Training Adult Learners for Behavior Change

1. Training Adult Learners for Behavior Change Pamela M Geisel Statewide Master Gardener Coordinator University of California pmelam@ucdavis.edu

2. Why This Workshop On Adult Learners? • Is learning the same as changing behavior? • How and to what degree will our behavior change because of what we learn? • Theory of Diffusion of Innovation • How can you design your training so that you can encourage more “adoption”?

3. Theory of Diffusion of Innovation • "the process by which an innovation or technology is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system”. • Rogers, 1962

4. Theory of Diffusion of Innovation

5. Theory of Diffusion of Innovation

6. Theory of Diffusion of Innovation • Innovators-first to adopt, risk takers, youngest, higher social class, and great financial ability, very social, close contact to scientific or educational sources. • Early Adopters-highest degree of opinion leadership. Younger in age, a higher social status, more financial resources, advanced education, and are more socially forward than late adopters . • Early Majority-adoption is significantly longer than the innovators and early adopter. have above average social status, contact with early adopters, and show some opinion leadership. • Late Majority-skeptical about an innovation, have below average social status, very little financial lucidity, in contact with others in late majority and early majority, very little opinion leadership. • Laggards-aversion to change. Focused on “traditions”, have lowest social status, lowest financial fluidity, oldest of all other adopters, in contact with only family and close friends, very little to no opinion leadership.

7. How can you design your training to encourage greater “adoption”? • Think about who will attend… • encourage engaging Early Adopters and Early Majority to influence others as teachers and community organizers for change. • Apply effective “learning” techniques and “persuasion” as part of the teaching process

8. Workshop Objectives • Learn the ABCs of course design • Consider the Audience (adult learners) • Design a Blueprint for your program • Develop interactive course Content • Deliver interactive training • Evaluate training

9. Group Activity • The M& M game: • The Goal: Share a bit about ourselves and have a snack. • The directions: Grab some M&Ms as the bag goes around. Don’t eat them yet!

10. How to Play • For each piece of M&M candy you took, you will have to answer a question, depending upon its color: • Red: Favorite hobby • Green: Favorite garden plant • Yellow: Favorite food • Orange: Favorite garden tool • Brown: Most memorable or embarrassing moment as a Master Gardener • Blue: Wild Card (can share what you want)

11. Adult Learners • What do we know for sure: • Adults tend to be self directed • Adults have rich and varied experiences that they can draw upon. • Adults are clear about what they want to learn. • Adults are competency based learners-they learn what they can apply pragmatically to their immediate circumstances.

12. Simple Principles of Adult Learning • Adults learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process. • Adults have strong learning preferences, biases and comfort levels. • You should use a variety of techniques/methods to ensure a match for their preferred learning style.

13. Over 2400 years ago, CONFUCIOUS declared… What I hear I forget…. What I see I remember… What I do, I understand…

14. Passive Verses Active Learning 10% of what we… READ HEAR 20% of what we… SEE 30% of what we… SEE AND HEAR 50% of what we… 70% of what we… SEE, HEAR AND DO TEACH 90% of what we…

15. Factors that Influence Our Learning • Physical • Learning Setting • Time of Day • Emotional • Social Needs • Motivation • Intellectual • Learning Styles

16. The Learning Brain • Accelerated Learning = Multi-sensory brain compatible way of learning • Left-Brain, Right-Brain Theory: Two brains in one • Left Brain-”Logical” traits • Right Brain-”Creative” traits

17. Left Brain-Logical Traits Language (read/write) Solve math problems or puzzles Process linear The Big Picture: Separate parts that make up a whole Right Brain-Creative Traits Verbal Art, graphic Visionary Stimulated The Big Picture: Combine parts to create a whole Characteristics

18. Summary • People need and use both sides in seamless unity. • People don’t think solely with one hemisphere or the other. • The more stimulated and connected the two halves are, the great the brain’s potential is for learning. • The best learning occurs with a variety of senses being stimulated to help both sides function together.

19. Which side of your brain is the “strongest” for learning?Individual ExerciseThe Brain Buffet

20. Verbal-Linguistic Visual-Spatial Musical-Rhythmic Intrapersonal Logical-Mathematical Bodily-Kinesthetic Naturalistic Interpersonal Multiple Intelligences Theory-a system of eight distinct intelligences…

21. Your Task: Compare the “intelligences” and their corresponding activities references, with the previous page. Which intelligences do YOUfit into most? Checkmark those boxes

22. Summary of the Eight Intelligences • Everyone possess all 8 intelligences to some degree. We differ depending upon how we use all 8 individually. • They work together in complex ways that are defined by individual, social, and cultural preferences. • There are no standard set of attributes that one must have to be considered intelligent in a specific area.

