Program Design

Group 3: Andragogy in Human Resources Development

EDAC 634

Jill Cerny, Tennille Merkle, Kathie Nix, Jennifer Warrner

Project Roles:

Jill Cerny: identified themes from the literature Tennille Merkle: developed program outlineKathie Nix: reviewed practical program 1 and helped compile assignmentJennifer Warrner: reviewed practical program 2 and helped compile assignment

Introduction

Picture it: a seminar room somewhere in corporate America with 30 participants

attending a training session. Six participants are trying to look sly while texting, checking their

email, and playing Words with Friends on their phones under the table. Surely the trainer doesn’t

see them, right? Two participants took a restroom break ten minutes ago. What is the likelihood

of them returning to the session? Slim to none. Eight participants are eagerly taking notes on

their laptops. In reality they are catching up on work and checking Facebook. Facebook status

update: bored out of my mind. One participant is asleep in the back row, slightly snoring. Two

participants, new hires to the company, are sitting in the front row struggling to stay engaged, not

realizing everyone behind them has checked out of the session. One new hire writes a note to the

other new hire in the margin of his notepad. That note states, “If all of the training here is this

bad, what have we gotten ourselves into with these jobs?” The remaining ten participants keep

sneaking a glance at the clock wishing they had brought their laptops to the session. Has time

ever moved so slowly? Meanwhile, the trainer is standing in front of the group lecturing and

reading from his Power Point slides, either oblivious or ignoring all the side activities occurring.

He thinks to himself, “I’m the trainer and the expert, right? These people should definitely listen

to me!”

Unfortunately, scenarios like this occur on a daily basis in training sessions at companies

across the nation and the world. Most professionals have probably attended a training session

that was boring, long, and overall just not beneficial. A trainer can be very knowledgeable about

a topic and can have well developed presentation skills, but that does not make that person an

effective trainer.

Our program is designed to teach trainers and other professionals how to effectively work

with and teach adults. The program is essentially a train the trainer course using the principles of

andragogy, or the theory of adult learning. Trainers who work with adults must have an

understanding of andragogy, and they must know how to engage adult learners in a training

session. This program was developed for adults who will serve as trainers in some capacity.

The program is designed to be delivered in a face to face traditional classroom format, but it

could also be adapted to be taught online. There are six learning objectives for this program. As

of a result of attending this training session, participants will learn:

to use the principles of andragogy in adult training situations? to develop specific learning objectives when conducting training programs? to use their audience as a resource to effectively organize training content to develop effective learning activities for training programs to evaluate training programs

Rationale

Since it was developed, andragogy has been extensively researched. Knowles (1980)

determined that andragogy is based on five assumptions. These assumptions include adults need

to know why they are learning something, adults have a need to be self-directed, adults have

experiences that can be used as a resource for learning, adults are more motivated by internal

motivators, and adults have a problem centered approach to learning and want to use what they

learn immediately. In addition to the research on andragogy, hundreds of resources exist about

how to develop effective training sessions. As Aeby and Aeby (2013) noted, “Andragogy can

help adult learners acquire new knowledge in a way that makes sense to the learner and their

unique learning strategy.” Based on the research about andragogy and training and

development, eight key themes are evident that will be incorporated into our program.

The program should take into consideration the motivations, needs, and experiences of the

audience. As Cranton (1992) noted, trainers must design curriculum to meet the real life

concerns and needs of participants. In addition, trainers need to stress the relevance of the topic

to adult participants and what the participants will gain from attending the training session. The

more adults understand how they will benefit from the information, the more they will

understand the need to know that information. This can be done with icebreakers, games,

riddles, and role-playing with discussion. According to Nadler and Nadler (1990), when adults

take responsibility in the learning process, they learn more, retain what they learned longer, and

learn more efficiently. As Dunst, Trivette, and Hambly (2010) found, the more actively involved

the learners were in mastering new knowledge or practice and the more the instructors or

facilitators supported and facilitated the learning process, the better the outcomes of learning.

The program should keep in mind the goals and motivations of the funding organization or

sponsor. Training should help a company maintain its competitive advantage. A 2003 U.S.

