My Work
Below is a small sampling of my work to showcase my philosophies and skills in adult education and training:
1. Philosophy of Teaching
|
The basis of my teaching philosophy comes from the progressivism and constructivism theories. Adult learners are not empty vessels into which an instructor deposits learning material; rather, they “actively construct their own knowledge and learn through their interaction with…other people and objects in the world” (Wlodkowski, 2017). Adults are continuously learning from their own experiences, creating and strengthening neural connections in the process. As an adult learning facilitator, it is my job to create an environment that encourages learners to want to actively construct new knowledge.
Click through the slideshow to the right to explore the elements of my teaching philosophy, or click on the title to access a PDF with a full description of my philosophy. |
|
2. Industry E-Learning: Forklift Safety Training
|
Many businesses are growing increasingly reliant on eLearning to provide low-cost, on-demand knowledge to their employees. I’m sure you’ve been subjected to computer-based learning, and you may have found it to be disengaging drudgery – but it doesn’t have to be that way! In 2019, I had the opportunity to put my instructional design skills to use and developed three eLearning modules for a large manufacturing company.
Due to proprietary reasons, I can’t share the modules in their entirety, but I’ve selected a few slides that showcase some engaging ways to present information, assess knowledge, and provide targeted feedback to employees. Key education concepts: Instructional Design, Authentic Assessment, Motivation and Engagement, Targeted Feedback Click on the picture to the left to learn more about my design process and results! |
3. AAACE Conference Presentation: Learning Teams
|
Learning Teams are a collaborative form of critical inquiry that a growing number of organizations are using to review safety accidents (Conklin, 2016). At their core, Learning Teams aim to use the collective knowledge of the people with “boots on the ground” to uncover systemic issues and brainstorm useful solutions. I’ve provided a 15-minute audio version of the presentation I gave, along with the group case study materials, so you can give this a try in your organization.
Key education concepts: Critical inquiry, Team-based learning, Organizational learning, Case study, Trust and Engagement Click on the picture to the right to view the presentation, and download the learning team activity files below the presentation |
| ||
4. Theory-in-Action: Creating Social Justice in the Workplace through Safety
|
As companies are pushed to optimize operations and maximize profits, there is a growing need to solicit and value the input of all employees. Workplace safety is one entry point into collaboration, because keeping workers safe is a goal of both workers and managers. This paper will explore the use of collaborative critical inquiry (Learning Teams) as a means to improve safety, organizational learning, and productivity, as well as create a more socially just culture where trust and engagement can grow (Dekker, 2016; Jennings & Smith, 2002).
Key education concepts: Critical inquiry, Team-based learning, Progressivism, Program development and assessment, Organizational development, Social justice, Engagement Click on the picture to the left to read the full paper |
5. Instructional Design Model
|
After studying many different instructional design (ID) models, I created one of my own. It is loosely based on the popular ADDIE model, but includes an additional element of revision and maintenance to ensure that instruction continues to be relevant and useful (Brown & Green, 2016). It also highlights instructional design as an iterative process; throughout the development of a course, I am perpetually asking myself “What do learners really need to know?” and “Does this meet my objectives?”
Key education concepts: Instructional design, Iterative process, Continuous improvement Click on the picture to the right to check out my personal instructional design model |
|
6. Theory-to-Practice: Motivation in Safety Training
|
Most industrial and manufacturing sites are legally required to provide some kind of introductory safety training before workers are allowed into production facilities. Having been through a few of these myself, I understand how employees can find this mandatory training to be boring. This is why I decided to evaluate one such safety orientation class through the lens of education motivation theories. As I discovered through my research, enhancing motivation can increase the likelihood of learning transfer (putting what was learned into practice), which is the ultimate goal of safety training (Caffarella, 2013). There are many different motivational strategies that can be used, and while this paper only scratches the surface, it provides a thorough sample of strategies that can be used in business and industrial settings (Wlodkowski, 2017).
Key education concepts: Motivation, Learning Transfer, Engagement Click on the picture to the left to read the full paper |
7. Adult Learning Facilitator Attributes
|
As an adult learning facilitator, I aspire to have the following qualities: Knowledge, Confidence, Respect, Perspective, Empathy, Patience, Flexibility, Enthusiasm, and Authenticity. I choose to think of these qualities as the roots of a growing tree to remind me that they are intertwined and largely invisible, but fundamental attributes that must be present in order to grow into an effective instructor.
|
|
References
1. Philosophy of Teaching
- Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. New York, NY: Free Press.
- Ross-Gordon, J.M., Rose, A.D., & Kasworm, C.E. (2017). Foundations of Adult and Continuing Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Wlodkowski, R and Ginsberg, M. (2017). Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Conklin, T. (2016). Better Questions. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press
- Heinrich, H.W. (1959). Industrial Accident Prevention: A Scientific Approach. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.
- Dekker, S. (2016). ‘Just culture’: Improving safety by achieving substantive, procedural, ad restorative justice. Safety Science, 85, 187-193.
- Jennings, L. B. & Smith, C. P. (April 2002) Examining the role of critical inquiry for transformative practices: Two joint case studies of multicultural education. Teachers College Record, 104(3), 456-481.
- Johnson, A. G. (2018) Privilege, Power, and Difference. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Brown, A.H. & Green, T.D. (2016). The essentials of instructional design. New York: Routledge.
- Ahl, H. (2006). Motivation in adult education: a problem solver or a euphemism for direction and control? International Journal of Lifelong Education, 25(4), 385-405. doi: 10.1080/02601370600772384
- Caffarella, R. S. (2013). Planning Programs for Adult Learners: A Practical Guide. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Naquin, S. and Holton, E. (2003). Motivation to improve work through learning in human resource development. Human Resource Development International, 6(3), 335-370. doi: 10.1080/13678860210154431
- Wlodkowski, R. and Ginsberg, M. (2017). Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn. San Francisco: CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Wlodkowski, R. and Ginsberg, M. (2017). Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn. San Francisco: CA: Jossey-Bass.
