Learner
Content
Traveling
during a late January winter blast helped my thought process about adult
learning course content creation come into full focus. Like frigid temperatures
educators that have resided only in the academia universe become frozen in what
they believe is the best course content for any occupational learning
track. On the flip side occupational
subject matter experts are as bound to their opinion that teaching a skill the
same as it has been taught for centuries is the best learning format. Both sides can successfully argue that their
perspective is efficient and effective; but only if there are no evolutionary
advancements in education and technology.
Within
my organization I am charged with designing and developing vocational pathway
training that provides career advancement opportunities. The learning is often a hybrid model of organization
led training workshops, community college classroom studies, and on-the-job
learning. The ingredients of the
learning recipe are not always easily blended as each learning provider deems
their course content and delivery method to be the best.
A
report of the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Education, U.S.
Department of Labor, National Institute of Literacy, and the Small Business
Administration (1999) found that to best serve the needs of workers and
employers, educational institutions must address employers’ needs for both
general and industry-specific training just as employers must explore ways to
expand and update the skills of their workforce by adopting new and changing
technologies.
It
is easy to imagine how an employer can lose worker morale and productivity when
ineffective training is offered, but what do you think happens when an
educational institution fails to provide what needs to be taught? This video on ineffective teaching can provide
some insight.
As
instructors we must commit to getting to know our audience. Andriotis (2016) suggest when developing a needs
analysis to focus on three areas: time investment, attitudes, and expected
outcomes. The student will feel more
motivated to participate in a course that is specific to their individual
needs, and the employer will learn of similar cross departmental needs and
requirements.
I
find the best approach to creating mutually beneficial learning content is to ask
questions and listen to the answers from both sides. This approach correlates with the findings of
Stefaniak and Baaki (2013) that instructional design should be customized so that
it is apparent to the learner (and the employer) that they need the
instruction.
References
Andriotis, N.
(2016). Know your audience! A smart guide for analyzing your learners’
needs.
In
Enfront. Retrieved from https://www.efrontlearning.com/blog/2016/10/guide-learners-needs-analysis.html
Melbourne, A.
(2014). Ineffective teaching. YouTube.
Retrieved from
Stefaniak, J. E., Baaki,
J., (2013). A layered approach to
understanding your audience.
Performance Improvement, 52(6),
5-10. Doi:
10.1002/pfi.21352
U.S. Department of
Commerce, U. S. Department of Education, U. S. Department of Labor,
National Institute
of Literacy, and Small Business Administration.
(1999). 21st century
Skills for 21st century
jobs. Washington,
DC: Government Printing Office.
