Resource 2-1 Principles of Adult Learning

When planning a training session or presentation for adults, its useful to incorporate some of the principles of adult learningmeaning, what we know about how adults learn best. This may be a challenge, given the limited amount of time you have available for training, but you may find it helpful to keep some of the following guidelines in mind as you plan your presentation.

Adults are autonomous and self-directed. They need to be free to direct themselves. Effective teachers get participants perspectives on what topics to cover and let participants work on projects that reflect their interests. Adults are goal-oriented. They are motivated to learn when they have a use for the knowledge or the skill being sought. Adults view learning as a means to an end, not an end in itself. Participants benefit and are more highly motivated when the trainer shows them how the class will help them reach their goals. Adults bring a great deal of experience and knowledge to the classroom. Trainers need to connect learning to this knowledge/ experience base. Adults need to be able to integrate new ideas with what they already know. This is particularly true if they are going to remember, and use, the new information. Information that conflicts sharply with what is already held to be true is integrated more slowly.

Adults must see the reason for learning something. In other words, the learning has to be applicable to their work or other responsibilities. They will focus upon the aspects of a lesson that are most useful to them in their work. Instructors can motivate adults by telling them explicitly how the lesson will be useful to them on the job. Adults tend to prefer self-directed and selfdesigned learning projects over group-learning experiences led by a professional. Adults report a need for application and how-to information as the primary motivation for beginning a learning project. Adults want their learning to be problemoriented, personalized, and accepting of their need for self-direction and personal responsibility.

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Resource 2-1 Principles of Adult Learning

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Its also important to:

T Respect different points of view. Programs need to be designed to accept viewpoints from people in different life stages and with different value sets or cultural perspectives. Respect the experience of the audience. Increasing or maintaining ones sense of selfesteem is a strong secondary motivator for adults engaging in learning. Because adults tend to take errors personally and are more likely to let their mistakes affect their selfesteem, its important to respond with respect to the opinions they offer and the questions they ask. Avoid asking adults to risk trying a new behavior in front of peers and colleagues. Acknowledge the wealth of experience and knowledge they bring to the learning situation. Appeal to the range of learning styles. Adults (and children, too) vary in the medium they use for learning. Some learn best when they listen to new material; others learn best when they see new material in writing. Still others learn best when they do something with the new material. Therefore, effective training needs to stimulate more than one of the senses (i.e., visual, auditory, kinaestheic) to meet the needs of different learners. Create a comfortable space. The learning environment needs to be physically and psychologically comfortable. Avoid long lectures, periods where learners must sit for a long time, and instruction that does not pro-

vide opportunities to practice and apply new information. Emphasize creating a space with few emotional distractions, where both dialogue and privacy are permitted, where learners can be themselves and where a feeling of mutual trust and respect between learners and instructors exists.

Adapted from the following resources:

Billington, D.D. (n.d.). Seven characteristics of highly effective adult learning programs. Seattle, WA: New Horizons for Learning. Hiemstra, R. (n.d.). Supportive materials for adult learning session 1: ASTD train-the-trainer program. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University. Imel, S. (1995). Teaching adults: Is it different? (ERIC Digest No. 82). Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education. Lieb, S. (n.d.). Principles of adult learning. Phoenix, AZ: Arizona Department of Health Services. Zemke, R., & Zemke, S. (1984, March 9). 30 things we know for sure about adult learning. Innovation Abstracts VI(8).

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Resource 2-2 Planning Worksheet

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This worksheet is divided into several topic areas, to help you plan and organize your training session. Answering these questions will help you identify what your expectations for the training are, the types of information your audience needs and wants, the topics youll most need to address, and the logistical concerns that workshops always involve.

Getting Started
1. 2. 3. Who should help you plan this meeting? What are your goals for this meeting? Who will be the presenters or trainers?

Your Participants
4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Who will attend? How many people in all? What is the relationship between individuals in the group? Do they know one another? How much prior knowledge do participants have regarding the IDEA and the 97 Amendments? What aspects of IDEA 97 do you think participants most need or want to know? How much detail do participants need about each of the IDEA 97 topics? What do participants have in common in regard to their need for information on IDEA 97? Where do they differ?

10. What do you think participants will do with the information they receive from you? (For example, are they going to be training others, writing about IDEA 97, talking to their staff?) 11. What types of handouts might be useful to them? 12. Whats the tolerance level of this group for long presentations as compared to short presentations followed by a group discussion? 13. Does anyone need special accommodations, such as extra room to accommodate a wheelchair or walker, a sign language interpreter, materials in Braille, etc.?

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Planning the Meeting

14. How much time do you have for the meeting? 15. What topics can be reasonably covered in that time? (Think in terms of: which topics are the most important to cover? Which topics can be presented in an abbreviated fashion? Who will help you choose which topics to cover in detail and which to limit or eliminate?) 16. How will you sequence the topics? (Remember that less interactive or more complex sessions need to be scheduled early in the day, when people can listen with more efficiency. Dont plan to handle difficult topics by eliminating time to discuss them.) 17. What do you expect participants to do (e.g., just listen, work in small groups, produce a product, give you feedback)? 18. Will you distribute any handouts? What? How many copies will you need? Who will be responsible for producing and photocopying these? 19. How much time do you have to devote to questions and answers? How do you want to handle questions and answers? (For example, you can answer questions as you go along; hold questions until the end of each topic; have designated periods for Q&A; have participants write their questions down and hand them in at break time.) 20. Will you want to take minutes or produce a summary of the meeting? Who will do this? Will the summary be distributed to the participants some time later? How? 21. What type of evaluation of the training do you want to conduct? (For example, you can devote time at the end of training to everyone filling in an evaluation form, or you can hand out the form and hope people return it.) 22. Who will prepare the evaluation form and analyze it later? 23. What next steps would you like to see come out of the meeting?

