Featured

Andragogical Learning

(This was initially posted for Week 1 of Foundations of Adult Learning Theory)

As presented by Merriam and Bierma, the Andragogical learning style involves a set of assumptions first introduced by Malcolm Knowles in the late 1960s.  Among Knowles’ assumptions are two key points: a) an adult learner is self-directed and self-motivated with more responsibilities, and b) the adult learner has a much larger experience pool to draw from and a more immediate need for the knowledge. (Merriam & Bierma, 2014)

From my own personal experience, I can say that these two points have had a significant impact on my learning style.  From the first was my decision to return to school after a long absence.  Choosing to complete my degree online meant that I had to be more directly responsible for my own education.  I also had to consider my need to maintain a full-time job and provide support for my aging parents.

I also had to had to decide exactly what I needed to gain from the degree in order to structure my major accordingly.  In my case, I decided that I wanted to qualify to teach computer courses to adults.  To accomplish this goal, I chose to pursue undergrad work in IT before beginning the Master’s in Adult Education. 

As I began to pursue my undergrad degree, I found that my prior experience in the field helped me assimilate the new knowledge.  It became much easier for me to grasp new concepts if I could find parallels in my own experience, and I could provide concrete examples to my classmates of how the subject matter could apply to a real-world scenario.

References

Merriam, S., & Bierma, L. (2014). Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice. Retrieved from Phoenix Vitalsource Bookshelf: https://phoenix.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781119031260/cfi/6/2!/4/2@0:0.131

Nontraditional Learning Models

(Originally posted to Week 2 of Foundations of Adult Learning Theory)

Adult learners tend to prefer nontraditional education models because their cognitive processes and social roles ae vastly different from those of children.  As Merriam and Bierma point out in their discussion of Knowles assumptions about adult learners, the adult is: 1) An independent and self-guided individual, 2) possessed of a larger store of experience, 3) preferring new information directly related to their social role, and 4) needing to know why they need to know something. (Merriam & Bierma, 2014)

Simply put, most working adults do not have the time to devote to becoming a full-time student.  When I earned my Associate’s degree several years ago, I was able to quit my job and attend school full-time thanks to my financial aid package.  That was not the case when I decided to complete my B.S. at University of Phoenix.  I had to balance being a full-time student with working a job with flexible hours…anywhere from 40 to 60 hours a week depending on our workload.  I found the university’s nontraditional instructional style to be far easier to integrate into my chaotic schedule than attending classes at a traditional school would have been. (Jones, 2020)

References

Talent Within an Organization

As a Warehouse Associate, I don’t really have much insight into TD as it applies to my organization, at least not on the executive level.  However, I have noticed that many of my coworkers are over-qualified for the positions they currently fill.

For example, my supervisor is a fellow Phoenix with an AAS degree in IT, and there are numerous veterans in clerical, supervisory and equipment operator positions that are likely well below the skill level they obtained during their military service.  The one exception would be our Facilities/IT Manager, who currently serves as a Drill Instructor in the Army Reserves.  In addition to being the IT Manager, he’s responsible for overall safety, as well the Security, Custodial and Maintenance departments.  If anything, I would say he has more duties than one person should be expected to handle.

As far as developing overlooked potential, the only real training opportunities arise when skilled positions open up.  Anyone can qualify as an equipment operator whenever the training class is offered, but training for the higher-paying clerical jobs only occurs after candidates have been awarded the positions.

Evaluation Methods

One of the most important steps Higher Ed institutions can take towards teaching Millennials is to understand best practices that are becoming wide-spread in business and industry, methods that are already being applied during corporate training scenarios.  Magnacca points out that “Millennials learn differently because of their lifelong relationship with technology. Organizations need to consider that contrast when designing learning strategies.” (Magnacca, 2018).  He also notes that Millennials prefer hands-on experience to lectures, and organizations need to find ways to grab their attention.  He also points out that an effective learning program can capitalize on their strengths, such as the capacity to process video more quickly than previous generations, and using mobile devices to rapidly exchange information.

Some of the strategies Magnacca recommends have already been employed by UOPX, such as using video lectures, and the student portal used to post this assignment can be considered a form of social media platform.  In addition, the university offers an app that provides much of the same functionality as the student portal.

Reference

Magnacca, M. (2018, January 4). A Guide to Millenial Learning. Retrieved from Training: https://trainingmag.com/a-guide-to-millennial-learning/

Staff Development Needs

I think constructivism is one of the most important theories for adult learning.  Essentially, the theory states that “people actively construct or make their own knowledge, and that reality is determined by your experiences as a learner. Basically, learners use their previous knowledge as a foundation and build on it with new things that they learn.” (WGU, 2020)  This directly relates to the concept of andragogy, which addresses adults as being self-directed learners who draw on their past experiences.

