Introduction to Adult Learning Principles I Relating PowerPoint

Teach Them on Their Own Terms:Training with Adult Learning Principles in Mind

Presented by

Tiffany BlairMSHA Distance Learning

Objectives

At the end of this presentation, participants will:

Understand the principles of adult learning

Recognize how learning styles affect training

Have the tools to become more effective presenters/instructors

Please note: This presentation contains notes written by the presenter for your benefit. Please refer to these notes for expanded information regarding slide content, as well as additional information that was given verbally during the TRAM session presentation.

2

Agenda

Section I Adult Learning Overview

Section II Adult Learning Topics

Section III Learning Styles

Section IV Application of Principles in Class

Section V Application of Principles in PowerPoint

Adult Learning Overview

Section I

Introduction to Terms

Pedagogy

The science and art of education

Teacher-centered method

Andragogy

Teaching strategies focused on adults

Learner-centered method

With pedagogy, all information including previous knowledge comes from the teacher because the young learner is not expected to have any practical experience. Therefore, this is a teacher-centered method. Conversely the adult learner is usually expected to know and understand where the new knowledge fits in with the old: andragogy is a learner-centered method.

5

How is ALP Different FromTraditional Methods?

Traditionally, adult learning is based upon 6 core principles (listed below). For the purposes of describing the benefits of Adult Learning Principles within this presentation, we have simplified to 4 topics (shown in the graphic here), which we will discuss a little later.

Original 6 principles:

Adults are internally motivated and self-directed

Adults bring life experiences and knowledge to learning experiences

Adults are goal oriented

Adults are relevancy oriented

Adults are practical

Adult learners like to be respected

6

Pedagogy vs Andragogy

Young learners:

Learn in a linear manner

Are totally dependent on the instructor for knowledge

Are motivated by external pressures

Adult learners:

Want to decide which topics to focus on

Bring their experiential knowledge into a learning environment

Will self-assess if given the proper tools

Young learners:

Learn in a linear manner: for example, as a child you learned how to add, then multiply, etc.

Are dependent on instructor you have very little life experience to draw conclusions from when young

Are motivated by external pressures such as parents, the need to make grades for college, etc. They are learning because they have to

Adult Learners:

Have opinions on what they are already comfortable with and where they need to put the most effort. They will jump around and address topics out of order according to what interests them if given the opportunity.

Bring their own experience into the training. Experience can be beneficial, but one of the drawbacks of teaching adults is preconceived notions. They may have the wrong processes ingrained into their knowledge and behavior already, and bad habits can be hard to break.

If given good data, adult learners can self-assess and will go back over needed material without direction. Adults can fill in the blanks!

7

Why is ALP Important to You?

Lets look at how your organization learns

Are learners within actively seeking knowledge?

Who directs whether you receive training?

Are learners within the organization actively seeking knowledge? Usually, this can be answered with a mixture of Yes and no.

As adults, we know when we need training and what we need training on, but often we are told which courses we are to take by supervisors or other outside forces. For example, as an MSHA employee, I am required by DOL to take certain computer-based courses each year.

We may have access to additional training that we can take if we choose to, but often dont make a concerted effort to do so due to perceived barriers

8

Barriers to Learning

Adult learners may feel they lack

The time to devote to learning

The money for training

The ability to use what they learn

These are the some of the barriers that prevent adults from either participating in or gaining from training:

We are busy and dont feel we have the time to do it

We are told there is no budget and cant purchase training or pay for travel

We think what we have been shown is not useful

We RECEIVE the training, but do not actually LEARN because we dont think it is relevant

Often relevancy must be demonstrated before Learning can begin. A lot of adult skills are information literacy skills, they do not have to know every bit of information but they need to know how to find what they need and use it to get the desired results.

9

Benefits to You and Your Learners

Avoid wasted effort

Better retention

More enjoyable

Faster results

Better accountability

Avoid wasted effort If you attempt to teach adults with the same method as you would children, retention will be very low due to the factors we have discussed. They will need to retrain multiple times and will have to train for longer for the same results as if trained correctly.

Better retention - by using ALP you will keep going back to relevancy and once the connection from the knowledge is made to the work, retention improves.

More enjoyable You are teaching to your colleagues. By teaching using ALP you will have freedom to adapt the learning methods you use to the specific class or subject.

Faster results This comes from the previous 3 things, you will spend time more wisely when covering subjects, as adults bring the basics and understanding of the environment with them.

Better Accountability Good ALP Design requires organization, this will make sure you cover the needed topics and most of all allow you to truly measure the learners retention and ability to apply the material

10

Adult Learning Topics

Section 2

Reason

Adults need to know:

The reason for learning

How it will benefit them

Reason for Training

These are the two most important things that adult learners need to know in order to develop buy-in for training.