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Resource 2-2 Planning Worksheet page 3 (of 5)

Logistics of the Meeting

24. When will the meeting be held (e.g., day, time?) 25. What type of facilities and arrangements need to be made for the meeting? (Think in terms of: convenient location, well lit room, sufficient space, comfortable chairs, easy access for persons with disabilities, availability of equipment.) 26. Who will be responsible for locating and reserving the meeting space? 27. Will food and refreshments be provided? What, precisely? Who will be responsible for coordinating this?

Two to Three Weeks Before the Presentation

28. 29. Review your materials and your plan. Go over the list of details you generated when working through the above sections of this Planning Worksheet. Is there anything youve forgotten? If possible, visit the site where your presentation will take place. Note any potential problems or needs and develop strategies for resolving them. If you cannot visit the site yourself, call someone at the site and ask questions about the space. Make sure you have adequate outlets and extension cords for any electrical equipment you will use. Make sure that the room and your presentation will be accessible to any participants with disabilities. This includes: T T T T making sure the room is accessible to anyone with a disability; providing an interpreter for persons who are deaf or hearing impaired, a partner or Braille materials for persons who are blind, or an assistant for persons who are deaf-blind; making room at the tables for wheelchairs and other transportation aids; taking time well in advance of the meeting date to find out if any participants need special accommodations.

30.

31. Gather any special equipment youll need for the presentation, such as marking pens, overhead projector, microphone, flipcharts, blank transparencies, extra bulbs for the overhead, back-up extension cords for electrical equipment, name tags, and masking tape. 32. Organize your overheads and other materials. The materials provided in this training package are numbered within sections for ease of reference, but if you are pulling from various sections, you will need to organize and arrange these in the order you desire. (over) (
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Resource 2-2 Planning Worksheet page 4 (of 5)

Two to Three Days Before the Presentation

33. Again, review your list of details to make sure you havent forgotten anything. 34. If you have a contact from the group for whom you are making the presentation, call that person to confirm details such as meeting time, location, number of participants, and so on. Review anything you have previously requested (e.g., audio-visual equipment, room set-up, refreshments) to be sure that these needs will be met. Ask if anyone from the group will be available at the presentation to handle any last-minute details that may arise. 35. Review your handouts and overheads. Be sure that you have more than enough materials and that they are labeled and stored in the order that you will use them. 36. Be sure that all your materials are safely packed and relatively easy to carry.

Two to Three hours Before the Presentation

Check to make sure that:
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any signs or directions to the meeting room are in plain view there are enough chairs, name tags, tables, and handouts for every participant and any unanticipated attendees ventilation is acceptable the equipment you need is there, with any necessary auxilary equipment (bulbs, electrical cords, markers, etc.)

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Just Before the Presentation

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Be sure that all of your audio-visual equipment is working smoothly. Put one of the overheads on the projector, and then walk to various sections of the room. Can the overhead (and flipchart, if you are using one) be clearly seen from all vantage points? If not, move the overhead further away from the screen to enlarge the image. You also may need to change where the overhead and screen are located in the room (if this is possible). Perform a last-minute check of all training materials and handouts. Is everything in order? Place any other miscellaneous items you might need within easy reach: pen, notepad, watch, glass of water, facial tissue. (continued on next page) ( 2-16
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During the Presentation

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Be respectful of your participants schedules. Start on time and keep a discreet eye on a nearby clock or watch as the presentation progresses. Inform the group about the schedule, even if you have provided a written agenda. For example, you might say something like, Next, well discuss the changes that IDEA 97 has brought to the evaluation process. After that, well have a 10-minute break. Announce any changes in or adaptations to the schedule as soon as you are aware of them. Have a glass of water close at hand, just in case you need to relieve dry throat during the presentation.

As the presentation draws to a close

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If at all possible, allow time for participants to fill out evaluation forms before the end of the session; this will greatly increase your response rate. Remind participants of the handouts youve provided, which they can use in the future to refresh their memory about IDEA 97 or to share with others. If appropriate, refer the participants to a local resource for further questions. If any agency or organization is sponsoring the presentation, be sure to ask what that group prefersshould participants contact the special education director? the parent training and information (PTI) center? both? Make sure you have correct addresses and phone numbers for any organizations to which you refer participants, and place this information on an overhead, write it on the flipchart, or include it in the handouts you give participants. If you are willing to be contacted after the session, distribute business cards, include your contact information on a handout, or write your name, address, and telephone number on a clear transparency and place it on the overhead projector. Thank participants for their participation, attention, and comments. If the presentation is sponsored by an agency or organization, or if you are there because of any individuals invitation, be sure to mention these individuals and/or organizations by name and thank them as well.

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Resource 2-3 Evaluation Form

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We would like your feedback on this presentation. Please rate each category below on a scale of 1 to 5 (where 5 is high), and write in comments, as appropriate. Feel free to use the back of this page for comments if you need extra space. Thank you for your cooperation.

1. Length of Presentation

(Was the length of the presentation adequate to cover the topic? Comments:

Low 1

High 5

2. Content of Presentation

(Did you find the content of the presentation informative and useful?) Comments:

3. Visual Aids/Overheads

(Were the visual aids/overheads helpful in understanding the material?) Comments:

4. Trainer/Presenter

(Was the trainer helpful and well informed?) Comments:

5. Benefit of This Presentation

(Will you be able to use the information presented during this session in your work or home life?) Comments:

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Other Comments: What did you like best about this presentation?

If you could change three things about this presentation, what would they be?

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