Helping Adults Learn in the Classroom San Jose CA

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You may have a difficult time finding practical advice to ensure that the training room — your workplace — maximizes adult learning. However, in 25 years of experience in classrooms, I’ve discovered practical tips for applying Malcolm Knowles’ principles to ensure that participants learn. I’ve grouped them in four categories for you.

Create a safe haven for learning.

Create a comfortable environment.

Encourage participation.

Facilitate more than you lecture.
In the following sections, I examine each of these and help you decide how you can address them.

Create a safe haven for learning
It would be great if everything you did as a trainer went just the way it is supposed to, but it won’t. Trust me. Some learners may arrive thinking that training is punishment. Others may arrive with memories of past learning experiences in mind, such as failing tests. Yet others may arrive bringing their daily burdens with them. You can create a safe haven for everyone by using some of these ideas.

Be prepared early enough so that you can greet participants at the door, welcome them, learn their names, and allow time for them to tell you something that’s important to them.

Share the objectives of the training early, prior to the session, if possible.

Let participants know how they stand to benefit from the information.

Demonstrate your respect for each individual.

Ensure confidentiality — “what’s said in the room, stays in the room.”

Add something whimsical to pique curiosity and add a smile. This may be crayons, clay, koosh balls, or manipulative toys.

Use names and sincere reinforcement to build rapport. I like to use table tents (card stock folded in half length-wise) on which participants write their names. Some trainers prefer to use name badges. Whatever your choice, be sure that you can read them. For example, ask participants to write their first names large enough so that everyone can read them from across the room. If you use preprinted table tents, ensure that the type size is bold and can be read from 40 feet. Also, if water glasses are placed on the tables, bunch them up in one spot so that participants take them as they need them. Otherwise, there will be one sitting in front of each table tent, and you will be unable to read the names.

Create a comfortable environment
I prefer to arrive in a training room early enough to make it mine so that I can welcome the learners in as my guests. As a trainer, be sensitive to the mood of the room — created by both the physical aspects as well as each participant’s demeanor. To create a comfortable environment consider these before your next training session.

Turn the lights on bright. There is nothing more depressing to me than walking into a ballroom where the lights have been left on romantic dim from the party the night before. Ask for a room with natural light. Even on a sunless day, natural light is more pleasant than any artificial lighting.

Learn how to adjust the thermostat for the most comfortable level for most of the participants. Remember you never please all of them all the time. Do your best.

Ensure that the environment “looks” comfortable. Hide empty boxes. Chairs should be straight. Place materials neatly and uniformly at each seat. This order tells the learners that you care and went to the trouble of getting ready for them.

Ensure that you and your visuals can be seen and heard by all learners. Go ahead try it out. Sit in their seats. Will all participants be able to see your visuals and hear you?

Arrange to have the most comfortable chairs available.

Arrange the tables to be conducive to learning. Chapter 7 provides a number of suggestions.

Ensure that everyone has adequate personal space.

Have extra supplies, pens, and paper available.

Have coffee, tea, and water waiting in the morning.

Plan for ample breaks.

Learning with style: Seven things trainers do
by Ann Herrmann-Nehdi It has been widely established that people have preferred learning styles and teaching styles, so what is a trainer to do in response?

Expect difference! Research has shown that men and women, different age groups, different brain dominance styles, and different personalities all learn differently! If you design and train knowing that your learners all process information differently, you won’t be caught off guard and will be better equipped from the start to respond to those differing styles. Do some research about your learners to better know in advance how diverse they may be. Look for data on occupations, age, gender, culture, and anything you can learn about their background. Look for ways to make links in your content to the different interests and backgrounds you’re working with. Brain research has shown that the more the context fits with your learning, the better your learners will remember what you have taught .

Do not follow the Golden Rule. Most kids grew up being told to “do to others as you want them to do to you.” Why ignore the Golden Rule? The way you like to learn may be opposite from the way your learners like to learn. It is easy to assume that everyone will find your approach as interesting as you do. Think of the times you were frustrated with the style of an instructor or trainer! Don’t let that happen to your learners! Look for new ideas by observing other trainers doing similar content, how do they approach it? Ask your group about they way they prefer to learn; get them involved. Try cofacilitating and designing with a partner who does things differently.

Remember to be a learner yourself! How easy it is to forget what it is like to be a participant. Putting yourself into learning situations will provide you with a very good reminder. Be willing to experiment, attend programs and stay current with new approaches and techniques you can learn by observing others in action. It is very easy to get stuck in a “rut” and teach a program you know well the same way every time. Sign up for conferences (check out www. vnulearning.com/about-trg.htm or www.astd.org) and go to a wide variety of sessions, network with others in the training profession and attend as many learning experiences as you can.

Give learners enough time to learn. It is very important to provide time for application and practice in different formats. Brain studies have shown that in order for learning to “stick” in memory many learners need “mental rehearsal,” time to apply and practice. If you have a learner who is learning outside of his preferred style, this time is even more critical. Too often, in today’s hurried world, people eliminate or shorten the time needed to apply, practice, and “rehearse” mentally what has been learned. Provide context-specific practice to allow learners to take in the learning in own formats and contexts. Be sure to allow for questions and clarification after the practice.