What are some of the reasons you have received training in the past? Some examples could be:

Someone misused a company credit card, and now there is ethics training required throughout the organization

There were updates to a computer application used by your department, so a training session was developed to introduce you to the changes

Adults want to know how they will benefit by giving their time and attention to a training. For example, knowing the changes to the software program will help you complete your work more quickly might make it worthwhile to you.

12

Motivation

Adults respond better to learning that:

Solves a real-life problem

Takes into consideration their prior experience and knowledge

Motivation for Training

What are your personal motivations for training? Is it to not get hassled by your boss for not having done it? To use it as a resume booster? These may seem silly but if it motivates you, it is valid!

When it comes to adults, additional often training offers:

Career upward mobility, in both position and pay

Respect from peers

Ability to handle issues in new and innovative ways

A sense of personal accomplishment - everyone feels better when they learn a new skill.

13

Expectations

Adults expect:

Relevance and problem-solving

The ability to influence their learning

Two-way communication

Expectations for Training

What do you expect from training? In a perfect world, what would you get out of it and how would it be organized and conducted?

Adults typically expect to learn something that they can use. If it something they can use, often they will be greatly motivated to receive even more training.

Adults expect the instructor to be prepared, to tell them what they are about to cover, and how it relates to their work.

Adults expect to be treated with respect and to waste as little time as possible.

Productive is the expected goal!

14

Delivery

Adults prefer:

Self-directed learning

The ability to choose how they receive information

Delivery for Training

How do you prefer to receive training? Face-to-face? Using video conferencing equipment? Online? By participating in group activities? There are as many answers as people to give them.

Although everyone has their own preferences, with adults it often comes down to convenience. If the training really needs to be done face-to-face, that is what they expect. Adults may not want to travel for a week to take a class that is the equivalent to a 30 min course online, because they may feel the benefit does not outweigh the cost (this includes financially, as well as indirect costs and inconveniences like arranging for child care).

15

Learning Styles

Section 3

What Are Learning Styles?

Auditory

Visual

Read/Write

Hands-On

The 4 major learning styles we will discuss today are Auditory, Visual, Read/Write, and Hands-On.

17

Auditory Learning

Auditory learners want to hear it. They retain more information when it is presented to them through sound. These learners benefit from books on tape, reading aloud, group discussions, etc.

Practical Application: Asking learners in a course on car maintenance to identify this sound (click the icon below to listen)

These are the people who think out loud. In what training courses or programs have you participated in which you can identify an auditory learning element?

Auditory learning is a very large and growing segment. Examples are Audio lectures and podcasts.

P.S: The sound in the slide is the whine of an alternator, for those playing along!

18

Visual Learning

Visual learners want to see it. They retain more information when it is expressed to them through images. These learners benefit from photographs and illustrations, charts, watching videos, etc.

Practical Application: Viewing photos of equipment utilizing cameras on MSHAs Accident Prevention Program site

http://www.msha.gov/Accident_Prevention/newtechnologies/initiatives/cameras/photos.htm

What trainings have you sat in on where you can identify a visual learning element?

Visual learners prefer receiving information from maps, diagrams, charts, graphs, flow charts, hierarchies, and other visual devices.

http://www.msha.gov/Accident_Prevention/newtechnologies/initiatives/cameras/photos.htm

19

Read/Write Learning

Read/Write learners want it on paper. They retain more information when it is presented to them in writing. These learners benefit from lists, handouts, taking notes, etc.

Practical Application: Writing notes in the margin of your copy of the 30 CFR during a lecture

What trainings have you participated in where you can identify a read/write learning element?

The read/write learner is often addicted to PowerPoint, the Internet, lists, diaries, dictionaries, the thesaurus, and quotations.

20

Hands-On Learning

Hands-On learners want to do it. They retain more information when it is provided in a tactile manner. These learners benefit from simulations, role playing, field trips, etc.

Practical Application: Inspecting a piece of equipment in a training lab

What trainings have you sat in on where you can identify a hands-on learning element?

They like demonstrations, videos and movies of real things, and practice.

For hands-on practice, you could follow along with the video in the slide to learn how to power down your MX6 in a hands-on way.

21

Why is This Important to You?

Remember the benefits?

Eliminate wasted effort

Increase retention

Generate more interest

Faster results

Understanding learning styles will help you develop training that reaches your entire audience.

Understanding the different modes of learning can give you the power to customize your training in ways that will be beneficial to everyone you are training, regardless of how they best learn as individuals.

22

Multimodal Learning

Multimodal means just that multiple modes. Over 60% of learners are Multi modal, meaning they learn best when the information is presented in a variety of styles. Most are 2-way multimodal and some 3-way multimodal. The ven diagram in the slide shows how people often overlap in their learning styles.

