Thoughts on Training Styles

Two entries from my reflective journal from an adult teaching and learning course, discussing training styles as relayed by the text (reference below).

Behaviorism - "We use behavioral objectives in our instruction" (p. 27): expecting and evaluating behavior based on task completion, with competency-based curricula. This sounds a good deal like many educational programs I've seen, or they all seem to have roots here anyway. The SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely) acronym is interesting, and something we tend to focus on at work, but it's also part of every goal-based employee assessment plan I've ever seen.

Humanistic Learning - Adult learning is/can be largely self-directed. How much does this apply in professional settings where learning is potentially skill-based and mandated by career? Does it depend on subject?

Cognitivism - "Uses prior learning to process new information" (p. 32). Pattern matching, the brain finds it easier to integrate new information if it can relate new information back to old. It can potentially create challenges, though: cognitive psychology taught me the brain actively tries to pattern match, even when no match really exists. I think this is why some of our new hires had such trouble learning - trying to fit square pegs (new data, new processes, new software) into round holes (old data/processes/software).

Social Cognitive Theory - Strongly calls to mind Dewey and his treatise on experience and education, and the idea that all human learning is inherently social, that it all occurs in a social environment. On the job training definitely falls under this umbrella.

Constructivism - Collection of perspectives, construction of meaning from experience, the important part of this is that the meaning is constructed by the learners.

Thoughts:

One of the things I found most interesting about learning theories and styles is that all these theories build upon one another. In the end, it seems like they're all related and can work together, in whole or in part. I'm sure they can each be taken and used individually depending on the situation, but what happens if we combine learning theories to take advantage of as many of the positives as possible? The trouble at that point, though, becomes whether we overwhelm our learners. What if we get to the point where too many cooks (a combination of too many learning styles) ruins the soup (what the learners are supposed to take away)?

I've taken training style surveys before, specifically for one of my classes in my first semester, and wasn't really all that surprised by the results. The Philosophy of Adult Education Inventory (PAEI) indicated that my results were mixed, but primarily progressive and humanistic, with liberal and behaviorist not too far behind, and radical with an extremely low inventory score, which is no surprise, based on their description of it.

Part of this has to do with what I teach right now -- since I'm teaching something product-based, skills that someone is going to need to know in order to perform their job, the idea that I fall under a progressive style, which stresses giving learners practical skills and problem solving, sounds about right. I'm sure part of that is also formed by my background, since prior to taking on the role of trainer, I was in technical support, which is also very much about problem solving. The difference is focus -- in support, I was the one who helped solve the problems, and now, as a facilitator, I'm helping people learn how to solve their own problems instead.

Looking over table 39 in the text, it also suggests that I'm largely behaviorist, with some cognitivist and constructivist thrown in. It's still about making sure people get the tools to help them perform their jobs, but the hope is that I'm able to help them lay a good foundation so that they may not have to call support as often. Hopefully, I'm able to give them tools to help themselves, first and foremost.

A lot of the recommendations I've seen as far as how to reach an adult audience are things I've already been doing. In a lot of ways, though, it was probably rather clumsy, and without really knowing why it was important. Now, I can make my efforts much more purposeful and, hopefully, much more effective.

Reference:

Merriam, S.B. & Bierema, L.L. (2014). Adult learning: Linking theory and practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.