Tip #130: MTM: Trainer Behavior Decisions

Trainer behavior is concerned with what the trainer will do to facilitate learning. The use of relevant examples can ensure that learning occurs more quickly and is retained longer, because the example already has meaning to the learner.

According to Dr. Madeline Hunter, "If the examples have certain critical characteristics, positive transfer will more predictably occur and learning will be accelerated.” To produce effective examples:

1. Identify the "essence” of what is to be learned. This essence or critical attribute is that which makes something what it is; no other thing has that particular attribute or set of attributes. Examples of critical attributes:

• Mammals possess mammary glands and hair.

• A pledge is a verbal statement (written or oral) made to convince someone else that the pledger intends to do something.

• “Persevere” means to make oneself continue doing something even though one is tempted to stop.

2. Use examples from the learner's own experience. For example: a seal might be a more meaningful mammal than a cow for someone in Alaska.

3. Check examples to avoid ambiguity. It would be less confusing to begin a discussion of mammals with the example of a cow rather than a whale. Although whales are also mammals, the fact that they live in water like a fish can confuse the issue.

4. Avoid emotional or controversial overtones that can distract attention from the critical attribute. To introduce whales as mammals that are in danger of extinction can be distracting from the focus on mammals.

Tip #129: MTM: Trainer Behavior Decisions

Trainer behavior is concerned with what the trainer will do to facilitate learning. One key decision relates to how to make the most efficient use of time for effective learning. This requires awareness and preparation to avoid the wasteful –time leaks” that can occur during three different phases of the teaching/ learning process:

1. Transition time

2. Instruction time

3. Post-instruction, independent practice time

For example, waiting time can become learning time by having participants think about or do something during transitions. You know that participants arrive at different times. Some are there very early and others come later. Wouldn't it be nice to honor their time by having them get involved in an activity related to the program as soon as they arrive?

Transitional learning activities (called “sponges”) can productively “sop up” waiting time that would otherwise be wasted in waiting until instruction can begin. These can include instructions (on a Power Point slide or flip chart) to meet other participants and discuss questions relevant to the training, or participate in a self reflection activity (“Please identify one thing that would make your participation in this program worthwhile and write it on a post-it note and then place it on the flip chart.”)

As participants leave for a break, you can even ask them to “be thinking about” something related to the content that will be covered after the break. Although they will not be aware they are actually thinking about the content while they are on break, once they return to class they will be immediately ready to get into the content. This is called an “anticipatory set.”

To patch instructional time leaks, DON'T:

• Assign tasks so difficult that no amount of effort will result in success- or so easy that little or no effort is required.

• Include material in a lesson that is related and could be important in another lesson, but is not necessary to achieve today's learning.

• Make digressions that distract the participants.

• Present material in such a way that participants see no relevance to themselves. Consequently, they aren't motivated to put forth learning effort.

• Pass out materials one at a time to each participant.

• Name the participant who will answer, before asking a question. This lets every other person in the room off the hook for even thinking about the answer!

• Discipline a participant while the others "enjoy the show.”

To patch independent practice leaks, DO:

• Have participants spend time on practice and activities that produce large learning gain.

• Make sure the participants know when their answers are incorrect, so they do not continue to make the same errors and the errors become "set.”

• Make sure the participants know what to do after they finish a task.

Dr. Hunter says that –Time is the coin of teaching. That is what we have to spend to obtain learning.” We need to avoid wasting precious learning time!!

Tip #128: MTM: Learner Behavior Decisions

How do we decide what input method will be successful so that the learner output will validate that learning has occurred?

In other words, how do we decide HOW the learner will learn and will demonstrate that learning?

How do we select the input learning methods will enable the learner to acquire the level of learning that is necessary? Here, we need to keep in mind three different considerations. The first is a task analysis that breaks the learning into smaller essential components and places these components in a logical sequence. The task analysis will let us know what needs to be taught first, second, third, etc.

The second is a determination of the level of learning necessary for each separate essential task analysis component. The level of learning will indicate which learning methods are more appropriate. For example, if we want to ensure knowledge, then reference materials, lecture, a video, a panel discussion, or small group self discovery may be appropriate.

The third is the selection of learning methods that will meet the needs of different learning styles. Although there are many learning style models, at the very least we should ensure that there is a visual, an auditory, and a kinesthetic component to the learning methods that we select.

The second part of that equation is also not difficult. Our guiding principle is that the learner should have an opportunity to do in the classroom whatever we expect the learner to do once s/he leaves the classroom. The ultimate level of learning that is necessary (whether it be knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, or evaluation) will again automatically indicate what learning methods are appropriate. Following through on our examples from last week, if the level of learning is independent application of a specific set of skills, then we will need some highly experiential learning method: hands on if it is a technical skill and possibly role play if it is an interpersonal skill (such as interviewing or negotiating). We need to select methods will enable the learner to demonstrate his or her learning.

If the level of learning is comprehension of the changes in a procedure, then a questionnaire, a game, a group discussion, or a case study might be appropriate. Again, any method is appropriate that will allow the learner to prove his or her comprehension.

Tip #127: MTM: Content Decisions

How do we decide what degree of difficulty or complexity of content is appropriate for our learners? Our needs assessment will have to determine:

1. Who is the target audience?

2. What general content needs to be covered?

3. What will our learners be expected to do once they leave the training session?

4. What is their current level of skill or knowledge in this content area?

5. What post-training reinforcement is available to the participants?

The answers to these questions will help us to decide what level of complexity in the content is necessary and appropriate. For example, suppose that we determine that our learners will be expected to independently perform a responsibility that is entirely new to them. We will know then that we have to start simply with the basics and gradually increase the degree of difficulty and complexity of knowledge and applied practice to the point that they have learned and demonstrated all of the necessary skills to perform that responsibility.

On the other hand, suppose that the general content is a series of changes to a procedure with which the learners are already very familiar and that their supervisor will reinforce their performance back on the job. In this case, there is a limited degree of difficulty and complexity, since the key outcome is that the learners become familiar with and understand the changes. The real application of their new learning will occur on the job, not in the classroom.

It is really a simple mathematical equation, in which we subtract what they already can do (the answer to question #4) from what they will be expected to do (the answer to question #5). The remainder is what they will need to learn.

Clearly, this is not a situation where one size fits all. If we want to be effective trainers, we must have answers to these questions and the flexibility to tailor the content to meet the learners' needs.

Tip #126: MTM: Theory

According to Dr. Madeline Hunter in Enhancing Teaching: “Teaching, like medicine, is a relativistic, situational profession where there are no absolutes. There is nothing that an effective teacher always does or never does (with the one exception of never causing a student to lose dignity)....”

“We now know that teaching is an action-performance profession based on knowledge that must be put into action, often at incredibly high speeds. While lesson planning can be done on ‘one’s seat,’ teaching involves, at high speed, making modifications of that plan on ‘one’s feet’ as a result of perceiving data that are emerging from students and situations. “

Dr. Hunter did not endorse any particular teaching model, method or technique. All she asked was that teachers make decisions about the methods and approach they would use after considering these three factors, which I have partially paraphrased:

• The degree of difficulty or complexity of content that is appropriate for the learners

• An input method that is successful because the student output validates that learning has occurred

• Appropriate use of research-based principles that promote motivation to learn, increase rate and degree of learning, and contribute to the probability that learning will be retained and productively transferred to new situations that require problem solving, creativity, and decision making.

Who could possibly disagree with these basic teaching principles?

Next week, we will look at some practical applications of these principles.