Delivering Instruction That Sticks

Facilitation Strategies for RMI Professionals

RMI instruction is most effective when learners feel both comfortable participating and challenged to apply what they know in real-world contexts. The resources below work together to support that goal from complementary angles: one focuses on establishing a learning environment where adults feel accepted, encouraged, and ready to engage, while the other focuses on designing and delivering instruction that builds higher-order thinking, problem-solving, and lasting on-the-job impact.

The following sections explore:

  • Creating a Welcoming Learning Environment: Practical strategies to lower anxiety, reinforce belonging, and set a tone where adult learners feel safe participating—especially when they’re unsure or make mistakes.

  • Delivering Learning Experiences With Real-World Relevance: Instructional approaches that move learners beyond recall into application, analysis, evaluation, and creation, using tools like Bloom’s Taxonomy, experiential learning, and simulations to strengthen professional judgment.

Together, these perspectives help RMI instructors build learning experiences where professionals feel comfortable engaging with complex situations and leave with tools they can use when assessing risk, making coverage decisions, and explaining recommendations to stakeholders.

Creating a Welcoming Learning Environment

At the core of effective teaching is the profound understanding that learners thrive in an environment where acceptance, encouragement, and engagement are not just ideals but fundamental pillars.

When learners feel accepted, they are more likely to embrace challenges and approach learning with confidence. Encouragement acts as the catalyst, nurturing their self-belief and motivating them to explore beyond their boundaries. In such an atmosphere, engagement becomes natural, as students actively participate in discussions, ask questions, and delve deep into the subject matter.

In this section, we detail strategies for establishing a welcoming learning environment.

  • It is essential for instructors to assure learners that they are in a space where their mistakes do not define them. In fact, mistakes can be a starting point for new growth. Successful instructors encourage learners to look at current areas where they can improve or reflect on past missteps that have taught them a new way to do things (Sanders, 2021).

  • Like those who are attentive to the tone of the learning environment, instructors who set expectations allow learners to feel more comfortable in the learning space. By outlining what learners can expect, instructors set them up for success. Instructors who provide agendas and learning objectives help learners understand the direction their learning journey is taking (Couturier, 2021).

  • An easy way for instructors to make adult learners feel welcome is to show them their gratitude. Adult learners can rarely make learning their first priority and are often asked to put the needs of others ahead of their own. An instructor who offers a simple “thank you” to learners who make the time for learning goes a long way in helping learners feel appreciated and like they belong (Rawson, 2021).

    Expressing gratitude may seem like a small or obvious step, but letting learners know you are thankful for their time is essential. It is important that instructors do not overlook this simple task when working with busy adult learners.

  • While instruction can come in many forms, perhaps the most common approach is lecture. It is essential that instructors understand that lectures are not speeches (Ludwig, 2016). While certain state or regulatory requirements may make lecture style necessary, it is important to note that it need not be boring. Instructors should let learners feel involved in the topic by using hypothetical situations, encouraging learners to contemplate their own job roles and even consider how they can do those jobs more effectively or efficiently.

  • As an instructor, it is easy to appear as a one-dimensional character. Some learners may even see an instructor as the living embodiment of a textbook. The easiest solution to this is for an instructor to make themselves relatable. Instructors who share stories of their own experiences or bring up compelling examples will connect with their learners (Landrum, 2016). Instructors who explain why and how their instruction should matter to their learners are more likely to keep the attention of those learning their content.

Delivering Learning Experiences With Real-World Relevance

At The Institutes, we recognize that facts are free. Anyone with an internet connection can Google a concept or keyword and, with a little effort, quickly learn the basics of just about anything. True professional growth, however, requires more than memorizing definitions or recognizing key terms; it demands the ability to think critically, solve problems, and innovate within real-world contexts.

The sections below demonstrate how RMI instructors can use Bloom’s Taxonomy, along with complementary, practice-centered strategies, to support the full instructional process: designing learning experiences, delivering instruction effectively, and adapting in real time. The goal is to move professionals beyond basic recall to the higher-level skills of application, analysis, evaluation, and creation:

  • Bloom’s Taxonomy & Higher-Order Thinking: Moving learners from foundational knowledge to applied, analytical, evaluative, and creative thinking.

