You can increase the likelihood of participants in a course both remembering and understanding by providing demonstrations. These can be done in a room or outside (farms, nurseries, forests, gardens…). They involve you or another person performing a technique under real or simulated conditions. Because participants may not only hear, but also see, and perhaps touch and smell during the demonstration, it is a very motivating form of teaching, and can encourage learning very well.
Demonstrations in agroforestry teaching are especially important because it is a very practical activity (although theory and concepts are of course important as well). Participants should have the chance to develop a range of practical skills as well as theoretical knowledge. They can actually see a skill or technique being used during a demonstration, and have the chance to ask questions or to give comments immediately. You may provide the demonstration yourself, or you may invite a local person with some expertise, such as a farmer or an adviser. One of the participants may be able to give a demonstration in a technique, which they have experienced, but that others are not familiar with.
Demonstrations can be useful in a number of ways:
— You can use them to teach a complex task or skill in a series of clear, practical steps.
— They can give participants more confidence in a difficult technique before they try it themselves.
— Some practical activities can be dangerous (e.g. the use of pesticides, climbing tall trees for seed collection) - demonstrations provide you with a chance to show and highlight dangers in a safe environment.
Tips for trainers
— Always be sure about how to carry out a demonstration before you show participants; practise it first until you are sure how to do it.
— Demonstrations may require a lot of organization and preparation beforehand. Have everything prepared before you start a lesson; otherwise, your participants may lose interest. Some demonstrations use costly materials, so you should avoid wastage. Try to avoid using expensive materials, as these may not be available under normal farming conditions.
— Involve participants as much as possible during a demonstration. Ask questions regularly, and check that they understand the procedure. You can also involve participants as helpers in demonstrations (as long as it is safe to do this) or even as demonstrators; this increases interest for the whole group.
— Participants should have a chance to practise the skill or technique after they have seen the demonstration. This will help them learn more effectively.
— Sometimes demonstrations do not work - this reflects the reality of natural resources management, and you can always point this out if something goes wrong - but a good demonstration is worth a lot, so try to ensure success if at all possible. You can also demonstrate how to do something in the wrong way, so that participants can learn how ‘not to do’ something, as well as how to do it correctly. This is good to encourage learning, and increases the opportunity for feedback and questions.