The book is a review of the basic learning principles and emphasizes the distinction between training, instruction and education. Authors present the difference between telling learners and teaching and engaging them in the course material. In addition, authors define hands-on teaching situations with examples and activities. The book is relevant, informative, concise and easy to follow. I would recommend it to anyone that is new to teaching or need a solid reminder of learning theory.
In the final chapters, the authors explain the hit or myth of teaching and emphasize that the key element for success is to focus on learner-centered, performance-based training with the goal of having learners be able to demonstrate their knowledge.
Testing can be an excellent way to teach because the required studying gives a little adrenaline-spurred review of key points which enhances comprehension and retention. Testing can help both instructor and students find out if the course objectives were met.
However, sometimes people do not associate testing/exams with a natural, positive educational activity. Rather, they feel anxious about test-taking and the activity can be a very disappointing exercise for them. The main goal is to find some way of determining if the student has built the required skills and/or knowledge. How to create a test? Create a test item for each course objective. First, identify if the objective's purpose requires a declarative (explanatory) or procedural knowledge (performance). This will help with defining which testing instrument you will use: Multiple choice, matching, short essay, etc... Declarative knowledge can be assessed by oral or written test with answer key Procedural knowledge can be assessed by observing behavior. As a rule of thumb, keep it simple. Start with few questions that are relatively easy so the learner's confidence will be high; avoid trick questions; make sure the questions are clear, precise. "We can lead the learners into our training but we cannot make them learn." In order to define the differences between a good and poor learner, the author introduces a new concept to the major learning influences (Ability, Experience, Motivation) : Metacognition. Metacognition is the process of thinking about thinking. It is the process of developing self-awareness and the ability to self-assess. It is contemplation about one’s education and learning -- past, present, and future. Since adults are largely self-determining, helping them develop metacognitive skills is an essential element in any program intended to increase their autonomy. The learners need to set their learning goals, understand their own learning style and evaluate their own learning. Review of training approaches and their strengths and weaknesses: Activities to utilize:
Previously I used the Dick and Carey Instructional Design model to build a course. But this book introduced me to a rather simple five-step model. The 5 step Instructive Design is dramatically streamlined but I think it offers a good way for a novice instructor to start developing a course. You will recognize similar steps that are used in most ID models. Can you see differences with an ID model you’ve used? The main element missing would be the constant re-evaluation of each step.
The author explains that often there is a learning breakdown between the learner and the teacher. Often times, people make the assumption that the Subject Matter Expert will be the best teacher but as maybe you've experienced or observed, the expert isn’t necessarily the best presenter of information or the most talented at reaching an audience. There are different types of knowledge:
Facilitators have to be aware of 3 major factors influencing learning:
To have a successful learning experience, the facilitator has to be aware of the audience. Adult learners have needs and characteristics that cannot be ignored. It’s important to keep in mind the 4 keys of adult learning principles: readiness (Show them the value of this material), experience (Acknowledge the richness of their professional lives), autonomy (Involve them), action (Make them practice).
I’ve been thinking about how humans learn. Learning is an innate capability. In this chapter, the authors explain briefly how naturally inborn curiosity gets activated and learning occurs:
In the first chapter “Learning is not easy (especially when others make it so hard)", the author introduces readers to examples of how successful teaching involves repeated presentation of ideas and a wide variety of explanations of the same content before real learning impact is achieved. We all learn at different paces and have different learning styles--this is the premise of the book. Can you tell the difference between training, instruction, education, and learning? Every day we use these words more or less interchangeably but they are very different from one another.
To create an effective learning experience, the teacher has to shift emphasis from evaluating what the students know (as we see in K-12) to a more learner-centered focus of evaluating what the participants are able to do with the knowledge.
As educators, our job is to facilitate transformation (or learning). In preparation for launching this book blog, I read a variety of educational works. All were interesting, but none were captivating. Seeking something more exciting, I picked up the intriguingly titled Telling Ain't Training.
Using the word ‘Ain’t’ in an educational book is pretty nervy. I thought that "Ain't" wasn't part of the English Language but actually its expulsion from speech occurred only a few hundred years ago when some decided the word was used by ‘low class’ people. According to Wikipedia, Oxford states "[ain't] does not form part of standard English and should never be used in formal or written contexts,” and Merriam-Webster states it is "widely disapproved as non-standard and more common in the habitual speech of the less educated." I was amused by use of the word in a the title of a book on education. Also, the title is so true and goes to the heart of what education means. Instructors can spend hours talking to learners but in order for any learning transfer to happen, something far beyond talking has to occur. I heard positive feedback from colleagues who enjoy reading the book and who applied elements of the manual to their classroom programs. I'm a member to the Association for Talent Development (ATD, formerly ASTD) and I found out that ATD offers training sessions based on this book. Something to investigate at the end of my reading! |