Adult Education On the Wall by Christine Burns -DNR-

Assessing Adult Learning

christineburns1_ — 2023-11-09 21:45:31 UTC

This article nicely outlines the Adult Learning Principles discussed in Module 1 in an easy to read simplified way. The reason I chose it, is that it links to an article criticizing Knowles adult learning principles which I thought was super interesting.

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ891073.pdf

The criticisms came down to a lack of empirical testing of andragogy. While I am not necessarily going to change that, I think it brings up the concept that evaluating my teaching (ie trainings, workshops, webinars etc) is an important tool that I can take with me into my job.

Motivation

christineburns1_ — 2023-11-09 21:54:55 UTC

As I was doing further reading about what motivates adult learners, I came across an article that talked about how adult learners are motivated by forward progress in their careers. It mentioned that one way to support that is to provide proof of completion such as a certificate. I think I could take this one step further in my work but also offering continuing education credits. I've know that was a possibility, but until now I haven't prioritized figuring out how to navigate that process.

Miro Boards

christineburns1_ — 2023-11-17 19:50:02 UTC

I mentioned Miroboards as a great virtual whiteboard. You can use it to make and present slides similar to a powerpoint, you can use pre-set icebreakers, and you use it to take notes like a giant whiteboard. I'm linking here in case anyone is interested in checking this out!

I've used these a few times over the past year in this position, but I'm looking forward to seeing if there are other ways I can advance my use of this tool. Setting up a miro board can be time consuming, but the I think it's a valuable way to get to really know the information you're trying to convey and can be a good way to prepare for a presentation in addition to a tool you can use during a presentation.

Active Learning Through Discussion

christineburns1_ — 2023-11-20 20:42:56 UTC

In class, we discussed that discussion is an important tool for creating an active learning environment. This worksheet collates questions into Bloom's Taxonomy into Bloom's taxonomy categories.

While I may not use the exact formula of these questions, I think having a list of them in front of my as I plan a lesson can help me think through how I push training participants. I think it will help me guide students towards those higher levels of analyze and create/synthesize.

Useful tools

christineburns1_ — 2023-11-20 20:49:10 UTC

I've found that in many larger meetings and workshops that I go to, they now offer little fidget toys or encourage participants to partake in activities that keep their hands busy but help them stay focused. I've seen facilitators put out playdough, water color paints, and the little metal rings I've linked here. I think I'll consider buying these for my upcoming trainings as I have actually found them useful for myself.

Making space for co-learning

christineburns1_ — 2023-11-20 21:01:15 UTC

I attended a training last week (on building trust) where the person leading the training did not claim to be an expert. In fact she started off the training by making it clear she wasn't an expert. She said, this training will be a co-learning opportunity.

To start, the trainers shared some basic principles from the literature, used a number of activities to gather the experiences of the class, and then used our experiences to generate dialogue around central themes they pulled out. It was really interesting because there was no "right" answer. We worked together to come up with tools and ideas that could work in each of our individual situations based on the classifying our shared experiences within the foundational principles.

When we learned about co-learning in this course, I mostly thought about the students/participants co-learning from each other, but I still thought of the instructor as the expert. It was interesting to attend a training where there was no expert or professional but more of a facilitator.

Exit Poll for Learning

christineburns1_ — 2023-11-20 21:10:19 UTC

On the discussion board for this module, I shared that I was going to try and employ exit polls or mid-training temperature checks as appropriate. This example of "what stuck with you?" could be a good one to gauge which pieces of information are being well conveyed and which aren't.

Another option

christineburns1_ — 2023-11-20 21:11:39 UTC

Could use this "exit ticket" before sending people off to lunch. Then address the "need to clarify" when folks get back

christineburns1_ — 2023-12-20 15:56:07 UTC