23. Summary of the Eight Intelligences • The Theory shows a way to build curriculum or training plants for maximum learning impact. • The more intelligences you build in to a program, the deeper, more inclusive and more thorough the learning will be. • Think of Sesame Street:

24. Motivating Adult Learners • Action • Fun • Variety • Choice • Social Interaction • Error-Tolerance • Measurement System • Feedback • Challenge • Recognition

25. ARCS and Corresponding Motivational Strategies • Attention: • Action, Fun and Variety • Use novel or unexpected approaches to instruction • Stimulate curiosity with problems that invoke mystery • Maintain attention by varying the instruction presentation

26. ARCS and Corresponding Motivational Strategies • Relevance: • Relevance, Choice • State or have learners determine how instruction relates to the learners goals, jobs, work, etc. • Match learners’ motives and values with occasional self study, leadership, cooperation and competition • Increase familiarity by building on learners’ previous experiences.

27. ARCS and Corresponding Motivational Strategies • Confidence: • Social Interaction, Choice, Challenge, Feedback and Recognition, Error Tolerance, Measurement • Create positive expectations for success by being clear about goals and expectations. • Provide opportunities for students to successfully attain challenging goals • Provide learners with a degree of control and choice over their own learning.

28. ARCS and Corresponding Motivational Strategies • Satisfaction: • Recognition, Measurement, Relevance • Provide learners with opportunities to use newly acquired skills • Use verbal praise, real or symbolic awards • Maintain consistent standards that match outcomes to expectations (stated objectives were met).

29. Now…how to design a workshop and develop (your blueprint) • Assess your Audience… • Who are they? • What do they do? • What do they already know? • What kind of learning environment are they used to?

30. Your blueprint for interactive content… • Key components of the Blueprint • Course topics • Course objective • Instructional strategy (Disclose, discuss, do?) • Instructional method (Discussion, activity) • Time

31. Sustainable Landscape Workshop Blueprint

32. What Instructional Strategies Will You Use? • Lets brainstorm some various learning training methods that you have participated in. What worked for you?

33. Facilitated discussions Warm up activities Small groups/pairs Brainstorming Case studies Help/Hinder Evaluations Role Playing Structured Games Lecture/Presentation Audio Visuals Note taking Homework Worksheets and Problem Solving (Puzzles) Hands on Practice Group Presentations Other Suggested Strategies

34. Your Task: • In Groups, develop a Blue Print/content for an interactive Sustainable Landscape Workshop/activity • Keep it simple! • Include 3 major topics

35. Deliver Your Interactive Training • Develop your own unique style • Model after someone you admire • Be organized • Know your material • Practice • Be flexible • Breath • Let the people speak… • Practice Q&A • Redirect the group • Group suggestions

36. Common Problems When Conducting Training • Non-communicative group or individuals… • Compulsive, insistent talker… • You lose control of the presentation/class.. • The group gets off topic…

37. Evaluate Interactive Training • You can evaluate the individual programs for quality and immediate impact. • You can evaluate for impact and behavior change.

38. Evaluation • Sample methods to evaluate the qualtiy and immediate impact of your training • Help/Hinder • + and ++ • The Bulls Eye • Polling • Index cards with ratings or comments

39. Evaluate your impact • Objective was to change behavior… • Surveys over time • Before the training • At the end of the training • In 3 months • In 6 months • Evaluate the results of the intended impact • Less water used • Less to the landfill

40. What did you learn today aboutTraining adult learners for behavior change? • Theory of Innovation Diffusion • Discussed the ABCs of course design • Consider the Audience (adult learners) and how they all learn differently • Creating a Blueprint for your program • The importance of developing interactive course Content • Delivery of interactive training • How to Evaluate your training and your impact

41. Your Turn To Evaluate Using TheBULLSEYE • On your way out, take your sticker and press it to an area on the Bulls Eye that matches your evaluation of this particular workshop….The closer to the center, the more on target it was.

42. Thank You!!!Any Questions Pamela M Geisel Statewide Master Gardener Coordinator University of California pmelam@ucdavis.edu