The Design of Learning Events
What is a learning event?
A learning event is any planned and managed experience which is designed to help those involved learn new knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour. A counselling or coaching session, an experiential training course, a workshop, a team 'away day' all constitute learning events.
The important part is that they are planned and managed. The rest of this article describes some principles and practices that can help these events go well.
What are the conditions under which people learn best?
People learn best when they feel safe and supported. This happens when they are clear what is expected of them, when the risks they are asked to take are moderate and the plan of the event is clear. It also helps if people are helped rather than criticised when they make mistakes. These are inevitable when learning something new.
In general a collaborative climate will make it easier to share thoughts and feelings than a competitive one. Clearly people will be more motivated to learn if the event is seen to meet their needs.
Some design principles and practical implications
The presenter of an event should practice what he/she preaches. If teaching the value of listening and support it is particularly important to listen to and support the students. If teaching presentation skills make sure the presentation part of the event is professional. If we want people to express their feelings openly, our modelling of this will be more important than anything we say.
A trusting, growthful learning atmosphere has to be built. Trust cannot be assumed nor will it happen immediately. People usually find it much easier to trust one person than a group. Trust is encouraged by clear rules about confidentiality and feedback so people know what will happen to the information they disclose. Our trustworthiness will often be tested by participants disclosing less significant information first to test our reaction.
The purpose of the event and the individual activities and exercises must be clear to all those involved. If the purpose is unclear people will be confused, uncommitted and fear manipulation.
It is more useful to discover how to do things right than how to do things wrong. The information is also more acceptable. Most people are deeply starved of positive feedback and respond very well when they get some. The training and exercises work best when there is no right answer.
Ideas are most likely to be acted on with commitment when they come from the person, then his /her peers and lastly the trainer. Therefore it is best to avoid the role of content expert if at all possible and concentrate on facilitating and catalysing the process.
People are wholes, the pure work role does not exist, domestic concerns influence work and vice versa. It helps to make it safe enough for people to share their concerns about the whole of life. If one part does not work it will drain energy away from the others.
Any training event should be considered as a whole. How people are told about the event and why they are going on it will influence their commitment to learning very substantially. It is hard to learn if you feel you have been sent on something to be 'fixed'. The people need to be in the right frame of mind too. Someone who is fighting to control sadness or anger due to a personal loss may well have nothing left over to contribute on a workshop and will resist and resent being drawn out. Some selection or self selection process is desirable for the success of the whole.
Similarly attention must be given to how people leave the event and to ensuring the organisation encourages them to put their learning into practice. If it is not put into practice then from the organisations point of view the work is a waste of effort.
People value ideas they discover for themselves. They like to learn in individual ways too and work on issues and subjects of importance to them. The task of the trainer is to respond to those needs flexibly and individually. This is easier in one to one settings and in very small groups.
Using these materials
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Thank you
Nick Heap