Competence in Learning Situations
One course I felt competent when I took it was the Learning & Development class in University College in the Strategic Human Resources Management program. I had experience in training, so I felt fairly comfortable speaking from experience and was able to easily understand the theories. I can’t think of a specific experience where I felt incompetent, but I could probably say anything involving math or science. I walk in the door feeling incompetent and doubt my attitude will change much.
How can instructors reach these people who have this preconceived notion that they are just not good at a certain subject?
1) Feedback – Giving proper feedback and often would really help learners perform better. I remember in classes where I was lacking competence that I didn’t receive as much feedback as needed. With frequent feedback, I would know how I’m doing and make adjustments and know what areas I need to concentrate further on.
2) Connect to Real Life – As Wlodkowski states in Strategy 51, “Use Authentic Performance Tasks to Deepen New Learning and Help Learners Proficiently Apply This Learning to Their Real Lives” (pg. 326) Making it connect with the learner more realistically rather than abstractly will help a learner’s confidence in using the skill or knowledge.
3) Self-Assessments – I really like Wlodkowski’s suggestion of “Note-Taking Pairs” I love this idea. It is great for 2 learners to work together to review and modify their notes. It allows students to cooperatively reflect on the material. I think this would really help summarize the pertinent content and bring about and solve any issues or concerns. I think this would help someone from feeling “left behind.”
Week 3: Takeaways & Self-Awareness
I must say I didn’t think so much could be written about adult motivation to learn. I thought “Wow, 50 pages just on Establishing Inclusion?!” I was definitely wrong, though. Every bit of information, example, strategy is all relevant and important and so far I am getting a lot of great ideas from the Wlodkowski book.
Wlodkowski offers so many great strategies and gives great examples that demonstrate the strategy in a real life situation. He gives concrete ideas. For example, I really like the different types of groups he listed and described from special interest groups to simulation groups. Really helps me think out of the box and figure out which group structure will work best for the task at hand.
I also liked how he organized attitudes into 4 directions (1) toward the instructor (2) toward the subject (3) toward their self-efficacy for learning, and (4) toward the specific learning goal or performance. Understanding all of these different factors can help you better diagnose or address an issue or problem. His quote “We want adults to respect us, to find the subject appealing, and to feel confident that they can successfully learn the specific task before them.” (Wlodkowski, 173) really summarized what an instructor’s intent should be. He then follows this by providing strategies to ensure that this statement becomes reality.
On the 2nd part of this question on what makes me different… I try to avoid having any one characteristic define me. I think who makes me ME is a combination of many things and may experiences I have gone through. I think having 2 older brothers makes me somewhat different from someone who was an only child or has 1 sibling. I also think me having a stay at home mom makes me different from those who had working parents. There are all these little things that add up to make you who you are.
I think I’m evolving and changing too, so 10 years from now I could be different or hold different views then I have now. I think who I am does influence my learning, but I also try to understand myself to a certain degree so that I continue to be open-minded and realize any biases I may have. I think understanding your background can help you become a better learner because you are more aware of possible biases. I think instructors should point this fact out that different experiences have shaped you as a person and learner and that these experiences influence your perspective. I think self-awareness can help learners realize their own deficiencies and strengths and keep an open mind.
Week 2: Houle’s 3 Groups
After reading Houle’s piece and considering my own experiences, I would say overall I am fairly goal-oriented. When I take training or pursue more formal educational opportunities there is always a goal in mind. I tend to take courses when I intend to put the knowledge to use. I think in most circumstances I would not devote time to a course unless there was a clear need for me to learn it.
I would also like to point out there may be a generational difference involved here and one reason why Houle’s ideas may be a bit out of date. Being a person from Generation Y, the internet is my tool of choice. If I want to learn about cooking, I’ll look it up online. Maybe watch some YouTube clips or read a short article. It would be very abnormal for me to go and take a formal course on the subject, especially when the internet is at my finger tips and FREE. Sometimes I’ll see something on TV that piques my interest so I’ll go read the Wikipedia page or some other online resource on the subject, but I wouldn’t go out and buy a book about that subject. I think that many Gen Yers are the same way. Instead of going out and reading a book on the subject matter, they’ll just spend an hour or so reading about it online.
So does this make me learning oriented then? On a daily basis, I find myself becoming interested in something I heard during the day and then spending time researching it further online. Now granted, I don’t check out a book to read more about it or take a course on it, but then again there is no “purpose” or “need” for me to know this information, so is that learning oriented?
I think it may be fair to say that when it comes to formal learning I’m goal oriented and for informal learning experiences I am learning oriented.
Week 1: Introduction
Who are you and how do your future plans (career/personal/etc.) involve knowledge about adult learning?
I graduated from the University of Virginia in 2006 and I majored in Psychology and Anthropology. I currently live in Austin, TX although I was born and raised in Virginia. My interests include eating (I love food), being with my dogs, watching sports, and hanging out with my husband, family and friends.
I currently work as a staff development specialist in healthcare and prior to this job I was a training coordinator in the high-tech field. I have been in the learning and development industry for about 3 years and have definitely come to realize that it is my niche and I would like to continue my career in the field.
As I intend to stay in the learning and development field, adult education will always be a large component in my position. As I create training material and develop programs, having knowledge of effective ways to instruct and teach adults will positively impact the quality of my work.
How would you rate your current knowledge of adult learning theories? What are some things you already know about adult learning theory (theories/theorists/general concepts)?
I was a Psychology major in undergrad so I do know some of the general theories (or at least I somewhat still do). I am hoping that by revisiting them now I will be able to actually apply them this time around. I have also taken a “Train the Trainer” class so I picked up some techniques and best practices from that class. Also, I have learned a lot from my colleagues. When I took the training coordinator position I didn’t have any experience in training, so I picked up a lot from my coworkers. Now granted, I’m not sure if their method was “right”, but if it was effective I took notice!
What do you already know about yourself, or not know about yourself, as an adult learner?
A couple of things I do know about myself is that I learn by doing. If I am learning a new task, I’d rather actually do the task rather than watching someone else do it. I also thrive on examples. Give me a good example of how I can apply what I am learning or tell me an experience when you used it, I am far more likely to remember and use it myself.
I also like to come away from a training with a tool. For example, if you are teaching me a Meeting Skills class I want to walk away with an example of a meeting agenda format or several formats. Don’t just tell me how to effectively hold a meeting. I want to walk out of that course with tools to hold an effective meeting.
What do you hope to get out of this course?
I think this goes along with my last statement in the previous question. I want to come out of this course with some ammunition (so to speak). Some tools, interventions, strategies, and general knowledge about adult education that I can apply to my work. I want to know how to engage the students better and also how to ensure that after these students leave the classroom (or leave their computer) their behaviors change to what I intended.
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Adult Learning 