remember and apply what you have taught. You can increase the chances that this will occur by 
providing participants with four things:   
1) A safe learning environment 
2) Connection to existing knowledge 
3) Motivation 
4) Practice  
When these needs are met participants are engaged and are more likely to remember and 
apply what they learn. Below is a brief summary of each of these needs and some suggestions 
on how to address them.  
A Safe Learning Environment 
A safe learning environment is one where participants feel a sense of belonging and 
acceptance, where they are comfortable sharing their views and perspectives, and feel 
respected. Creating a safe learning environment is the groundwork for all learning. To ensure 
that learning can take place, we need to identify potential sources of stress and create an 
environment where participants feel physically, emotionally and psychologically secure. 
Below are some suggestions of what you can do to reduce stress and create a safe learning 
environment: 
Address the physical needs of participants 
 Provide snacks and lunch – when participants are hungry they cannot focus on learning 
 Provide clean and safe toilets and invite people to use them whenever necessary 
 Ensure the participants are all able to hear and see information easily 
Address the emotional and psychological needs of participants: 
 Establish a group agreement at the beginning of the workshop that emphasizes respect for 
all participants 
 Communicate in a respectful, open and friendly manner 
 Organize and deliver information that addresses different learning styles and different 
speeds of learning 
 Encourage participants to share their knowledge and experience  
 Address disrespectful or discriminatory behaviour  
For more detailed information on creating a safe learning environment, see the Trainer 
Essential: Creating a Safe Learning Environment.

Trainer Essentials: The Four Things that Learners 
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Connection to existing knowledge 
The more points of connection we can find between new information and participants existing 
knowledge and experience, the more likely they are to retain and apply it. We create these 
connections by making information meaningful and relating it to what participants already know. 
The stronger the relevance and the connection to existing knowledge the better participants will 
retain the information.  
 
We often apply this principal when we give directions. We try to think of reference points that the 
person already knows. The more reference points we provide the easier it is for the person to 
understand and remember the directions. We can use a similar approach when we teach about 
a new concept in WASH. For instance, if you are teaching about water borne diseases, find out 
what water borne illnesses participants have experienced and what they did about them. You 
can then connect the content of the lesson directly to their personal experiences.   
 
 
Motivation  
Motivation is important to learning because motivated people learn better and faster (Standford 
Centre for Teaching and Learning, 1998). Motivated participants are also more likely to take 
action on what they have learned and incorporate it into their everyday lives. This is particularly 
crucial when teaching about water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). 
 
In education, motivation is defined as anything that encourages the student to participate and 
learn (Bennett & Rolheiser, 2001). There are two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. 
Intrinsic motivation comes from within the learner. It is driven by interest in the topic, personal 
development or enjoyment, and does not rely on external pressures. When we make 
information interesting and relevant to the participants we can stimulate their intrinsic motivation. 
Extrinsic motivation comes from outside the individual. Grades, rewards and threats of 
punishment are common forms of extrinsic motivation.  
Ideally, you want all participants to be intrinsically motivated; however, this is not always 
possible. Somebody may not be interested in a certain topic until they have been exposed to it 
or understand its relevance to their life. Forms of extrinsic motivation, like competition, can be 
used to pique someone’s interest in a topic and kindle their intrinsic motivation.  
To learn more on how you can motivate participants see Trainer Essentials: Motivation.  
Practice 
You know the saying: “Practice makes perfect”. The more we try something the better we get, 
and the more we remember. During workshops we need to provide participants with meaningful 
opportunities to practice what we are teaching them. Meaningful practice connects new

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knowledge and skills to what learners already know. It also helps participants remember what 
they have learned.   
 
There are a number of activities that can be used, regardless of the topic, to add meaningful 
practice time to lessons including: 
 Think, pair, share 
 Group discussion 
 Participant presentations or demonstrations 
 Solving a case study problem 
 Doing hands-on activities and simulations 
 Role play 
For more ideas on activities that can be used to encourage meaningful practice see: Trainer 
Essentials: Active Learning. 
When you create a safe learning environment, connect participants to their past experience, 
build on their motivation and provide them with opportunities to practice you are helping them to 
learn and retain what you are teaching. Each of the needs takes time to fill, but it is time well 
spent, since it will ensure your message is understood and remembered.  
References 
Bennett, B., & Rolheiser, C. (2001). Beyond Monet. Toronto, Ontario: Bookations Inc. 
Standford Centre for Teaching and Learning. (1998). Capturing and Directing the Motivation to 
Learn. Speaking of Teaching. Retrieved from http://web.stanford.edu/dept/CTL/cgi-
bin/docs/newsletter/motivation_to_learn.pdf 
 
 
CAWST (Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology) 
Calgary, Alberta, Canada 
Website: www.cawst.org Email: [EMAIL] 
Wellness through Water.... Empowering People Globally 
Last Update: March 2015 
 
 
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