Department of Education study found that increasing a person’s education level by 10% percent

increases that person’s productivity level by 8.6%. In addition, Wright, Knight, and Speed

(2001) found that companies that increased their annual training budgets grew profits by 11.4%

while those that did not increase annual training budgets only increased their profits by 6.4%.

Companies greatly benefit by providing training opportunities for their employees.

Learners should have opportunities to be self-directed which can be done through discussion,

individual projects, and teaching or guided notetaking methods. In Telling Ain’t Training

(Stolovich & Keeps, 2011), the authors refer to this characteristic as autonomy, stating, “Adult

learners understand best if they take charge of their own learning” (p. 58). In addition to being

self-directed, training programs should help learners see the need for what they are learning and

the learner should be able to apply the learning. Knowles (1980) found adult learners want to

learn when it applies directly to their lives. Adult learners want to know how learning applies to

them, how they can benefit from it, and how it will affect other areas of their lives.

A problem centered approach to learning is most effective. Adults prefer to learn in different

ways, centering their focus on problems instead of subjects. While children may be taught some

subjects in a problem-centered way, it is imperative for adults (Knowles, 1980). In addition,

Cranton (1992) noted that participatory experiential techniques should be incorporated into

training sessions to utilize the experiences of adult learners. These activities should encourage

participants to share their experiences and to recognize what can be learned from those

experiences. By using activities, discussions, puzzles, case studies and other exercises to

incorporate the experiences of the participants, trainers can show that they value everyone’s

experiences.

The learning environment for training sessions needs to be welcoming, positive, and a

collaborative space. Brookfield (1986) describes the importance of establishing a climate of

mutual respect and trust when working with adults. Adults need to feel like they are accepted,

respected, and supported in the learning environment.

The trainer should serve as a facilitator who is an expert but not the only expert. The trainer

should utilize the learners and the experiences of the learners to demonstrate methods or

procedures to reinforce learning. Modern training techniques use experience in many ways.

Silberman (2006) found that adults expect the trainer to expand their knowledge by building on

what they already know. Stolovich and Keeps (2011) noted the most important aspect of training

adults is to respect their experience and prior knowledge, especially when working with diverse

learning groups. Keeping trainings learner-centered and performance-based will maximize

transfer and retention of any subject. It is important to keep the learners’ prior experience in

mind when designing training programs.

A post course evaluation should be conducted. This is a crucial phase of program planning

that provides trainers with valuable feedback and determines the efficiency and effectiveness of

the session. As Noe (2008) noted, evaluating training provides data needed to demonstrate that

the training offers benefits to both the participants and the company. Multiple evaluation

methods exist, but ultimately, it is essential that an evaluation is conducted as part of the

program.

Features from Practical Program #1

Because we want to incorporate the ideas of andragogy into our program, it is necessary

to implement andragogical methods into the program itself. Last spring Kathie observed a

training workshop designed to instruct banking managers on best practices for training and

instructing their employees. The workshop was led by Chase Batt, Assistant Vice President of

Human Resources and Training Manager at Mutual Bank, in the conference room of their

downtown Muncie building.

Chase began by going over the rationale and objectives he intended to cover, which were

listed in a participant handout. He involved the attendees and let them know they could ask

questions or relate feedback at any time. He started with some guided notetaking and discussion

of how adults learn best. Part of his explanation involved letting the attendees know that training

must satisfy immediate needs and relevant challenges. He stressed acknowledging the

experience and knowledge of the learner, allowing them to challenge the content and process.

He emphasized interaction, letting the participants get out of their seats and move around, and

providing a safe, comfortable environment. All of these suggestions are indicated in Knowles’

andragogy models.

As the workshop progressed, Chase involved all of the previously mentioned methods

into his training. He explained the differences between auditory, visual and kinesthetic learning

with examples and interviewing the participants, then quizzing them on aspects of learning

styles.

The employees of the bank have all undergone a personality test called Predictive Index

Drives (PI). After explaining it a little, Chase led a discussion on how to work with the different

personality types each of the managers might encounter. While this section was interesting, it is

not something that we need to incorporate into our project.