  • Experiential Learning in Action: Using trial, reflection, and adjustment to strengthen problem-solving skills, adaptability, and professional confidence.

  • Low-Stakes Simulations for High-Stakes Scenarios: Designing consequence-free scenarios that challenge learners to make complex decisions while honing situational awareness and strategic thinking.

  • Role-Specific Applications of Bloom’s Taxonomy: Aligning instructional tasks with the day-to-day realities of RMI professionals.

  • Effective Instructional Delivery and Facilitation: Implementing and adapting your instructional plan in real time to maximize engagement and retention.

Together, these approaches build the skills RMI professionals need to manage risks for organizations and clients; make sound decisions under pressure; and implement solutions that protect assets, control costs, and uphold credibility with clients, regulators, and partners.

Bloom’s Taxonomy & Higher-Order Thinking

As discussed in our earlier exploration of Bloom’s Taxonomy, the framework organizes learning objectives from foundational to advanced thinking skills (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). Figure 1 serves as a quick reference, showing the progression from “remember” at the bottom to “create” at the top. In this section, we’ll focus on how instructors can use the upper levels to promote deeper engagement, the kind that equips learners to think critically, solve complex problems, and adapt to the unpredictable challenges they will face as industry professionals.

While the foundational levels of “remember” and “understand” are important, learners achieve lasting impact when they’re challenged to apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. These higher-order activities foster the kind of critical engagement that turns information into actionable expertise.

In addition to the examples in Figure 1, RMI educators could ask learners to:

Apply

their knowledge by designing a claims-handling workflow for a newly acquired business unit based on provided background information and operational requirements.

An exercise like this would reinforce the practical application of policy and process knowledge to new business contexts, preparing them to adapt quickly during organizational change.

Analyze

a mock client’s coverage portfolio to pinpoint overlooked exposures before they lead to losses, explaining the reasoning behind their findings.

Completing this task would sharpen risk assessment skills and the ability to synthesize complex information, preparing learners to make informed coverage recommendations under real-world time and data constraints.

Figure 1

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy for RMI Instruction

Evaluate

the risk controls of a large-scale infrastructure project and defend their recommendations in a simulated presentation to senior stakeholders.

Engaging in simulations like this would build evaluative judgment and persuasive communication skills, preparing learners for high-stakes situations where they must justify recommendations to decision-makers.

Create

a customized risk financing plan for a fictional company that balances regulatory requirements with competitive advantage.

Engaging in simulations like this would build evaluative judgment and persuasive communication skills, preparing learners for high-stakes situations where they must justify recommendations to decision-makers.

By focusing instruction on these upper four levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, RMI instructors give learners the opportunity to work through challenges and discover why certain tasks need to be approached in specific ways. As they work through these challenges, learners can try different methods — some successful, others not — and use both experiences as part of their learning process. This cycle of trying, reflecting, and adjusting described in Kolb’s experiential learning theory (1984), transforms learning from passive reception into active exploration, allowing learners to discover what works, what doesn’t, and why. This kind of discovery builds the judgment and adaptability RMI professionals need to navigate the complex, unpredictable situations inherent in the industry with confidence.

A practical and impactful way to foster that discovery is by immersing learners in realistic, high-stakes scenarios within a consequence-free environment, situations that mirror the kinds of decisions professionals make in the field, where the outcomes can carry significant business, financial, and reputational impact. Practicing in these simulated settings challenges learners to weigh all the factors that shape a decision (e.g., regulatory requirements, client relationships, operational realities, evolving risk conditions) instead of being limited to static, fact-based instruction that stops at “what the rules say” without exploring how to apply them in dynamic, real-world situations. For example, a class might role-play advising a multinational client during a simulated natural disaster, making urgent coverage and claims-handling decisions as conditions change. In doing so, learners must interpret incomplete or evolving information, balance competing priorities, and anticipate the downstream effects of their choices, just as they would in an actual crisis. The exercise not only reinforces technical skills but also cultivates the situational awareness, adaptability, and judgment that distinguish effective professionals in RMI.

