Training Adult Learners for Behavior Change
Pamela M Geisel
Statewide Master Gardener Coordinator
University of California
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”?
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
I Use the Internet….
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er month
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14% 14% 14% 14%14%14%14%1. Daily
2. 2-3 times weekly
3. 2-3 monthly
4. 1 x per month
5. Occasional
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I use FACEBOOK
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2-3
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1 x p
er month
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asional
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14% 14% 14% 14%14%14%14%1. Daily
2. 2-3 times weekly
3. 2-3 monthly
4. 1 x per month
5. Occasional
6. Rarely
7. Never
I “Tweet”
Daily
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1 x p
er month
Occ
asional
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2. 2-3 times weekly
3. 2-3 monthly
4. 1 x per month
5. Occasional
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I Investigate New Varieties for
My Garden…
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es week...
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asional
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2. 2-3 times weekly
3. 2-3 monthly
4. 1 x per month
5. Occasional
6. Rarely
7. Never
Theory of Diffusion of Innovation
Theory of Diffusion of Innovation
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.
Generally, do you feel that you
are mostly an:
Early
Adopte
r
Innova
tor
Early
Majo
rity
Late
Majo
rity
Lagga
rd
20% 20% 20%20%20%1. Early Adopter
2. Innovator
3. Early Majority
4. Late Majority
5. Laggard
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
to engage late adopters.
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
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.
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.
Over 2400 years ago,
CONFUCIOUS
declared…
What I hear I forget….
What I see I remember…
What I do, I understand…
Passive Verses Active Learning
10% of what we…
20% of what we…
30% of what we…
50% of what we…
70% of what we…
90% of what we…
READ
HEAR
SEE
SEE AND HEAR
SEE, HEAR AND DO
TEACH
Factors that Influence Our Learning
• Physical
– Learning Setting
– Time of Day
• Emotional
– Social Needs
– Motivation
• Intellectual
– Learning Styles
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
Characteristics
• 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
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.
Which side of your brain is the
“strongest” for learning?
Individual Exercise
The Brain Buffet
Multiple Intelligences Theory-
a system of eight distinct
intelligences…
• Verbal-Linguistic
• Visual-Spatial
• Musical-Rhythmic
• Intrapersonal
• Logical-Mathematical
• Bodily-Kinesthetic
• Naturalistic
• Interpersonal
Your Task:
Compare the “intelligences” and
their corresponding activities
references, with the previous
page. Which intelligences do
YOU fit into most?
Checkmark those boxes
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.
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:
Motivating Adult Learners
• Action
• Fun
• Variety
• Choice
• Social Interaction
• Error-Tolerance
• Measurement System
• Feedback
• Challenge
• Recognition
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
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.
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.
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).
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?
Your blueprint for interactive
content…
• Key components of the Blueprint
– Course topics
– Course objective
– Instructional strategy (Disclose, discuss, do?)
– Instructional method (Discussion, activity)
– Time
Sustainable Landscape Workshop
Blueprint
Topic Objective Strategy Method Time
Conserving
H2O
To teach how to
evaluate and
optimize sprinkler
irrigation systems
Disclose
Demonstrate
Do
Lecture PPT
Demo can test
Groups evaluate
can test
Brainstorm
improvements
1 hour
Rain
gardens
Recognize
situations where
rain gardens and
other rain collection
options might work
Disclose
Discuss
Lecture PPT
Handouts
Brainstorm
rain garden
ideas
1 hour
minutes
What Instructional Strategies Will
You Use?
• Lets brainstorm some various learning
training methods that you have
participated in. What worked for you?
Other Suggested Strategies
• 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
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
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…
Evaluate Interactive Training
• You can evaluate the individual programs
for quality and immediate impact.
• You can evaluate for impact and behavior
change.
Evaluation
• Sample methods to evaluate the qualtiy
and immediate impact of your training
– + and ++
– The Bull’s Eye
– Polling or Turning Point Clickers
– Index cards with ratings or comments:
– Follow up on-line surveys: https://ucce.ucdavis.edu/survey/surveyadmin/surveylist.cfm
– http://www.surveymonkey.com/
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
What did you learn today about Training 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
Your Turn To Evaluate Using The
BULL’S EYE
• On your way out, take your sticker and
press it to an area on the Bull’s Eye that
matches your evaluation of this particular
workshop….The closer to the center, the
more on target it was.
Thank You!!! Any Questions
Pamela M Geisel
Statewide Master Gardener Coordinator
University of California
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