Watch your reactions — both verbal and nonverbal. Gestures, tone, facial expressions, and eye contact are all taken in by your audience, often at a subconscious level. You may be inadvertently reacting in a negative way to a learner with a style you find uncomfortable. Videotape yourself and observe your verbal and nonverbal reactions — especially to learners whom you may find irritating or different and/or get feedback from others. It may be necessary to practice changing your expression, tone, or gestures.

Don’t load your questions. Many questions are preloaded with the answer and may be only suited to a specific type of learner. Ask questions in varied ways and give enough time for answers. Questions provide a great opportunity for learners to participate. Think of as many ways as you can to ask questions. Observe other trainers. Have a partner capture the type of questions you typically ask and look for variety the next time you train. Be aware that leaving a fivesecond pause after the question provides a much greater opportunity for your learners to process and respond more effectively. You may also find ways to draw in other learners who are not as quick to offer an answer.

Multiple ways of training equals multiple learning options. Too often, trainers train with only one approach — it may be comfortable, what you’re used to, or just what you have had available. Examples may include PowerPoint slides with text bullets, lectures, games, discussion, and so on. To honor different learning styles it is essential to use different delivery approaches. Experiment with different ways to get across your learning messages. Use a whole-brain approach: For the Left Brain: lecture, theories, data, case studies, problem-solving activities, and debate for logical learners; Use outlines, structured quizzes, reference material, step-by-step practice, and detailed study for structured learners. For the Right Brain: collaborative activities, role play, presentations, writing, and music for interpersonal learners. For holistic learners try visualization, games, creative activities, props, metaphors and visuals, conceptual models, and brainstorming.

Encourage participation
I believe that creating active and ample participation is the most important thing you can do to enhance learning. You find this thread running through the entire book. Here are a couple of thoughts to get you started.

Use small break-out groups to overcome any reluctance to share ideas or concerns.

Use participants’ names as often as possible.

Use body language to encourage participation; positive nods, smiles, eye contact all show that you’re interested in others’ ideas.

Share something of yourself to begin a trusted exchange of ideas.

Learn and apply techniques to get learners to open up.

Facilitate more than you lecture
There are few times when straight lecture is required. Perhaps when rules or laws must be imparted word for word, when safety is an issue, or when your learners have no knowledge of the subject. But for the most part facilitating experiential activities and discussions lead to the same end, enhancing learning for everyone.

Create discussion. Not just between you and the learners, but among the learners.

Get opinions and ideas out in the open before you deliver your message. You may be surprised at how much “training” the learners can do for you.

Share personal experiences to build rapport and trust.

Provide opportunities for participants to evaluate their own learning throughout the session.

Create experiential learning activities in which the learners discover the learning on their own.

Who’s Who and What’s What
What is the difference between trainers, teachers, instructors, facilitators, and others? What distinguishes learners, participants, trainees, and students? How about the difference between training, educating, and instructing? And last, what’s the difference between learning, knowledge, skills, and performance?

Who’s who?
First, examine those who are delivering the training:

Trainers: Title given to adults who are the learning catalysts so other adults may learn new skills and knowledge. Often, but not always, the skills and knowledge taught by trainers are required to enhance the learner’s performance on the job.

Facilitators: Title given adults who ensure learners’ participation; sometimes interchangeable with trainers but more often used when little knowledge or skill is dispensed. Often used for describing a person who conducts team-building or strategic-planning sessions.

Presenters: Title given adults who deliver speeches at conferences or to larger groups; minimal emphasis on two-way communication.

Instructors: Title used for teachers in academia. May also be used for specific skill sets, such as tennis instructors or flight instructors.

Teachers: Title most often given those who are instructing children; pedagogical. How about those who are receiving the training?

Learners: A neutral term that can be used for anyone gaining information.

Participants: A general term used by trainers to refer to anyone in a learning or intervention session; a learner.

Trainees: Synonymous with participants; most recently has been replaced by “learners” or “participants.”

Students: Used for young children; pedagogical. Avoid using the word “student” when discussing your participants. Learners or participants best define the adults whom you’re training.

What’s what?
The activity that occurs between the two whos in the preceding section may be called any of these.

Training: The activity conducted by adults who are learning new skills. (Of course this can refer to animals as well!) Knowledge is generally put to immediate use. Hands-on practice is included.

Facilitating: May be interchanged with the term “training.” Usually refers to taking less of a leading role and being more of a catalyst. I was once given a great bit of advice that I pass on to you. To be the most successful trainer/facilitator, don’t be a sage on stage, but be a guide on the side.

Instructing: Allows participants to generalize beyond what has been taught. Minimal hands-on practice.

Educating: Imparting knowledge generally in a broader context with delayed implementation. Very little hands-on practice. The results of the activity just discussed may be called some of these:

Learning: Gaining knowledge and skills to make change.

Knowledge: Gaining cognitive competence and information assimilation.

Skill development: Gaining psychomotor competence.

Performance: Implementing the knowledge and skills that have been gained. You may find other labels for these roles and what occurs, and as the profession grows and changes you’re likely to find even more. What you call yourself is not nearly as important as the significant work you accomplish: Helping adults learn so they can improve their performance. Again, why do adults learn? Because everyone wants or needs to learn. We are all trainers, all learners. Carl Rogers said, “The degree to which I can create relationships which facilitate the growth of others as separate persons is a measure of the growth I have achieved in myself.”

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