I've been trying to introduce topics such as unit testing, dependency injection, inversion of control, etc... to co-workers. I've given mini lectures, demonstrations, and have suggested these topics during lunch and learns. Reception has generally been positive and people do see value in such topics.
Even though they seem attracted to these topics, adoption has been very low. When I talk to them about it, the answer is generally along the lines of:
I'll try it next time. I just want to get this project out the door.
I have a feeling it's because most of what they have seen are just lecture type demonstrations and they do not have any hands-on experience. What can I do to help nudge them along? I don't want to "force" them into writing code if they don't want to, because it may seem like "homework" and it may leave them with a bad impression.
Our projects generally do not leave time for experimentation, so people tend to shy away from new technologies. This doesn't leave room for developers to try and incorporate new things during the development phase.
Are there any fun or interesting exercises (solo or team) that allows them to have more hands-on experience with these topics? I'm hoping to find something that would peak enough interest so that they are willing to schedule an hour of their day to work on something neat, or peak enough interest so that they'll investigate on their own time.