After a short break, Chase covered the learning environment, having the participants

work in small groups to come up with ideal training environment conditions. The group then

shared their ideas, added some others, and were rewarded with small pieces of candy for good

ideas. Chase went on to discuss a checklist he had created to make sure everything is ready for

an effective work session. At this point he mostly lectured, as most of the information he used

was listed in the participant handouts, but he sprinkled in humor and examples to make it

interesting. When talking about conducting an ice-breaker, he had two examples which

everyone participated in, getting everyone out of their seats and breaking up the lecture sections.

He talked about using PowerPoint effectively, inserting a humorous exercise for the class.

As the workshop was drawing to a close, Chase summarized the main points and

reviewed the objectives from the beginning of the class time. He had each class member fill out

a short quiz to assess the learning retention and closed by asking for questions and feedback.

There are several ideas from this session that we could incorporate into our own program.

Stating rationale and objectives lets the participants know what to expect. Allowing the

participants to use their prior experience in an opening ice-breaker or in subsequent discussion

fulfills one of Knowles’ assumptions. Letting the participants work in small groups or on their

own allows them to self-direct their learning. Having some kind of exercise that directly affects

their social or professional roles will keep them engaged. In this workshop, the discussion of the

Predictive Index Drives fulfilled that model, so we will need to find something different to

connect with our students. Finally, allowing discussion and dialogue during the workshop will

engage adult learners who have the desire to learn and want to be involved in their acquisition of

knowledge.

Features from Practical Program #2

In order to provide beneficial instruction, trainers must know the essential components to

include in a training session and how to effectively connect and work with participants. The

Department of Technology at Ball State University offers a course, TDPT 390: Training and

Development in Industry, which is essentially a train the trainer course. This course is taught on

campus each semester and is required for students majoring in construction management,

computer technology, and graphic arts management. The course is based on the idea that at

some point in their professional careers, all of the students in the course will be a trainer, whether

that be on an individual or large group basis. The course covers topics including learning

objectives, adult learning theory, program design, learning activities, presentation skills, using

media, and program evaluation. The course is also based on the Chinese proverb, “Tell me, I’ll

forget. Show me, I’ll remember. Involve me, I’ll understand.”

The course is taught using a very hands-on teaching approach. Each day in class,

students participate in multiple activities to help them apply the information presented in class.

Lectures are presented in eight to ten minutes chunks of information. During the rest of class

time, students are engaged in discussion, case studies, training tools, and other training activities

to help understand how they can apply the course content. The ultimate application exercise is

the final project, which is an eight to ten minute individual training session. Each student trains

the class on a topic related to his or her major. This training session includes an activity and an

evaluation. The instructor evaluates the students on their presentation skills, how they manage

the participants, their use of presentation software and other media, course design, the training

activity, and the effectiveness of the training.

There are multiple ideas from this course that could be incorporated into our program.

Most training sessions are offered for a couple of hours instead of a full 16 week academic

semester. Due to these time constraints, information from some of the course topics, such as

learning objectives, program design, and learning activities, could be incorporated into our

program but in a much more condensed and abbreviated format. As with the first practical

program reviewed, this course has a hands-on approach. Through the use of activities,

discussion, and other training tools, learning is self-directed. Students learn best when they are

engaged in the learning as opposed to simply being told information. “Tell me, I’ll forget.

Show me, I’ll remember. Involve me, I’ll understand.” That proverb is the ultimate take away

from this program. If participants are not engaged in the learning, they will not learn.

Program

The program we developed is essentially a train the trainer program that incorporates the

principles of andragogy. The program is approximately an hour and a half with a brief break in

the middle of the session. The information in the program is general so that participants from all

industries can attend. As of a result of attending this training session, participants will learn:

to use the principles of andragogy to develop specific learning objectives to use their audience as a resource to effectively organize training content to develop effective learning activities to evaluate training programs

This program provides an overview of each of those training topics. As is evident with the

second practical program we reviewed, each of these topics could be an individual training

session. This program could be used as a stand-alone program or could also be used as an

introductory program with additional, individual presentations about each of the program topics

as supplemental presentations. The program outline includes several activities for the

participants to complete. The activities are noted in blue font. A brief description of each

activity is included.