23

Multimodal Learning

Which learning style(s) can you identify within each type of training delivery mode?

Case Studies

Role-Playing

Virtual Reality Simulations

Identify the learning styles that might be found in each of the training delivery methods in the slide. Each of these methods can be a truly multimodal learning experience with a little effort on the part of the person developing the exercise.

24

Application in Class

Section 4

Here we will discuss some ways you can apply Adult Learning Principles in a classroom environment.

25

Mixed Styles for Retention

Role Playing

Visual Interpreting body language

Auditory - Listening to each actor, post-activity discussions

Read/Write Following a list of ground rules, taking notes

Hands-On - Adopt another persona, interact with others

Pretend we are role playing an accident investigation

As you act out your role, you see how people respond physicallyyou hear their words and discuss the activity at the end of the trainingyou receive written ground rules and information about your character before starting so you know what to do, take notes when needed, and by interacting with one another, you are being hands-on in your learning.

This would be a wonderful way to present conflict interactions with the instructors acting as a difficult co-worker, inspector, or operator.

26

Establishing Credentials

Creates mutual understanding

Learners see how your knowledge can benefit them

Unless your learners know you well, you should always explain who you are and what you do so that they understand that your knowledge directly relates to their duties.

I am a distance learning developer with years of experience in presenting information, as well as helping others present complex information or tasks in ways that are efficient and meaningful for the folks who need the information.

27

Establishing Need

Tell learners what is in it for them

Give real-life, relevant examples of instances in which this training will be of benefit

A lot of training falls into the nice to know category rather than the need to know category, yet it still must be trained for one reason or another. Make sure that if the information will be seldom referenced that it is well organized and accessible from anywhere - here is where job aids become relevant.

Some examples of job aids are:

The 30 CFR

Online Resources

Phone numbers to call

People/Positions you may have to reference

28

Meeting Expectations

Answer questions in real time

Allow discussions to flow naturally

Ask for learner input and experience

Dont make an adult wait until the end of a class to ask questions. Or, if you must, establish this as a ground rule before you begin ask them to jot down questions and then make time at the end to go back and address them. If you dont know the answer FIND IT. That helps maintain respect and credibility.

It is fine to not know something, but you have to find out and relay that information back to the students! This shows your interest in the topic and reinforces its importance.

If discussion gets out of hand, what are some ways to redirect the group back to the training?

Adults respond well to honesty. Often just saying we can get back to this, but for now lets stick to the topic at hand will be enough to keep you on task. Make a note of what they were getting off topic about and - if it relates to the subject - be sure to revisit when you required material has been covered.

Pause and ask your learners have you had experience with this? Let them know that you are willing to learn from them as well.

29

Using Tools Correctly

Short videos or pause to discuss

Take breaks if lectures/ training sessions are long

Make sure charts are well documented

Handouts contain must know information vs. nice to know information

Depending on the topic, videos should be limited to about 15 minutes (at the most) before breaking to review and discuss.

Have your sources for your documents handy in case the learners need further reference.

Remember that information that is too specific to absorb through a quick glance at a slide (such as lists, numbers, and dates) makes great hand out material. If possible, make sure this material is available in an online format as well.

30

Application in PowerPoint

Section 5

Lets look at some ways Adult Learning Principles can benefit you when using PowerPoint as a training tool.

31

Benefits to the Adult Learner

PowerPoint is:

Portable

Easy to use

Multimodal tool

PowerPoint is:

Portable It is available and compatible on nearly every computer and mobile device

Easy to use PowerPoint is not complicated. If you just play around with it you can use it in no time

Multimodal You can incorporate multimedia, graphics, etc. to make it work for you and reach different types of learners

32

Best Practices

Keep it simple

Limit bullet points and text

Limit transitions and unnecessary animations

Use high-quality graphics

Choose colors and fonts wisely

Remember the learning types Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, and Hands-On

Here are a few best practices to keep in mind when using PowerPoint. You may have seen many of these before:

Limit bullet points and text do not fill up the screen with whole paragraphs and read it word for word. PLEASE.

Use the notes section (thats where you are reading this text) if you need to expand an idea this also helps out someone who may need to fill in for you and helps with accountability and consistency

Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, Hands-On add different elements to reach everyone, but still KEEP IT SIMPLE

Sometimes we may be training using previously approved content that we dont have much authority to change. In cases like these, a little research will allow you to supplement the PowerPoint presentations with discussions, slideshows, and SHORT training videos. A little effort can go a long way here.

33

Thank You for Your Time!Questions?

Contact: blair.tiffany@dol.gov

Here are some links that may be of interest to you:

Find out what your learning modes are by taking The VARK Questionnaire: http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire

Educause: www.educause.edu

TED Talks: www.ted.com

34

2014

Blues

7758.39