A few years ago, I visited a history museum that included a guided
docent tour. The docent was exceptionally knowledgeable about the museum, its
importance, and key events that marked the history. Yet, I walked away and did
not fully enjoy the tour or museum. Which got me thinking – Why? As I thought
about it, this tour was different. The docent was the owner of the information
and he decided how he would provide the information to us. In this case, he
wanted to fit in everything he knew about the museum in what seemed like a long
run-on sentence. There was very little ability for me as the learner to
experience the museum in a way that made sense or interested me.
I am a hands-on learner; I thrive when I can touch, see, hear, and experience learning. I am curious to a fault. I am sure I drove my parents crazy as a young child with my constant question, why? I was the kid who failed every test that said, read the instructions BEFORE doing anything. The last question said, put your pencil down, you do not need to complete the test. Oops.
But a friend of mine could not imagine jumping in without thoughtfully considering the directions on any test. These examples show the differences in people and how they learn and approach challenge. I jump in the middle of it and try it while my friend reads, thoughtfully considers the content, context and then makes sense of it. Everyone's perspective is different. Some want to read, some want to do, some want to listen, and most learners want a combination of options. As leader educators, we often rely on being the talking expert and do not engage our learners in the journey. What will help them learn best?
So, how can leaders become better "learning" educators and coaches?
1. SHIFT THE FOCUS TO THE LEARNER AND AWAY FROM THE EDUCATOR (LEADER).
Ask the learner first what they already know? Or have them consider a situation that they can apply to their learning experience.
Polling questions at the beginning of a webinar directed at the individual needs of learners are an example of a method to help learners get into their own frame of reference. Each person's experience is different and when the anonymous results are shared, learners appreciate that they can be different or similar to others.
Scenarios, either written or in review, are another way to have individual learners consider real or simulated events from their perspective.
Learners can evaluate:
- What makes sense?
- What challenges them?
- What do they need or want to learn more about to prepare their personal learning plan?
This process allows the learner to consider what they already know or what challenges them before opening it up to a discussion. In active learning strategies, this is called think, pair, share. It is very effective at helping learners make sense of and interpret the meaning of content.
2. CREATE ACTIVE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.
Translate the information or education into an active learning process that challenges learners to apply the information.
For example, to demonstrate an organization's values, create an activity where the learners go to different work units to observe employees. In the classroom before the activity, review the values with the learners, note why they are important for the organization, and have learners talk about what the values mean. At this point, the learners are ready for to go out and observe. Strengthen the activity by having the learners praise employees who are observed demonstrating the values and letting them know what they saw. This type of activity gives learners the ability to process the values from observations.
After the activity, host a debriefing session asking the learners:
- What did you observe?
- What were excellent examples of employees demonstrating the values?
- What missed opportunities were there for employees to display the values?
- What might you do differently?
The debriefing session is then a valuable tool to encourage the learner to not only understand the importance of the organization values, but also to translate the values in observable actions. It is also a way to recognize and reward those who demonstrate the desired values and behaviors.
3. BUILD LEARNING IN SEQUENCE –> SCAFFOLD LEARNING
In education, scaffold learning breaks the information into manageable sections (or sequences) that are easier to consume. Scaffold learning starts small and adds challenge to experiences and learning activities as the learner’s skill increases. Consider the normal skill development pathway. What do learners need to know or be shown to be able to do and apply the skill?