Design, Plan, Implement an Effective Learning Program for the Adult Mind - An Experience Shared

Out of the experience of training more than 1500 professionals from varying backgrounds of Aviation field, the most crucial factors are comprehending…

1. What are the motivators: Drivers of the adult human mind to learn.
2. What are the inhibitors: Blockages that resist learning new information.

We will look at both aspects in detail in the subsequent document. But first lets move to operationalising the two above mentioned strategic objectives.

Operationalising the Strategy

There are many nitty gritties that come to mind once you start the course, training or workshop planning stage. But everything rotates around the strategy of generating an enabling environ for the experienced learner. The quick checklist is as follows and details are explained later.

1. Keep in mind the admin and domestics.
2. Familiarize with the participant audience.
3. Recognize the logistical constrictions.
4. Clearly define your Desired Learning Objectives (DLOs).
5. Categorize possible assessments as per DLOs.
6. Classify apt teaching/learning stratagem.
7. Prepare training, workshop or course timetable and substance.

FM-K-CAASE 2014

At this juncture, the FM-K-CAASE 2014 Andragogy Training/Learning paradigm comes to excellent use. Evolved in 2014 at College of Aviation Safety Management (CASM), Pakistan Air Force, however, the concept has gone international with it being utilized to generate ‘How to think’ professionals. Mnemonic indicates a standard to ‘brief-case’ all of one’s intellect. FM stands for ‘Feedback Mode’, because both the facilitator (instructor) and participants (students) always have distinct feedback hence accountability to and from one another about the intellectual prowess in learning. It also stands for ‘Fast-Mode’, because learning is improved manifold and complex issues/ subject matter that seem challenging to absorb in years, could be easily imbibed in hours. Knowledge-CAASE (K-CAASE) stands for the six Bloom’s Taxonomy cognitive rungs of the intellectual ladder i.e. Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and evaluation. The first three comprise Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS) and last three as Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). Credible research and literature sifted through led us to the fact that Ivy League Universities require Verbal-Non-Verbal-Reasoning (VNVR) during tests, and which are done formally in classrooms through FM-K-CAASE 2014. For deeper understanding, please refer to the LinkedIn article… FM-K-CAASE 2014.

Coming back to the sequence of events of materializing a worth-while program, let’s look at each step in intricate detail in relation to Adult Learners.

Admin and Domestics

The Long term issues that come up can be catered for through consistent planning and efforts. Consider where training, workshop or course fits into organizations major's curricular goals and course sequences. Determine broad goals of course. Find out enrollment and student demographics.

As a Mid-term prong, revisit where your course fits into the institute curricular goals and course sequences. Discuss in detail and pen-down DLOs. Determine number of class days/hours and identify holidays. Identify appropriate readings, films, music, slides, websites, etc. Consider and implement Flipped Classroom learning, that is LOTS at home and HOTS in class. Determine nature of assignments and activities. Consider logistics of collecting and returning student work. Organize guest speakers and field trips (if necessary). Ensure the alignment of objectives, assessments, and instructional activities. Create a calendar of activities (e.g., topics, sequence, due-dates). Write a tentative syllabus. Put readings on reserve (if necessary). Request a Course Management System site (if necessary). Reserve computer clusters and arrange to install required software (if necessary). Check into departmental administrative support (e.g., help with copying, space to meet with students, space to store materials)

Short term efforts near start of the program, get your roster (including a photo roster, if available) and reevaluate course plan in light of enrollment and student demographics. Revise syllabus (if necessary). Check status of orders for books, other required materials, and reserves. Begin to populate your Course Management System site (if necessary). Visit classroom.

Research led us to the fact that, Ivy League Universities and ISSB too, require the VNVR in the testing, and that K-CAASE done formally in the classrooms, helps achieve these competencies. We found that both the students and teachers achieved speedy learning when inspired into HOTS- application through carefully evolved HOTS-questions, in writing.

Familiarize with the Participant Audience

Students are not only intellectual but also social and emotional beings, and all these dimensions interact to impact learning and performance. To plan an effective learning program, it is important to consider who our students are, taking into account their prior knowledge.

"We may exhibit an admirable command of content, and possess a dazzling variety of pedagogical (andragogical) skills, but without knowing what's going on in our students heads, that knowledge may be presented and that skill exercised in a vacuum of misunderstanding."

– Stephen D. Brookfield, The Skillful Teacher (2006)

Prior Knowledge is always there. Inhibitor here is ‘Unlearning’ the previous information, especially in adults. New knowledge is built on existing knowledge. Thus, when you are planning it is important to determine what your students are likely to know.

"[Students] come to formal education with a range of prior knowledge, skills, beliefs, and concepts that significantly influence what they notice about the environment and how they organize and interpret it. This, in turn, affects their abilities to remember, reason, solve problems, and acquire new knowledge."

– Bransford, Brown, and Cocking, How People Learn (2000, p. 10)

Recognize the Logistical Limitations

A few questions that will help give clarity on this aspect of program planning. How big is your class? What time of day is the class scheduled for? How long are the classes? To what extent are you in control of the course and syllabus design process? What curricular goals does the institution have that affect this course or program? What kind of room are you teaching in, e.g., one with flexible seating? What technology is installed in the room (e.g., DVD players, document cameras, computers)? What software will you need? What can you assume about students’ prior knowledge? If you are teaching in a professional program, do students have other commitments (e.g., full time jobs) that will constrain the way in which they can engage in the course? How much time/flexibility do students have to fulfill the requirements of the course? What experiences do students bring to the course (e.g., work experience, cultural background)?