Through this progression, learners aren’t just practicing isolated skills; they’re developing the habits of mind, meaning the ingrained ways of thinking and approaching problems that empower them to respond decisively to complex challenges, anticipate emerging risks, and innovate within their roles. Ultimately, this is what RMI education is all about: preparing professionals to apply what they learn directly to the work they do, so they can handle whatever the industry throws at them with competence and confidence.

Experiential Learning in Action

By focusing instruction on these upper four levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy, RMI instructors give learners the opportunity to work through challenges and discover why certain tasks need to be approached in specific ways. As they work through these challenges, learners can try different methods — some successful, others not — and use both experiences as part of their learning process. This cycle of trying, reflecting, and adjusting described in Kolb’s experiential learning theory (1984), transforms learning from passive reception into active exploration, allowing learners to discover what works, what doesn’t, and why. This kind of discovery builds the judgment and adaptability RMI professionals need to navigate the complex, unpredictable situations inherent in the industry with confidence.

Low-Stakes Simulations for High-Stakes Scenarios

A practical and impactful way to foster that discovery is by immersing learners in realistic, high-stakes scenarios within a consequence-free environment, situations that mirror the kinds of decisions professionals make in the field, where the outcomes can carry significant business, financial, and reputational impact. Practicing in these simulated settings challenges learners to weigh all the factors that shape a decision (e.g., regulatory requirements, client relationships, operational realities, evolving risk conditions) instead of being limited to static, fact-based instruction that stops at “what the rules say” without exploring how to apply them in dynamic, real-world situations. For example, a class might role-play advising a multinational client during a simulated natural disaster, making urgent coverage and claims-handling decisions as conditions change. In doing so, learners must interpret incomplete or evolving information, balance competing priorities, and anticipate the downstream effects of their choices, just as they would in an actual crisis. The exercise not only reinforces technical skills but also cultivates the situational awareness, adaptability, and judgment that distinguish effective professionals in RMI.

Through this progression, learners aren’t just practicing isolated skills; they’re developing the habits of mind, meaning the ingrained ways of thinking and approaching problems that empower them to respond decisively to complex challenges, anticipate emerging risks, and innovate within their roles. Ultimately, this is what RMI education is all about: preparing professionals to apply what they learn directly to the work they do, so they can handle whatever the industry throws at them with competence and confidence.

Role-Specific Applications of Bloom’s Taxonomy

While the concepts above outline why advancing through Bloom’s Taxonomy builds the higher-order thinking and real-world problem-solving skills RMI professionals need, it’s equally important to see how this progression applies within specific RMI roles. In doing so, we can see that each role draws on the full range of taxonomy skills, from remembering and understanding to applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.

The following examples translate theory into practice by showing instructional tasks that directly mirror the responsibilities of a single professional track and how those tasks can be designed to progress from foundational recall to innovative, strategic creation. Each table moves step-by-step through Bloom’s levels, with the degree of critical engagement — and alignment to complex, real-world decision-making — increasing as you move from left to right in the table. These levels reflect the relative cognitive complexity of each task, not its importance. Lower-level tasks, such as recalling regulatory requirements, remain essential foundations for professional competence; without mastery of these fundamentals, higher-level skills like analysis, evaluation, and creation cannot be developed effectively.

Example: Claims Adjusters

First, the alignment of a claims adjuster’s professional responsibilities with instructional tasks in RMI education is shown below. The table also indicates the level of critical engagement each task requires and explains why that level is appropriate for both the instructional activity and the corresponding responsibility of an adjuster in the industry.

Remember

  • Have learners list the statutory deadlines for acknowledging, investigating, and settling claims in a specific jurisdiction.

  • Mirrors a claims adjuster’s need to recall time-sensitive regulatory requirements to remain compliant.

  • Builds essential knowledge for meeting legal obligations and avoiding costly penalties.

  • Low: The instructional and industry tasks rely on accurate recall of established facts, with no need for analysis or judgment. The instructional task is therefore well-suited for preparing learners to meet this industry requirement.

Remember

  • Have learners list the standard endorsements available for a commercial general liability (CGL) policy.

  • Mirrors a broker’s need to recall policy options to ensure clients have comprehensive, appropriate coverage.

