Program Investigation- Learning Styles

EDAC 635

Program Investigation – Learning Styles

England, Richardson

8 October 2012

Introduction

Adult learners will most likely partake in several training programs throughout their career. The goals of these various training programs are contingent on the company providing the training and the adult learners involved. It is also important to note that the learning styles of the adult learners may sometimes be overlooked during a training program. However, for those programs that identify the learning styles of their adult learners, the process of meeting the goals of the company and the individual will be smooth and many times enjoyable. One example of a company that implements a training program that is geared towards identifying learning styles is a university named Salem International University.  Another relevant program is the annual conference of the International Learning Styles Network.  This network is designed to educate educators on how best to teach those of various learning styles. 

Salem International University Training Program

Salem International University is a for-profit school that has a ground campus based out of West Virginia. However, the online division for the university is located just north of Indianapolis, Indiana. The degrees that are offered through the university include Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. The vast majority of individuals that make up the student body are adult learners. These are usually people who have decided to further their education after being out of school for years.

                  One of the training programs developed for Salem is intended for the admissions advisors that work for the university, all of which are identified as adult learners. In the training program, there were a few goals that were addressed:

-       To identify the learning styles of the admissions advisors in order to better serve the needs of the students

-       To successfully identify the learning styles of the students who were interested in furthering their education

-       To obtain a grasp of the compliance law that is federally mandated and regulated

These goals were identified on the first day of training, and if the admissions advisor successfully met all goals, that advisor would then receive a certification upon completion. The certification that is obtained upon completion of the training program is a requirement in order to legally act as an admissions advisor in the state of Indiana.

                  In an effort to provide an analysis of the training program, there is a need to identify the five components of the program, which are the learners, learning objectives, learning context, learning process, and the educators.

                  Learners

The learners, as previously stated, are the admissions advisors.

Learning Objectives

The learning objectives, also mentioned above, are to identify the learning styles of the advisors as well as the students, and to learn the compliance issues and how to avoid them.

Learning Context

The context of the learning is somewhat formal. There is a training manual that acts almost as a textbook. The seating is typically in rows like a college class setting.

Learning Processes

The learning process is one week in duration. The process consists of first listening to lecture, followed by completion of various activities by the advisor, and concluding with a presentation given by the advisor to corporate.  

In order to explain how the training is delivered, the best approach is to provide an order of events with a brief description of which each section consists of. The very first activity that is completed in the program is to have the advisor get to know themselves as advisors. This is achieved by completing a self-assessment that gives the advisor a good idea of what type of learner he or she is. The reasoning for this is to help the advisor become more efficient and effective in their work. The assumption is if the advisor knows what type of learner he or she is, then that will allow for better adaptability in the workplace.

The various learning styles are also taken into consideration when dealing with the learning activities that are presented. For example, those who preferred having lecture and the ability to take notes were given that every day by the Director of Training and Development. For those who needed to have more of a hands-on approach, there was time set aside each day that allowed the advisor to practice what they had learned through role-playing or some other means. There are also assignments that were given to the advisor that would be required to be taken home and completed.

Educators

The educator in the training program is the Director of Training and Development.

                 

Conclusions

                  There are a couple main features of the training program that deserve noting. One of the features of the program is the collaborative environment. The facilitator of the training encourages the advisors to discuss the material amongst one another. The facilitator also encourages advisors to speak up if they do not understand something, or if the advisor feels that the direction of the training is not conducive for optimal learning. Another key feature of this training program is the amount of time and effort that has gone into the preparation of the curriculum. There are training sessions that are conducted each month in order to stay abreast with the changing laws and regulations, and after each training session the advisor completing the program is given the opportunity to reflect on his or her experience and make any suggestions as to how the training could be made more effective. These recommendations are then passed on to the corporate office, which discusses which recommendations to implement in future training programs.

                  Another key feature of the training program is the emphasis of teaching the advisors to identify the learning styles of the students. The reasoning for doing this is to not only help the advisor work with the student, but the advisor can also provide this analysis to the student, who can use this for his or her own benefit. The ways in which the advisor identifies the students’ learning styles includes first just asking what their preferences are in learning. The advisor is also trained to interview the student in a manner that helps draw out the student’s learning preferences. The advisor makes note of this, and upon completion of the interview the advisor gives the student a summary of their findings.

Thinking about this particular program, there are a couple key features that would prove to be useful when contemplating future programs. One of the features that could be implemented is the ongoing restructuring of the program based on participant input. While there is no question that not all learners are the same, there are certain characteristics of a program that can be improved that will without a doubt benefit all learners. Another key feature of the program that could be utilized in future program development is the implementation of a learning style assessment at the beginning of the program. By doing this, a learner can take what he or she has learned about the learning style and apply this to how he or she approaches the learning program in order to optimize learning.

