--- title: "Daily Buzz: Participant-Driven Learning" id: "45893" type: "post" slug: "daily-buzz-participant-driven-learning" published_at: "2019-03-08T21:30:38+00:00" modified_at: "2019-03-08T21:30:38+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/03/08/daily-buzz-participant-driven-learning/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/03/08/daily-buzz-participant-driven-learning.md" excerpt: "Learning is an experience that attendees go through at meetings—which means participation is key. Also: International Women’s Day is the perfect reminder to support women in your community." taxonomy_category: - "Learning" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "civic participation" - "E-learning" - "Education Law" - "Meetings" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Daily Buzz: Participant-Driven Learning Education is a main component of many meetings, but providing attendees with a true learning experience often relies heavily on participation. “Learning is not something done to attendees. It is something they do,” [said Dave Lutz on the Velvet Chainsaw blog (opens in a new tab)](https://velvetchainsaw.com/2019/03/07/what-true-learning-is-at-participant-centered-conferences/) . “Learner-centric conferences provide education sessions where attendees act as participants in their own learning. Participants construct meaning and sense-making as they hear and consider content. They grasp how and why the content is relevant to their work.” On the flip side, speaker-centric meetings tend to focus more on emphasizing subject-matter experts and their knowledge. But that doesn’t mean participant-driven meetings shouldn’t lean on expert panels or sessions, either. “In learner-centric conferences, organizers secure presenters and facilitators that focus on designing real-world learning experiences,” Lutz wrote. “They facilitate discovery-based, experiential and collaborative activities for participants to actively construct their own knowledge.” As with finding the right speaker, meetings focused on learning should be planned with intention. So, look at different elements of your event. Do they prioritize education? If not, alter your meeting program so that it contributes to nurturing attendees’ educational pursuits—and gets them involved in the process. ### Support Local Women > Feeling ineffectual about gender inequality? You’re not. Innovate for change at your local level. [@EntrepreneurOrg (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/EntrepreneurOrg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [https://t.co/WOF55N0QyE (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/WOF55N0QyE) > > — Inc. (@Inc) [March 8, 2019 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/Inc/status/1104029091303436289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **International Women’s Day**is a good reminder to support women in your local community. Marsha Ralls, a member of Entrepreneurs’ Organization and an ambassador with the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization, [recommends taking on a mentee (opens in a new tab)](https://www.inc.com/entrepreneurs-organization/5-ways-to-make-an-impact-on-international-womens-day.html) , creating an internship program, or donating your time or money to organizations that help empower disadvantaged women to join the workforce. “Developing a strong network of support is critical to entrepreneurial success,” Ralls wrote on Inc.com. “Yet 48 percent of female business owners state that a lack of mentors and available advisors limits their professional growth. It’s time for female founders to step up and raise the bar for all women by sharing business knowledge and skills in a mentoring capacity.” ### Other Links of Note **Facebook posts** should be conversational. Nonprofit digital marketing expert John Haydon reveals [how to make posts more human (opens in a new tab)](https://www.johnhaydon.com/write-facebook-posts/) . **Does your association’s** IT executive need coaching? [The DelCor blog investigates (opens in a new tab)](https://www.delcor.com/resources/blog/does-your-association-need-it-coach) . **Understanding why members** have let their membership lapse is [key to knowing how to get them back (opens in a new tab)](https://personifycorp.com/blog/re-engage-those-lapsed-members) , says the Personify blog. (omgimages/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Jeff Hsin](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/jeff-hsin/) Tags: [#civic participation](https://associationsnow.com/tag/civic-participation/) [#E-learning](https://associationsnow.com/tag/e-learning/) [#Education Law](https://associationsnow.com/tag/education-law/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoAmerican College of Emergency Physicians: ACEP Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation ProgramSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-college-of-emergency-physicians-acep-geriatric-emergency-department-accreditation-program/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents Practical AI-How Associations Are Putting It To WorkJanuary 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/01/29/associations-now-presents-practical-ai-how-associations-are-putting-it-to-work/) - [PodcastWhy Associations Must Rethink Learning and Community TogetherMarch 26, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/26/why-associations-must-rethink-learning-and-community-together/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2019%2F03%2F08%2Fdaily-buzz-participant-driven-learning%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !