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“Only by wrestling with the conditions of the problem at hand, seeking and finding his own solution (not in isolation but in correspondence with the teacher and other pupils) does one learn.”

~ John Dewey, How We Think, 1910

In adult learning, it’s too easy to fall into the BORED cycle of instruction:

Big promises about what they’ll learn

Overload of information

Rote questioning

Expectation to regurgitate info

Dismissal from memory

Or in elearning terms, it goes like this: Click it. Read it. Forget it.

Designers who create corporate materials too often take this approach, and we often expect it as learners. At our recent Collaborative Learning Network session we focused on one alternative to dull talking-head training: constructivist learning. It’s theory that the instructor (or the instructional designer) should focus on facilitating the construction of learning and not on directly instructing learners. The underlying idea is that people build knowledge and interpret meaning through their experiences.

We play games at IdeaLearning Group. This one’s called “Suspend.”

Constructivist learning is rooted in the research and theories developed by innovative educators and psychologists like John Dewey and Jean Piaget. It puts the learners in charge of synthesizing and creating artifacts of their own learning experience, building upon prior knowledge. At our session, we talked about different ways we can use techniques from constructivism to help adults learn.

We looked at the Biological Science Curriculum Studies 5E Instructional Model, more commonly called the “5Es,” which was developed in the late 1980s by BSCS. It’s used in science curriculum development, but we found inspiration in this model for adult learning:

• Engage: Personally involve learners in the experience. Ask them a question or present an object to stimulate their curiosity. Facilitate connections between what the learners already know and are able to do.
• Explore: Learners directly interact with content/materials and start to build their own understanding.
• Explain: Learners communicate what they’ve learned and determine what it means to them. New concepts/skills are introduced.
• Elaborate: Learners apply new concepts in context. They build and extend their understanding.
• Evaluate: Learners assess their skills, knowledge, and abilities, and work on activities that reinforce their learning.

As a group, we worked on a case study together. This was the premise: 

“You’re in a small training department for a regional department store with 50 retail employees. A new iPad-based system is being implemented that will replace the
cash-register-inspired computers they’re currently using to do transactions on the sales floor.” 

Read the whole case study here. The last time training of this magnitude was rolled out for the fictional company, classroom-style, it overwhelmed participants and resulted in frustration and turnover. Our task for this case study was to use the “5E” model to identify constructivist-inspired techniques to help us create an improved training program. Here are some highlights that we brainstormed:

• Give them all iPads to play loaded with the cash management app before the training program begins.
• Provide an online “sandbox” environment, loaded with fake data, for the app.
• Ask them what they already know, and seek to build upon that knowledge.
• Ask them what they want to learn at the beginning of the session.
• Provide opportunities for role-plays in small groups.
• Give them materials to build their own job aids.
• Create competition among small groups. Who can get through the most transactions in the least amount of time using the new app? Give incentives/prizes.
• Put participants in a relevant environment—the actual sales floor—to learn about how the new system works.

Check out other highlights from our discussion on twitter @CollabLearn.

Any stories to share about constructivist-inspired learning works in your organization? Please post below.

Icebreakers! Role-plays! Spontaneous performances! These are some of the common tools of the classroom trainer. Why do some people feel energized by these activities, while others withdraw from them?

In the last decade, the terms “introverts” and “extroverts” have become hot topics in learning and development. If you’ve ever taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, you probably know which category you most strongly identify with along the continuum. It’s all about how you naturally derive your energy and process information. Extroverts generate their energy from an active group, while introverts thrive in solitude and reflection.

For a clear overview of the difference between them, watch Susan Cain’s TED Talk on “The Power of Introverts.” (And read her book, Quiet, for a more in-depth analysis of the introverted life.) As with any sort of sociological labeling, there’s a high risk for misunderstanding and stereotyping. For example, introverts aren’t necessarily shy. “Shyness is the fear of negative judgment, while introversion is simply the preference for less stimulation. Shyness is inherently uncomfortable; introversion is not,” Cain says. And extroverts don’t always talk before or in place of thinking.

At our Collaborative Learning Network session this month we had a lively discussion about our experiences designing training programs with introverts in mind. The majority of us self-identified as introverts, which is the opposite from the US culture at large. Here are some highlights from our session.

In a learning setting, what are some common misunderstandings and stereotypes about introverts and extroverts?

That extroverts:

• Talk just to hear themselves talk
• Take over the room
• Think they have the best ideas
• Are always trying to change introverts into extroverts

That introverts:

• Are underdeveloped extroverts
• Are lonely and/or selfish
• Are not good leaders
• Are lazy or withdrawn

Introverts: What setting do you prefer for learning?

• Small groups
• Environment that offers pre-exposure to content before group discussion
• Discovery-based, self-paced learning environment
• One that offers built-in opportunities for reflection and follow-up discussions
• Free from distractions/overstimulation
• A balanced environment that offers some quiet time, some interaction

Introverts: What do you like and dislike about group learning?

This question had us going in many directions, from talking about the prevalence of “group work” in the US culture to the plight of the quiet student in a large classroom.

Introverts tend to like:

• Small groups
• Sharing information in pairs
• Time for independent reflection
• A mix of high participation/low risk, and low participation/high risk activities
• Quality in conversation
• “Talking inside their heads”

Trainers: Which activities can you use that appeal to both introverts and extroverts?

• Offering simultaneous activities participants can choose from, like one focused on talking and one focused on reflecting
• Starting in small groups and slowly building into larger groups
• Demonstrating role-plays instead of requiring participants to do role-plays
• Giving learners the opportunity to access materials prior to attending the training if they wish
• Building in post-session reflection exercises or access to additional resources

We also analyzed a fictitious case study and worked together to rewrite a painfully awkward training outline that was skewed way in the extroverted learner’s favor.

As a trainer or learner, what insights can you offer to the discussion? Leave us your comments below.

How is being “shy” different from being an introvert? What techniques do you incorporate in your training design or delivery that appeal to introverted learners? If you’re an introvert who works on training programs, what approaches do you use?

At our next Collaborative Learning Network session on Wednesday April 3, our topic will be “Training Techniques for Introverts.” We’ll view clips from author Susan Cain’s TED talk on the power of introverts. Join us to share techniques and to work on a case study together.

Become part of our LinkedIn Group for further discussions and notifications. And new this month: Participate or follow our live tweets @CollabLearn on twitter, starting at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Use #CollabLearn to join the conversation.

We started the Collaborative Learning Network at IdeaLearning Group in November 2012 as a way for people working on similar training challenges to share insights with each other. It’s been almost half a year now since our first session, so we’re reflecting on the program and enhancing it as we plan for future sessions.

We choose a new topic related to learning and development and meet the first Wednesday of each month. A look back:

• Strategies for Converting Classroom Materials to eLearning, Nov. 2012
• Assessing Training Needs: Alternatives to Training Courses, Dec. 2012
• Transforming “Required Training” into “Inspired Learning,” Jan. 2013
• Storytelling as a Structure for Training, Feb. 2013
• Social Media and Learning, March 2013

At each session we’ve had between 10 and 20 participants from a wide variety of backgrounds, including healthcare, finance, social services, human resources, program management, instructional design, visual design, and marketing. We take turns leading discussion questions and sometimes work on case studies together. After each session we compile our insights we shared into a report and send it out to the group.

Hope to see you at our session or in our online discussion!