  • Builds a strong foundation of product knowledge essential for client trust and accuracy.

  • Low: The instructional and industry tasks rely on accurate recall of established facts, with no need for analysis or judgment. The instructional task is therefore appropriate preparation for meeting this industry requirement.

Understand

  • Ask learners to explain the difference between first-party and third-party claims to a mock policyholder.

  • Reflects an adjuster’s responsibility to clearly communicate claim types and coverage implications to customers.

  • Strengthens the ability to convey technical information in clear, client-friendly language.

  • Low–Moderate: The instructional and industry tasks require comprehension and clear explanation, but little critical decision-making beyond ensuring clarity and accuracy. Therefore, the instructional task appropriately develops this professional communication skill.

Understand

  • Ask learners to explain the difference between an occurrence-based policy and a claims-made policy to a mock business owner.

  • Reflects a broker’s responsibility to help clients understand how coverage triggers affect risk protection.

  • Strengthens the ability to translate technical insurance language into clear, client-friendly explanations.

  • Low–Moderate: The instructional and industry tasks require comprehension and clear explanation, but little critical decision-making beyond ensuring clarity and accuracy. Therefore, the instructional task appropriately develops this professional communication skill.

Apply

  • Provide a case file with policy documents and loss details, and have learners determine coverage and calculate the payable amount.

  • Matches an adjuster’s role in applying policy terms and calculations to real-world claim situations.

  • Reinforces the process of interpreting contracts and applying them accurately to facts.

  • Moderate: The instructional and industry tasks require applying established rules to specific circumstances, but not yet high-level evaluation or synthesis. The instructional task is therefore an appropriate simulation of how this process works in practice.

Apply

  • Provide a client profile and risk assessment, and have learners recommend a package of coverage types to meet the client’s needs.

  • Matches a broker’s role in applying knowledge of coverage options to real client scenarios.

  • Reinforces practical decision-making and product-matching skills.

  • Moderate: The instructional and industry tasks require applying established knowledge to specific client circumstances, but do not yet involve high-level evaluation or synthesis. The instructional task is therefore an appropriate simulation of this industry process.

Analyze

  • Mirrors the adjuster’s task of evaluating evidence to detect fraud or clarify disputed facts.

  • Description text goes here

  • High: The instructional and industry tasks involve examining diverse sources, identifying patterns or discrepancies, and drawing reasoned conclusions. The instructional task therefore provides a realistic, risk-free environment to practice this analytical work.

  • Item description

Analyze

  • Present multiple quotes from different insurers and have learners compare terms, exclusions, and pricing to determine the best fit for a client.

  • Mirrors a broker’s task of evaluating competing offerings to secure optimal value and protection for clients.

  • Sharpens comparative analysis skills and teaches how to balance cost with coverage quality.

  • High: The instructional and industry tasks involve evaluating multiple sources, identifying trade-offs, and drawing reasoned conclusions. Therefore, the instructional task provides a realistic, risk-free environment to practice this analytical work.

Evaluate

  • Assign learners to review and critique a settlement strategy for a complex liability claim.

  • Reflects an adjuster’s responsibility to assess the fairness, adequacy, and defensibility of settlement offers.

  • Builds judgment and the ability to justify decisions with supporting evidence.

  • High–Very High: The instructional and industry tasks require weighing multiple options, anticipating outcomes, and defending decisions based on evidence. Therefore, the instructional task effectively mirrors the evaluative process needed for sound settlement decisions.

Evaluate

  • Assign learners to assess the adequacy of an existing client’s insurance program given recent business changes.

  • Reflects a broker’s responsibility to periodically review coverage and recommend updates to address evolving risks.

  • Develops judgment and consultative skills, building long-term client relationships.

  • High–Very High: The instructional and industry tasks require weighing multiple options, anticipating potential exposures, and defending recommendations. The instructional task therefore effectively mirrors the evaluative process needed for strategic client advising.

Create

  • Task learners with designing a best-practices checklist for handling catastrophe claims from intake to final payment.

  • Parallels an experienced adjuster’s work in developing efficient, repeatable processes that ensure quality outcomes.

  • Encourages process improvement, strategic thinking, and leadership in claims operations.

