Shifting from TEACHINGTEACHING to LEARNINGLEARNING approaches

Marion Muehlen, EPIET Scientific Coordinator, ECDC Public Health Training Section, Stockholm, Sweden

Acknowledgement

Based on material and lectures from

• Angela GiustiPublic Health Researcher, MSc Adult Education

National Institute of Health, Rome – angela.giusti@iss.it

• Sonsoles Guerra Liaño & Biagio Pedalino

• Recognize different thinking and learning styles

• Apply the brain dominance tool to learning contexts

• Describe the characteristics of the adult learner

• Experience different styles in a working group

• Design a training unit for a specific target group

• Employ strategies that promote active participation and involvement of adult learners in training units

Objectives

Warm up excerciseWarm up excercise

Who are we? Who are the participants?The Herrmann’s whole brain model

Source: Whole Brain Model, by Ned Herrmann

WHOLE BRAIN ACTIVITY

What are the Four Brain Quadrants?

Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) and Whole Brain Thinking Model)

Analyze Facts, logic, statistics, data

Rationale for listening, taking action, making decisions

What?

Organize Details, arranged systematically (linearly, sequentially)

Safety, reliability, history

How?

Personalize

Emotional connection between speaker and listener

(strong motivational factor)

Who?

StrategizeStrategize Big picture, future vision

Explores possibilities, sets long-term goals

Why?

Relationship Between Brain Dominance and Competencies

BRAIN DOMINANCE

INTEREST

PREFERENCE

MOTIVATIONweak STRONG

COMPETENCECOMPETENCElow HIGH

Source: Whole Brain Model, by Ned Herrmann

ADULT LEARNING PRINCIPLES

Adult learners are goal orientedAdult learners are goal oriented

Are practical and problem-centered

• Provide overviews, summaries, examples

• Use stories to link theory to practice

• Discuss/plan for direct application of new information

• Use collaborative, authentic problem-solving activities

• Anticipate problems applying the new ideas to their setting (trainer => offer suggestions)

• Less theory, more practice

What does this mean for the trainer?What does this mean for the trainer?

Promote their positive self-esteem• Provide low-risk activities in small group settings

• Build individual success incrementally

• Become more effective and confident through guided practice and establishing routines

• Readiness to learn depends on motivation

Allow for choice and self-direction

• Ask what they know already about the topic

• Ask what they would like to know about the topic

• Compare desired behaviors (goals) & actual behaviors

• Allow for options so you can easily shift if needed

• The unknown Unknowns: use learners perception of needs vs. research on needs vs. organizational needs to guide your planning

Experience is a motorway for the Experience is a motorway for the learning processlearning process

Integrate existing knowledge with new ideas

• Capitalize on what is already know from prior experience

• Create activities that use their experience and knowledge

• Listen and collect data about participant needs before, during and after the event

• Adjust time and build in options for topics to fit their needs

• Suggest follow-up ideas and next steps for support and implementation after the session

• Provide for the possible need to unlearn old habits or confront inaccurate beliefs

Show respect for the learner

• Breaks, snacks, coffee, comfort

• Use everybody’s time effectively and efficiently

• Provide a quality, well organized, experience

• Avoid jargon and don't "talk down" to participants

• Validate and affirm their knowledge, contributions and successes

• Request feedback on your work, assumptions, or ideas

• Provide input opportunities

• Choice of words (different cultural backgrounds)

Based on “The adult Learner”, by Malcom S. Knowles et al, 2005

Challenges in Adult Learning

• Lack of confidence in learning capacity

• Fear of looking weak in the group

• Want to avoid making mistakes

• Reduced speed of learning (but more “in depth”)

• More resistant to change

• Highly conservative

• Difficulty accepting views of others

• Wide inter-individual differences

TOOTHPICK TREES ACTIVITY

Toothpick tree activity

6 Groups (= 3min presentation groups)

Material provided:1 pen2 sheets of paper 9 toothpicks

Instructions:It has to be a collaborative designSILENCE, but laughing is allowed

Free role distribution within the group

Instructions Using the toothpicks, try to make as many trees as you can without repetitions

A tree is defined as having (at least) 1 trunk and (at least) 3 branches

Toothpicks CANNOT be broken to produce more trees!

Instructions

Draw each new tree on the sheet of paper

ONLY trees that have been created with the toothpicks can be drawn on the sheet of paper

You have 5 minutes!

Think in the group for 5´:

Name a “reporter” and answer these questions:

1. How many trees did you draw?

2. What happend during the activity?

3. What did you observe?

4. Did you develop a group strategy?

5. Any lesson learnt for the next

group activity?

More questions:

1. How did you feel in the group?

2. What was your reaction to the task?

3. Which was your role?

4. How did you assign the roles?

5. How did you feel about the person who was slow at seeing the solutions? If you were that person, how did you feel?

6. Was there a climate that helped or hindered? How was the climate?

7. Other observations, comments, learning points?

Teaching and learning:

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Teaching and learning methods

CoachingCine forumDebriefingCase studyCounsellingBrainstormingGuided discussionGroup discussionField experienceGuided practiceDemonstrationMetaplanLecture

ModelingRole playingMicroteachingProblem solvingReading informationProblem-based learningProject work (ind. or group)Skill practice (ind. or group)Theatre of the oppressedResearch (ind. or group)Self-case studyTheatre forumSimulation

More info about teaching methods www.go2itech.org/HTML/TT06/toolkit.html

Learning environments

Learning environments

Five levels of training impact and evaluation

1  Are the trainees satisfied?

2  What have the trainees learned?

3  What do trainees do differently in the workplace?

4  What is the effect on the output of the trainee’s team or

department?

5  How has the training contributed to achieving public

health objectives?

The facilitator’s role

The facilitator proposes a range of methods and activities to promote an effective learning process, that includes:

1. Creating a supportive environment

2. Creating a mechanism for a continuing shared training/learning process (objectives, methods, activities, evaluation)

3. Meeting trainee’s individual learning needs

4. Making course content relevant and coherent with expressed needs

5. Using a variety of teaching methods and providing learning opportunities, consistent with objectives and group needs

6. Using bi-directional sensitive feedback to correct and reinforce

7. Making a continuous participated assessment of the learning process and acting consequently

From health goals to learning objectives

The Training Planning in Public Health

Realization

Supervision

Problem analysis

HEALTH GOALS definition

Strategies choice

Expected results and activities definition

Timetable

Resources provision

MonitoringProcess and Outcome

Evaluation

Performance goalsdefinition

Learning strategies and methods definition

Evaluation plan setting

Traning Realization

Participants and tasks description

Performance Evaluation

Learning needs analysis

Learning objectives definition

Training cycleProject cycle in public health

THANK YOU!