Principle 3 – Enhance

To increase understanding of training content using experience-based methods of teaching that directly apply to the workplace.     

• Widen the range of experiences through application learning activities
• Encourage generalization of topics to real-life experiences
• Vary activities to maintain interest and accommodate different learning styles
• Identify appropriate instructional aides to support teaching concepts
• Sequence learning from simple to complex and from group-supported to solo efforts
• Design short teaching segments no longer than 20 minutes followed by interactive activities

Adults are more likely to forget ideas and concepts presented using lecture.  Retention is the highest when concepts are taught through experience.  The more real-life the learning experience the more likely learners will generalize their understanding to workplace and personal situations.  Group experience is useful, in that it allows learners to assist each other in understanding material.  Interaction between learners and trainers as well as between learners supports a learning environment. 

Discussion focused upon a presented concept that is applied to a presented real-life issue or situation encourages learners to talk about their experiences, increases affective connections to the topic, helps learners to use critical thinking to explore alternatives and affirms the learners’ sense of self-confidence.  Other action strategies that engage learners are case study analysis, role-playing and in-basket exercises that require a decision and rationale for a strategy of action.  When using action strategies, plan for the time needed to complete the activity. 

Using various instructional aides maintains interest and assists in highlighting different concepts.  Select instructional aides that match concepts to be taught.  Overuse of instructional aides detracts from the content and creates distractions that detract from learning.

Planning teaching segments that move from the simple to complex in short time frames followed by interactive activities encourages application and retention.  Through experience-based application, learners can generalize to situations that they have encountered or will encounter in the workplace. Experiencing, using and applying learned concepts, ideas or skills is what turns them into tacit knowledge that becomes a part of the individual’s storehouse of useable concepts. 

Situation Training Topic: Using Communication to Build Positive Relationships with Residents

Review the following two training scenarios and pay close attention to the contrast of teaching styles and format. Notice the difference between each in terms of the level of enhancement.

Situation 1
From the trainer's lecture, she expects the group to be able to communicate effectively with residents. She then proceeds to give a list of things to remember about being a good listener.

Situation 2
The trainer divides the class into groups. The groups create role-play scenarios that illustrate ways to focus in on what residents are trying to say. In their groups they are asked to identify a situation that a direct care staff person may encounter in the worksite (for example, meeting a new resident, encouraging a resident to participate in an activity, or communicating with a resident who is angry at another resident). The role-play is one individual as the direct care staff person and one as the resident. The trainer directs the groups to be prepared to present their role-play which will emphasize good listening skills.

Situation Summary:  Notice that in the first vignette, the presenter is teaching about listening, but doesn’t demonstrate how to listen effectively. She just makes a list of key ideas. Contrast this with the second vignette where she draws upon the audience members to role-play a situation where interactive listening can be demonstrated. Situation 2 illustrates the importance of building in action teaching strategies that require application of learned information to support generalization from classroom teaching to real-life environments. Learning is increased by varying activities to accommodate different learning styles, using appropriate instructional aides, sequencing teaching of concepts from simple to complex and teaching in short segments followed by application activities. 

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