{"id":1378,"date":"2011-10-20T14:32:08","date_gmt":"2011-10-20T22:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lookforwardconsulting.com\/?p=1378"},"modified":"2025-07-08T13:29:22","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T12:29:22","slug":"the-4cs-connection-content-concrete-practice-conclusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thescrumacademy.com\/es\/2011\/10\/20\/the-4cs-connection-content-concrete-practice-conclusion\/","title":{"rendered":"The 4Cs: Connections, Concepts, Concrete Practice & Conclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Right before Agile 2011<\/a>, I had the opportunity to co-train a CSM course with an awesome candidate to join the ranks of Certified Scrum Trainers,\u00a0Karen Greaves<\/a>. \u00a0One of the reasons why I was interested in training with Karen is that she has been applying many of the Training From the Back of the Room<\/a> (TFBR) concepts that I have been very curious about and looking to apply in my course. \u00a0I was curious to see how another practitioner would take these concepts and use them to teach Scrum.<\/p>\n

The 4C’s Defined<\/h2>\n

The most visible benefit of my collaboration with Karen was for me to “4C” my training plan for my CSM course. \u00a04C is an acronym that stands for “Connections, Concepts, Concrete Practice, Conclusion” and they are framework for an instructor to help design their class that \u00a0leverages TFBR and Accelerated Learning<\/a>. \u00a0The 4C’s are described in more detail below:<\/p>\n

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  1. Connections:<\/strong> This is the beginning or opening of a training.\u00a0 It can also include pre-training time as well.\u00a0 During the Connections step, learners make connections with what they already know, or think they know, about the training topic.\u00a0 They also make connections with what they will learn or want to learn with the other learners in the training group, and with you, the trainer.<\/li>\n
  2. Concepts: <\/strong>This is the direct instruction, lecture or presentation part of a training,\u00a0 During the Concepts step, learners take in new information in multi-sensory ways: hearing, seeing, discussing, writing, reflecting, imagining, participating and teaching it to others.<\/li>\n
  3. Concrete Practice:<\/strong> This is the active review that usually follows information delivery.\u00a0 During the Concrete Practice step, learners actively practice a new skill using the new information, participate in an active review of what they have learned and again teach others what they know or can now do.<\/li>\n
  4. Conclusions:<\/strong> This is the wrap-up or closing part of a training.\u00a0 It can also include post-training time as well.\u00a0 During the Conclusions step, learners summarize what they have learned, evaluate it, make a commitment to use it at work or in their lives and end with a short celebration of their learning experience.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Benefits of Using the 4C’s<\/h2>\n

    From my experience with Karen and applying the 4C’s on my own, the framework offers instructors two powerful advantages:<\/p>\n

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    1. Your course immediately becomes modular. \u00a0Each learning objective \u00a0is achieved by connecting<\/strong><\/em> the learners to the topic, teaching them content<\/strong><\/em>, allowing them opportunities of concrete practice<\/strong><\/em> to try out the material on their own and closes with a conclusion<\/strong><\/em> before moving to the next learning objective. \u00a0Your course then becomes just a series of 4C’s that knocks down one learning objective after another.<\/li>\n
    2. The 4C’s provide a fantastic diagnostic tool to help you improve your course. \u00a0Since the class is now modular, if a connecting activity is not working, you can switch it. \u00a0Content section is too long? \u00a0Move to concrete practice sooner. \u00a0As instructor, I felt that I had really good content and concrete practice exercises, but my courses were weak on connections and conclusions. \u00a0Look to Sharon Bowman’s book – The Ten Minute Trainer – for over 150 exercises and activities that help with these areas.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Additional Resources<\/h2>\n

      Since this article was first published, I have had more to say on this topic<\/p>\n