  • Very High: The instructional and industry tasks require integrating knowledge, solving problems creatively, and producing original, actionable tools. The instructional task is therefore directly relevant to preparing learners for process-creation work in the field.

Example: Insurance Brokers

While the claims adjuster table illustrates how Bloom’s Taxonomy aligns with one role in the RMI field, the same framework applies to every position in the industry. The next table focuses on insurance brokers, reinforcing that all six levels of Bloom’s — from foundational recall to advanced creation — are present in every RMI role. Just as with claims adjusters, these examples show how Bloom’s Taxonomy can guide broker training by aligning instructional activities with real-world responsibilities, and how increasing cognitive complexity in instruction mirrors the critical engagement required in professional brokerage work.

Create

  • Task learners with designing a risk presentation and proposal for a prospective client, including recommended coverages, limits, and rationale.

  • Parallels a broker’s work in crafting persuasive proposals to win new business.

  • Encourages strategic thinking, creativity, and effective communication to secure client trust.

  • Very High: The instructional and industry tasks require synthesizing knowledge, solving problems creatively, and producing persuasive, customized solutions. Therefore, the instructional task directly prepares learners for this complex, high-stakes professional activity.

Whether in claims adjusting, brokerage, or any other RMI role, Bloom’s Taxonomy provides a clear framework for aligning instruction with the realities of professional practice. By intentionally designing activities across all six levels — from foundational recall to innovative creation — RMI instructors ensure that learning is not only relevant, but also equips professionals to think critically, adapt to change, and deliver value in complex, high-stakes environments. This alignment between instructional tasks and industry responsibilities is what transforms information into actionable expertise, whether it be assessing risks, making sound coverage recommendations, designing risk management strategies, or navigating the evolving demands of the industry.

Effective Instructional Delivery and Facilitation

Even the strongest learning design has limited impact if it isn’t facilitated well. Delivery is where instruction becomes impactful, where learners move from “I understand the concept” to “I can apply it on Monday.” Whether you’re teaching in a boardroom, a conference hall, or a virtual classroom, your goals are the same: engage experienced adults, communicate with clarity and credibility, and help learners leave with skills they can apply immediately in their RMI roles.

This section focuses on practical strategies you can use in real time, staying aligned to learning objectives while adapting to the room, anchoring instruction in the kinds of risks and decisions learners face every day, and showing up as a confident practitioner-instructor. The techniques that follow are designed to help learning take hold and stay with learners when they need it. In insurance, that often means fewer surprises, better decisions, and better outcomes.

  • It’s easy for RMI professionals to drift off topic—someone raises a nuanced coverage question, a claim war story takes over, or a recent market change (social inflation, capacity shifts, new exclusions) pulls the room into a sidebar. Those moments can be valuable, but they can also quietly derail what learners actually need to be able to do after the session. That’s why your first job as an RMI instructor is to stay anchored to your learning objectives.

    Those objectives aren’t academic; they’re performance targets tied to the work: asking better risk questions, applying policy language correctly, documenting decisions, analyzing loss trends, negotiating terms, communicating recommendations, or making defensible judgments under pressure. If you notice yourself straying too far, course-correct in real time: Park the tangent (“Great question! Let’s capture that and come back if we have time.”) or connect it explicitly (“Here’s how that relates to today’s objective…”). As you do so, help learners sort signal from noise. As you know, in RMI, not every detail carries the same weight in practice. Quick cues (e.g., “This is critical,” “This matters in certain cases, but it’s not the focus here,” “This is a common pitfall,” or “If you remember one thing, remember this”) help learners focus attention on what matters most and supports retention (Harrington & Zakrajsek, 2017).

    At the same time, don’t confuse “focused” with “one-note.” RMI professionals are busy, experienced adults, and attention naturally dips when instruction stays in a single mode too long. Research suggests that adults’ attention spans begin to wane around the 20-minute mark (Cooper & Richards, 2016), so build in intentional pivots that keep energy and participation up. In practice, that means rotating through short bursts of delivery and application: a brief explanation of a concept, a quick knowledge check, a discussion prompt, a small-group exercise, or—most effective in RMI—a scenario walk-through that mirrors real decisions professionals’ face. These planned shifts reset attention and keep learners participating rather than spectating. The goal is simple: keep the session tight to the outcomes while staying flexible in how you get learners there.