International Learning Styles Network

Annual Conference

The International Learning Styles Networks (ILSN) is a worldwide organization devoted to the application, growth, and development of the theoretical frameworks of learning styles, specifically the Dunn & Dunn Model.  There are twenty-three stations in fourteen countries total in the world, with eleven of the stations in the United States.  Every year, the ILSN hosts a conference aimed at helping adult educators to grow and to remain aware of changing trends in learning style theory.  What follows is an analysis of a typical ILSN conference.

Learners

                  The learners in this program are adult teachers, teaching a range of ages from elementary all the way to non-traditional (adult) students.  More specifically, the learners are teachers who want to empower themselves to teach better by understanding how to relate to their students through assessing and being familiar with their students’ learning styles.

Learning Objectives

The learning objectives of the conference were clearly delineated, and are as follows:

-- equip educators with knowledge and strategies that will assist them in their efforts to reach and teach diverse learning populations

                  -- communicate success stories of student achievement based on learning style assessments

                  -- provide an opportunity for teachers from all fourteen countries and twenty-three stations to

come together to share research, experience tips, and inspirational stories

-- establish a network of colleagues to support them in their efforts to become even more effective teachers

Learning Context

The physical environment of this conference consists mainly of classroom setting presentations followed by group work, discussion, and application in classroom settings, but with chairs in a circle.  The host of the conference is almost always a university or college, so the classroom setting is the most abundant physical environment every year.  An auditorium serves as the physical environment for addressing all attendees at once.  Culturally, the learners are diverse, representing many countries and upbringings. 

Learning Processes

                  The learning process at a typical conference consists of both small group and large group workshops and presentations.  The methods of instruction are a combination of auditory, visual, and kinesthetic; the kinesthetic learning takes place mostly in the small group settings.  Every learner chooses a cohort for which there are daily seminars led by a qualified instructor (the small group setting).  These small settings also allow for workshops where kinesthetic learning can occur.  Outside of this training, there are large group sessions designed to reach all learners.  The large group sessions typically function through the auditory and visual teaching strategies.  The typical cohort specialties from which one can choose are as follows: elementary learners, secondary learners, non-traditional learners, college learners, and special education learners. 

Educators and Their Methods

                  The educators at the conferences use a combination of all three types of facilitating: directing, enabling, and collaborating; the first two are used more frequently.  Educators use a combination of lecture presentations, times for   Q & A, group discussion, case study evaluations, role playing, videos, and testimonials.  Multimedia presentations are typically used in large group settings.  The conference closes with evaluations assessing the effectiveness of the conference and allowing for any suggestions for improvement.

                  Conclusions

                  There a few main features of this conference that relate to the topic of learning styles.  Perhaps the most glaringly obvious would be the topic of the conference: teaching educators how to identify and “teach to” learning styles.  More specifically, though, one of the main features of the program would be teaching people how to identify the learning styles of those they oversee or instruct.  Another major feature of the program related to learning styles is inherent in the structure of the conference itself: the conference has a mix of both large and small group work and auditory, visual, and kinesthetic teaching.  The format of the conference itself caters to various learning styles, providing an inherent example of the best way to teach a diverse group of learners.  This allows all attendees to learn from the conference. 

                  One of the main features that could be applied to a future program is to carry over the inherent structure of having both small and large group work, along with presentations mixed with discussion and role playing.  Presenting a seminar that uses various tools and methods of instruction would be something to adapt to future programs.  Another major feature of the program that could be used in future programs is the evaluation.  This would allow facilitators to make improvement in the format of the conference so that the following year’s conference would be even more useful. 

Table 1

A table summarizing main features relating to learning styles and what features could be adapted for this project:

	Salem Training Program	ILSN Annual Conference
Feature 1	Assessment of advisors’ learning styles in beginning	Teaching educators how to identify and cater to various learning styles
Feature 2	Emphasis of teaching advisors to identify students’ learning styles	Identifying the learning styles of those one oversees or instructs
Feature 3	Collaboration among advisors and facilitator	Mixed instructional styles catering to attendees
Adaptable Features	Implement an assessment in the form of a questionnaire to identify learning styles	Mixed instructional styles throughout the seminar; evaluation at completion of seminar

Group Members:

Andjulon Richardson- Researched and wrote about Salem International University’s Training Program, as well as co-wrote introduction and table.

Ben England- Researched and wrote about the International Learning Styles Network Annual Conference, as well as co-wrote introduction and table.