Broadly speaking, trainers can use traditional methods, including lectures and discussions, or experiential methods, where trainees learn through doing. Experiential learning methods rely heavily on an effective debrief. Debriefs are a special type of discussion, addressed here separately because of when to use them as part of training and development activities. Debriefing participants after completing an exercise confirms the learning that took place in the activity. Debriefs also provide an opportunity for participants to reflect upon what they have just experienced, which deepens understanding.

Cases represent a common method of instruction. In fact, some collegiate courses and even some graduate programs teach exclusively using the case method. Cases involve trainees reading and analyzing a situation. The trainees then engage in developing alternative solutions to the problem or situation presented. The simplest explanation for role plays is that they involve trainees acting out a scenario to better understand a concept or how to handle a situation.

Trainers who choose to utilize role plays need to make two key choices: first, whether to use scripted or unscripted role plays, and second, whether participation should be modeled or participatory. While they are commonly accepted for organizational selection, research has also shown situational judgment tests to be effective for training purposes. When deciding which method to use, several factors facilitate that decision.