The trainer needs several materials for the program. These materials include flip chart paper,

markers, a ball of yarn, table tents for name signs, scenarios for the worst case scenarios activity,

and a handout for the objectives activity. The ideal training space for this session is a classroom

with round or square tables so the participants can interact and complete activities. The room

should have a computer, projector, and dry erase board.

Knowles Knows: Using Andragogy in Training: A Program Outline

Introduction (15-20 minutes)

a. Introduce self, co-trainersb. Participant introduction and icebreaker activity: have each share name, job title,

best or worst training experience they have encounteredc. Define roles

i. Instructor is “your guide on the side, not the sage on the stage”[ii.] Acknowledge the value of their participants’experiences and input for the

classd. Define objectives: By the end of this program, participants will be able to:

i. demonstrate how to use the principles of andragogyii. develop specific learning objectives

iii. employ methods to use their audience as a resourceiv. effectively organize training contentv. develop and deliver effective learning activities

vi. evaluate training programse. Conversation in groups of 2 or 3 then come back together as a whole class – why

is andragogy worth learning? What do you want to accomplish with this training today?

f. Define andragogy i. Knowles identified six principles of adult learning that can be summed up

in one easy sentence: “Please show me what else I need to know.”1. Each part of this sentence is a reminder of adult learning

principles. a. “Please” reminds us our students want respect from their

trainers. (please: respect)b. “Show me” means they want lots of hands-on training.

(show me: practical)c. “What else” reminds us they have prior knowledge and

experience and will apply it in their current learning. (what else: prior knowledge and experience)

d. “I need” means they are internally motivated and want practical, highly relevant information. (I need: relevancy, internally motivated)

e. And “To know” means they are goal oriented. (to know: goal oriented)

ii. To sum up: “Please show me what else I need to know.”iii. This class will use andragogy to teach you how to apply andragogy.

B. Creating a Learning Environment (15-20 minutes)a. Setting the scene

i. Mini brainstorm activity (in groups on flip chart paper): What makes a good learning environment?

b. Will there be any challenges for the trainer to overcome or manage?i. Time, location, hardware, software limitations

ii. “Soft” limitations: student education, motivation, backgroundsiii. Mini partner activity: Worst case scenarios: Provide scenarios with

disasters and have partners discuss how to deal with them

Break: 5 minute break for all participants

C. Developing Objectives (15 minutes)a. Write objectives for your course that satisfy their needs

i. Objectives keep you focused on what the trainees needii. Objectives should be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant,

and time boundiii. Objectives will guide summative evaluation lateriv. Have each objective include a condition, performance, and criteria

(example: Student will be able to recognize signs of choking and correctly apply the Heimlich maneuver 100% of the time)

v. Practice time: pair up students into 6 groups; assign each group an objective from this program and have groups assess and/or rewrite the objectives. Does each include a condition, performance, and criteria? Is each objective SMART? Then share to the rest of the class for critique.

D. Plotting oOut Your Course (10 minutes)

a. Arrange topics

[vi.] Be ready to explain why a topic is important to participants’their learning goals

vi.[vii.] Arrange topics in order that would make the most sense to the audience: in process order? Easy to difficult? Familiar to unfamiliar?

vii.[viii.] Activity: Give students a grid to rate high vs. low importance, and high vs. low difficulty. Have them select a hypothetical task to teach; have them rate each part of the training to the grid.

b. Add activities at appropriate times

i. Make sure activity relates meaningfully to the training topicii. Hands-on practice – make it as close to real life applications as possible

iii.[ii.] Teachbacksiv.[iii.] Icebreakers and kinetic activities (to wake them up)v.[iv.] Kinetic Activity: ball of yarn activityvi.[v.] Opportunities to share experiences

vii.[vi.] Opportunities to reflect on what they’ve learned, and how they can apply it