  • Most RMI work lives in gray areas: incomplete information, competing priorities, time pressure, client expectations, regulatory constraints, and policy language that has to be interpreted and applied with judgment. That’s why RMI professionals respond best when instruction is grounded in situations they actually recognize. When learning is practical and clearly tied to the roles they hold (or are moving toward), it’s easier for them to connect what they already know to what you’re teaching—and to use it right away. That’s why it’s on the instructor to keep anchoring concepts in real-world RMI context.

    • Rhetorical Anchors: Use short prompts that locate learners in situations they recognize. “You’ve probably…” statements work well, but you can also use more RMI-specific versions such as: “You’ve probably had a renewal where…,” “You’ve probably been asked to justify…,” or “You’ve probably seen a claim where the facts changed midstream….” These cues validate learners’ experience and help them link what they already know to the new concept you’re teaching.

    • Examples & Scenarios: Rather than explaining a principle in the abstract, drop learners into a realistic situation: a contractor with a tricky additional insured request, a loss history that raises questions, a policy form change at renewal, a claim with late notice, or a client who wants “full coverage” without understanding limits and exclusions. Then ask: What do you need to know? What are the options? What tradeoffs are you managing? What would you document? Working through concrete cases gives learners a “ready-to-perform” view of the content—how it plays out in their role, with real constraints. For maximum impact, pair each major learning point with multiple examples; Harrington and Zakrajsek (2017) suggest two examples per big idea, and note that examples are even more effective when supported by strong visuals.

    • Modeling: Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is show what expert thinking looks like. Modeling is especially effective for RMI processes (e.g., reviewing a submission, assessing loss runs, identifying coverage gaps, writing a recommendation, or explaining a tough coverage limitation to a client). Instead of telling learners what to do, demonstrate it in first person (e.g., “Watch how I’d approach this.”). Then narrate your reasoning—what you notice first, what you verify, what questions you ask, what you rule out, and what you document. This makes your judgment visible. Learners don’t just see the answer; they see the decision path they can replicate in their own work.

  • Best practices can sharpen your instruction, but they shouldn’t replace who you are: your professional judgment, your values, and the experience you bring from underwriting, claims, brokerage, risk control, compliance, or risk management. In trying to appear authoritative, instructors sometimes slide into overly formal language or a distant tone. In an industry built on relationships and trust, that distance can make learning feel abstract or “academic.” The goal is to show up as a practitioner who can teach: clear, grounded, and human. The tips below will help you do that.

    • Your Language: Use plain, client-ready language, the kind you’d use to explain coverage, risk, or a recommendation to a smart stakeholder who isn’t an insurance technician. RMI concepts can be complex, but your job is to make them understandable without dumbing them down. That means reducing unnecessary acronyms and jargon, defining terms that may not be universal across roles (broker vs. underwriter vs. claims), and swapping corporate-speak for clarity.

      In addition, keep the tone conversational by making interaction routine, not occasional. Quick check-ins, short questions, and fast polls help you gauge whether people are tracking and invite participation without slowing the session. Even brief pauses for reflection (e.g., “What’s the first question you’d ask in this situation?”) give learners agency and keep them engaged.

    • Your Experience: Don’t shy away from sharing your own professional experiences. Invoking real stories, especially moments when a situation was messy, the facts were incomplete, or the “right” answer required judgment. Short, relevant stories (a renewal surprise, a claim that turned on one detail, a coverage misunderstanding that created friction, a risk recommendation that didn’t land) position you as a fellow practitioner, not a detached presenter. The key is selectivity: share experiences that illustrate the decision process learners need to replicate: what you noticed, what you asked, what you documented, and what you’d do differently next time.

    • Your Passion: Let your interest in the topic show, especially when you’re teaching material that can feel dry (forms, endorsements, documentation, analytics, controls). Genuine energy signals that the content matters and helps learners stay with you. As Harrington and Zakrajsek (2017) note, an instructor’s positive energy can sustain attention and motivation, particularly for learners who are new to the topic or less confident.