Clearly define your Desired Learning Objectives (DLOs)

Before decisions on the content to cover, provide your course with a strong internal structure conducive to andragogy learning for which FM-K-CAASE 2014 becomes ideally placed. Alignment among three main course components ensures an internally consistent structure. Alignment is when…

1. DLOs articulate knowledge and skills you want students to acquire by end of program.
2. ASSESSMENTS allow instructor to check degree to which students are meeting learning objectives.
3. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES are chosen to foster adult learner towards meeting objectives.

When these components are not aligned, students might rightfully complain that the ‘test’ did not have anything to do with what was covered in class, or instructors might feel that even though students are earning a passing grade, they haven’t really mastered the material at the desired level. Aligning these three components is a dynamic process, since a change in one necessarily affects the other two.

Articulating DLOs will help the PLANNER/FACILITATOR select and organize course content, and determine appropriate assessments and instructional strategies. Will aid STUDENTS direct their learning efforts appropriately and monitor their own progress. DLOs should be participant-centered, measurable and action verbs. For example, “Understand X”, “Obtain a working knowledge of X”, “Gain an appreciation for X” etc. FM-K-CAASE 2014 based on Bloom’s taxonomy – taxonomy created to categorize a continuum of educational DLOs.

Categorize possible Assessments as per DLOs

Assessments should provide facilitators/instructors, and participants/students with evidence of how well the latter have learned what was intended them to learn. What students ought to learn and be able to do should guide choice and design of assessment. There are two major reasons for aligning assessments with learning objectives. First, alignment increases probability that participants will be provided with opportunities to learn and practice knowledge and skills that will be required on various assessments designed. Second, when assessments and objectives are aligned, ‘good grades’ are more likely to translate into ‘good learning’. When objectives and assessments are misaligned, true learning takes a back seat.

There are many different types of activities that can be used to assess students’ proficiency on a given learning objective, and the same activity can be used to assess different objectives. To ensure more accurate assessment of student proficiencies, it is recommended that you use different kinds of activities so that students have multiple ways to practice and demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Following table presents examples of kinds of activities that can be used to assess different types of DLOs.

Classify apt Teaching/Learning Stratagem

After selecting DLOs and assessments for the program, facilitation/instructional activities become our focus. Of course, the key FM-K-CAASE 2014 is to align instructional strategies with the other two components. Many instructional strategies are flexible, and can be used in service of several learning objectives, but some of them are better suited for a particular set of objectives. In most cases, we will need to use a combination of instructional strategies. Other options are case studies, group projects/activities, individual assignments etc.

Prepare Training, Workshop or Course Timetable and Substance

Three primary components of a course are DLOs, Assessments and Instructional Strategies. Once these three components are identified, at least provisionally, the next task is to organize them into a coherent, dynamic whole. This involves:

• Deciding on a course structure
• Selecting a teaching strategy to support learning goals
• Creating a schedule

Conclusion

A traditional course, training or workshop designed for 18-year-old plus participants isn’t an adult learning program just because it’s scheduled in the evening. Ideally, the program will think deliberately about the differences between how adults and young people learn. You’re probably familiar with the term pedagogy, which refers to the theory of practice of teaching. Because education has traditionally focused on children, so have theories and practices. Vice versa ‘Andragogy’ is adults approach learning. The aged minds are motivated differently and have different requirements to learn effectively. For example, working adults absorb information better by doing, not by merely being lectured to. They demand instruction that is relevant to their careers. And their motivation stems from more opportunities for career advancement. Adults hold different expectations about how they should be taught and what they want to achieve from the instruction. Yet many university classes remain rooted in teaching practices suited for young adults. When working adults attend those same courses, the instructional design may be misaligned with their perceptions and ambitions as well as life circumstances, leading to disengagement and frustration. For this purpose FM-K-CAASE 2014 provides what adult learners want from instruction. Adults are motivated by intrinsic goals. Before adult learners embark on a learning program, they must believe the instruction helps them achieve an intrinsic-driven objective. In other words, they are self-motivated, the desire comes from within; they’re not doing the program simply to please a manager or the instructor. Goals range from upgrading their skills to making them better at their job to finally completing the college degree they always wanted to attain. Adults want relevant instruction. Effective adult learning programs must answer the question: “What’s in it for me?” Well into their careers, adults’ self-motivation is underscored by the relevance to a given goal. These courses, therefore, must be rooted in practical, meaningful training that enables adults to advance in their careers or upgrade their skills. Courses that give adults the opportunity to stretch their critical thinking skills — such as those that emphasize simulations, problem-solving drills, and hands-on exercises — are particularly appealing. Adults want to be treated like adults. Adults enter learning programs with a lifetime of experience and knowledge. If they perceive that they’re being treated the same as college students, they are likely to feel insulted and demotivated. Rather than instructor-directed learning, adult learners typically prefer a more experiential, self-paced learning program. They also benefit from more individualized instruction that takes into account their preferred learning method, whether that’s visual demonstrations, tactile exercises, lectures, or group instruction through social interaction. Adults are active participants in their learning — but on their terms.

About the Author

Fahad Masood, MRAeS is a communication specialist with an Aviation background. He has trained (facilitated learning) for more than 1500 personnel on an international front. He has his niche skill-set in Human Factor, Human Performance, Crew Resource Management, Aviation Psychology and Notechs (Non-Technical Skills). He has spoken internationally and conducted trainings in multiple countries including Iceland, Australia, Singapore and United Kingdom to name a few. He has also been a Fighter Pilot in the Pakistan Air Force, as well as an MBA in Aviation Management.