E. Evaluation (5 minutes)

c. Why evaluate? (This is Kirkpatrick in a nutshell)i. Find out if the learners are satisfied with the experience

ii. Find out if the learners can accomplish the tasks (defined in the objectives)iii. Find out if the learners are able to apply the training in practical

applications lateriv. Find out if the training was ultimately worth the cost of time and effort

d. Andragogy in evaluation methodsi. Pre-training assessment of current skill level and interests: respects their

goals and previous experienceii. Quick self-evaluation after each section: shows respect of their personal

experience and opinioniii. Roleplay for evaluation purposes: an example of hands-on, practical

trainingiv. Graded quiz: allows students to know they are achieving their learning

goalsv. Graded simulation: an example of hands-on, practical training

vi. Survey: allows students to share their experience with the trainingvii. Post-training survey (e.g. two weeks after, two months after)

F. Recap/Conclusion/Q&A (2-3 minutes)

Reflection

The most significant part of our group project is the program we designed. This program

was designed to be used in a variety of industries, and trainers could easily modify parts of the

content and the activities to be industry specific. The program provides a broad overview of

multiple topics needed to develop effective training sessions. As part of the final demonstration

for this group project, our group plans to actually deliver this training session. The class will be

invited for those who live enough to campus to participate, and the session will possibly be

recorded for future reference.

Most of our group members have professional experience in training or human resources

development, and that experience was very helpful in developing this assignment. As with any

group project, communication is essential. One of our group members had significant health

issues this month, and another lapsed in communicating with the group. The primary lessons

and tips from this project to incorporate into the remaining parts of the project are to stay in

constant communication with other group members, to start on the project early, to be flexible,

and to always be prepared to move to Plan B.

Tables

Table 2: Literature Review

Main ideas in the literature Application of the main ideas in practice

Idea 1 Andragogy is the theory of adult learning.

- Adults learn differently than children.-Individuals teaching adults must recognize these differences.

Idea 2 Andragogy is based on five assumptions.

-Adults need to know why they are learning something.-Adults are self-directed. -Adults bring resources and experience to the learning environment.-Adults are intrinsically motivated.-Adults have a problem centered approach to learning and want to use what they learn immediately.

Idea 3 Continuous learning is important for adults to learn new knowledge and to gain new skills.

- Companies should offer training and development opportunities to help increase the knowledge and skills of their employees.-Providing training and development opportunities helps companies maintain their competitive advantage and helps employees become more successful in their fields.

Idea 4 Principles from andragogy should be incorporated into training and development practices.

-Trainers should always consider the 5 assumptions of andragogy.The trainer should serve as a facilitator and is not the only expert.-The learning environment should be welcoming, positive, and a space to collaborate.-Adults should have the opportunity to share their experiences and knowledge.

Table 3: Summary of Program Design

Purposes Our program is designed to teach trainers and other professionals how to effectively work with and teach adults.

The program is essentially a train the trainer course using the principles of andragogy, or the theory of adult learning.

Objectives As of a result of attending this training session, participants will learn:1. to use the principles of andragogy2. to develop specific learning objectives3. to use their audience as a resource4. to effectively organize training content5. to develop effective learning activities6. to evaluate training programs

Trainers who work with adults must have an understanding of andragogy, and they must know how to engage adult learners in a training session.

Rationale: Ideas from Literature

--The program should take into consideration the motivations, needs, and experiences of the audience.--The program should keep in mind the goals and motivations of the funding organization or sponsor.--Learners should have opportunities to be self-directed.--The program should help learners see the need for what they are learning and the learner should be able to apply the learning.

--A problem centered approach to learning is most effective.--The learning space should be welcoming and collaborative.--The trainer should serve as a facilitator who is an expert but not the expert.--A post course evaluation should be conducted.

Rationale: Features from Practical Cases

--State rationale and objectives.--Allow participants to use their prior experience.-- Let the participants be self-directed in their learning.--Let the participants know how the training directly affects their social or professional roles.--Allow discussion and dialogue during the session to engage adult learners.

--Incorporate a hands-on approach in the session’s design.--Students learn best when they are engaged in the learning as opposed to simply being told information.--“Tell me, I’ll forget. Show me, I’ll remember. Involve me, I’ll understand.”

Highlights and the Major Components of the program you designed

Program: Knowles Knows: Using Andragogy in Training

--1.5 hour training session for adults--hands-on approach with multiple activities and discussions--Program content includes introduction, creating a learning environment, developing objectives, plotting out your course, evaluation, and conclusion

References

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