Discussion is a good way to cover the background knowledge needed to learn a skill, especially when you're training a group. It's also the most suitable way of delivering a competency that is theoretical or conceptual in nature.

Group discussions allow you to draw on the participants' experiences, and keep them personally involved in the learning process.

You need to be careful, however, that more vocal learners don't dominate group discussions, and that the discussions stay on track and all the details are covered in the time available.

Assignments are useful if you want the learner to undertake their own research and present it back to you in a written format or verbal presentation. They also allow you to use the completed assignment as evidence of competence for assessment purposes.

Their biggest disadvantage is that they generally require good literacy skills to complete properly. However, if you have a group of learners you can often reduce this problem by pairing off a good writer with a poor writer, so long as you ensure that both people make equal contributions to the overall project.

Using 'problem-based learning' and case studies

Problem-based learning is a way of encouraging students to use their own experience and knowledge to tackle plausible or real life scenarios to try to solve the problems and dilemmas they present. The approach is often used in a group session, with different members taking different roles or researching particular areas. Once a set of possible solutions have been proposed, the group discusses the pros and cons of each solution and negotiates or decides on a final strategy.

Using case studies is another way of putting the learner into the middle of a real-life situation and asking them to derive their own conclusions. When case studies are used in group discussions, they can be very effective in helping participants to share their experiences and learn from each other.