Chapter 4

1. Chapter 4 TAEDEL502A Provide advanced facilitation practice

2. What constitutes ‘advanced practice’? • Extending beyond basic facilitation practices • Preparing for complex environments • Preparing for learners with complex needs • Developing independence in your learners • Reflection to improve practice

3. Extending your practice Update your knowledge of learning methods What can you take from contemporary learning theories to use in your facilitation?

4. Extending your practice (cont.) Maintain vocational and VET currency Keep up-to-date with what’s happening in the world of adult education research What’s new in your profession/trade? Stay relevant by staying current with emerging industry or sector trends and developments

5. Extending your practice (cont.) Join a national or local VET association Examples of associations include: • Australian Institute of Training and Development • Velg Training (formerly the Voc Ed Learning Group) • Vocational Education and Training Industry Group • LinkedIn (and associated groups within the LinkedIn network) and Join an association or organisation related to your profession/trade (e.g. Master Builders)

6. Extending your practice (cont.) Be flexible, innovative and responsive Don’t get ‘stuck in the mud’. When things change, change with them—don’t fight against them! Look for ways to innovate and work smarter, not harder.

7. Extending your practice (cont.) Table 4.1 Factors affecting training practice

8. Extending your practice (cont.) Constantly look at ways to improve Reflect upon every session, always looking for ways to do better. Keep a record of what you’ve found to refer back to later.

9. Complex learning environments Complex environments for learning may include: • workplaces undergoing change or conflict • different cultural contexts for the learner • correctional institutions • noisy or uncomfortable training locations

10. Complex learning environments (cont.) Change and conflict in the workplace Changes Merger, take-over, downsizing, relocation, lay-offs, restructuring, departmental change Conflict Industrial disputes, hostile takeovers, internal factions

11. Complex learning environments (cont.) Differing cultural contexts Difficulties where the cultural context is different from what the learner knows, e.g. where a heavy industry worker is placed into the PC environment of a public service office setting.

12. Complex learning environments (cont.) Correctional institutions Prisons, detention centres or other facilities where people are legally detained.

13. Complex learning environments (cont.) Uncomfortable or extreme environments • Noisy • Dusty • Odorous • Windy • High altitude • Hot/cold • Dirty • Wet/damp

14. Consulting with those ‘in the know’ • Personnel from within your organisation: • other facilitators who may have experience with these constraints or environments • training manager • learning support staff • Representatives from your client’s organisation: • other trainers • managers or supervisors • facilities managers • health and safety representatives • learners • Specialists (e.g. external WHS advisors)

15. Review your strategies Review and update your TAS (as required) to include your identified barriers or constraints and the resources or approaches required to address them

16. Learners with complex needs • Disengaged learners • Learners with learning difficulties • Learners with disabilities

17. What causes ‘disengagement’? • The training is not thought of as relevant or interesting • Oppositional identity • Lack of self-efficacy (self-belief) • Inaccurate understanding of how to succeed • Lack of aspiration • Peer pressure • Material is too easy or too hard • Pace of instruction is too fast or too slow • Complex ideas are being delivered • Poor literacy or numeracy skills • Limited vocabulary • Insufficient background information about the material • Being required to take tests and do homework

18. People with disabilities • Hearing • Sight • Speech • Coordination • Mobility • Other physical/dexterity impairment • Learning difficulties

19. Learning difficulties • Dyslexia • Dysphasia/dysgraphia • Dyscalculia • Developmental Dyspraxia, and • Non-verbal Learning Disability (NLD/NVLD) • Language, literacy and numeracy development(covered in Chapter 6)

20. Supporting learners Use your state and national resources to assist you to develop strategies Learning Disabilities, at Australian Psychological Society www.psychology.org.au/publications/tip_sheets/learning/ Learning Difficulties, at Learning Difficulties Australia www.ldaustralia.org/ Vocational Education and Training Disability Support Service (Queensland) http://training.qld.gov.au/training-organisations/support/dss.html

21. Customising your TAS to include support

22. Supporting learners Refer to Table 4.3 ‘Examples of adjustments to learning materials to suit learners with disabilities’ in your book (pages 120-1)

23. Learner independence Learner independence is also commonly known as learner autonomy, independent learning, lifelong learning, learning to learn or thinking skills. (Sinclair, 2001) We develop learner independence through enhancing experiences, addressing barriers and establishing enabling processes.

24. Enhancing experiences • Use differing styles of facilitation • demonstration/modelling • guided instruction • presentations/lectures (including interactive lectures) • guided facilitation of activities/group work/case studies • initiating and facilitating group discussions • brainstorming activities • providing and guiding practice opportunities • inclusive practice • learning-by-teaching • collaborative or individual learning activities and projects • coaching/mentoring/tutoring • blended learning (combinations of styles)

25. Addressing barriers • Internal barriers to learning • Fear of being judged or fear of failure, including peer or cultural pressures relating to undertaking learning. • Personal prejudices, beliefs and habits that can result in the inability to accept the perspective of others • Language, literacy and numeracy skills • Level of education

26. Addressing barriers (cont.) • External barriers to learning • Fear for personal safety (e.g. bullying) • Age (effects of getting older, e.g. loss of hearing, failing eyesight or reduced physical strength, dexterity, agility and mobility) • Physical health • Emotional and psychological health, personal fears and anxieties • Cultural expectations and norms • External motivators, such as where failing to attend results in loss of payments or employment • Communication (you and others around you)

27. Developing independence • We are aiming to achieve a situation in which learners • set their own aims and goals for learning • choose how they want to learn, understanding what is most effective for their personal learning style • plan and organise their own study and work effectively • organise themselves and set time to learn • learn through experiences and practical application • identify and solve problems for themselves or identify their own weakness and include collaboration • think creatively (develop abstract thought) and communicate effectively • assess their own progress in relation to their learning goals

28. Developing independence (cont.) Enabling development of autonomy: teaching how to learn Without guidance or facilitation a learner may never make the step from directed to self-directed learning. Lowry (1989) summarises the work of several authors on how educators can enable self-directed learning. This framework for teaching how to learn is found on pages 126-7 of your textbook.

29. Reflection for improvement • Seek input from others about our teaching, facilitation and learning practices • Review your practices to identify opportunities for improvement • Implement your improvement plan—review and adjust as required

30. Seeking feedback • Relevant others who can provide useful feedback • Other facilitators, such as those within your professional network • Your manager or supervisor • Other training or assessment staff • Participants/learners • Clients • Mentors or coaches • Professional development personnel • Professional association representatives • The education faculty staff of universities

31. Review your performance • What went well, and what could have gone better? • What do I need to do to improve this? • Which strategies/approaches/resources were well received, and which were not? • How can I improve them? • Could they have been MORE effective? • What extra resources could I have used/do I need?

32. Review your performance (cont.) Communication is key! Facilitation hinges, almost exclusively, on how well you communicate. Most facilitators will review their overall performance and look at contributing factors, but don’t always spend the time to actually look critically at their communication skills.

33. Creating an improvement plan • Document feedback received • Document personal reflections • Develop strategies for improvement • Set SMART goals

34. Implementing the improvement plan • Implement • Review • Adjust as needed