This theory has certainly helped me the most during my undergrad and graduate work at UOPX.  Building on my previous experiences and relating the new knowledge to my existing skill set has made learning much easier for me than pedagogy ever was, especially as I’ve been living with dysgraphia and ADHD my whole life.

One good example would be the inventory database training course I’ve been designing as part of my AET program.  I once took such a class for one of my employers, and I’ve had almost twenty years’ experience operating using those programs for two separate employers.  I incorporated this theory in my design by tailoring the course for experienced users who are transitioning to a new system from an existing one.

References

National Center for Learning Disabilities. (2021). What is Dysgraphia? Retrieved from LD Online: http://www.ldonline.org/article/12770/

WGU. (2020, May 27). What is constructivism? Retrieved from WGU: Western Governors University: https://www.wgu.edu/blog/what-constructivism2005.html

Adult Training Perspectives

I currently work in the distribution arm of a major garment company.  Most of our design work and sales are performed here in the United States, while product is manufactured overseas and shipped back here, where my division deals with fulfilling the orders.  During my time with the company, we’ve seen a distinct rise in e-commerce and direct-to-customer orders.  In fact, we saw a sharp spike in both during last year’s lockdown, even as our brick-and-mortar retail orders all but dried up.

I would therefore say that we’re already experiencing a distinct shift in our business model as we continue to fulfill e-commerce orders.  When I first started fourteen years ago, my department barely ever sent filled a D2C order, with most of our product going to retail companies and their distribution centers.  Before the pandemic my department was already transitioning to increased D2C, processing sometime hundreds of individual orders a day, alongside bulk orders that could run into several thousand units per customer.

Within the next five to ten years, I expect our D2C and e-com business to increase even further.  As far as training methodology goes, we currently rely on on-the-job training for Associates.  That is unlikely to change, as our business relies on new hires getting to speed quickly.  Clerical workers experience up to several weeks of on-the-job, while floor associates are taught new skills on an as-needed basis.  

The only formal training course available is the powered industrial truck certification, which requires a single session of classroom instruction, followed by a single session of hands-on equipment operation.  I find it highly unlikely that distance learning would even be considered, given the nature of the work involved. 

Social Media in Future Classrooms

I think the pandemic has taught the education industry just how valuable remote learning technologies can be.  Virtual learning platforms allowed in-person courses to continue instruction when social-distancing protocols obligated mass school closures across the world.  Social media platforms allowed students to remain connected to their classmates and teachers.  For faculty and administration, it allowed them to remain connected to their peers and continue professional development.  Therefore, I think it’s only reasonable that classrooms will continue to embrace the technology moving forward.  

Even as normal courses resume, social media platforms will allow students who are unable to attend classes due to circumstances beyond their control to keep up with their coursework.  In addition, students who prefer home-schooling will be able to use social media to help them build a sense of community with their classmates and faculty.

One of the biggest challenges schools will continue to face is the appropriate use of social media and how they respond to policy violations.   Having a well-crafted social media policy will help, but there will always be those who either choose to ignore the policy and then complain of rights violations when they are held accountable for their actions.  I believe this will continue to be a legal struggle, and schools should do their due diligence in regards to applicable laws while crafting their social media policies.

Using Social Media Tools for Learning

The most important thing to remember about using social media is that is incredibly difficult to delete information from the Internet.  Industry best practices encourage platform owners to maintain data backups as part of their disaster recovery plan.  In addition, electronic accounts can be hacked, and sensitive information released into the wild.  In the context of social media, it is important to remember that every document and media file posted or shared reflects back on the users, their employers, and their families, exposing them to public scorn and even legal action.

With that being said, Nussbaum and Hall give us some detailed advice on managing our online reputation.  The first step is to build one’s own professional website or blog, which we will be doing in this class.  Next, they recommend multiple online profiles to help distance yourself from others with the same name.  They also encourage educators to participate in online discussions and consider authoring professional online articles.  Finally, they remind us to always be professional and to use tracking services to monitor our name online. (Nussbaum-Beach & Hall, 2012)

References

Nussbaum-Beach, S., & Hall, L. (2012). The connected educator: Learning and leading in a digital age (2nd ed). Solution Tree.

Developing a Personal Learning Network Through Social Media

Of the tools I’m already familiar with, I think I would choose Facebook©, LinkedIn©, YouTube©, and groups.io©, all of which are either free services or have a free access tier. Facebook© has an intuitive interface, and includes both sharing of media files and its own Messenger app. FB also includes a groups feature, allowing users to establish private groups for sharing information. I already use FB to not only stay in touch with friends and family, but to follow groups that strike my interest. Most organizations will have a FB page, and I already follow groups such as ProLiteracy as part of my AET learning. LinkedIn© is valuable for the same reasons and has a much stronger focus on professional development. It also includes LinkedIn Learning, which contains online courses and video tutorials. YouTube is useful for its vast archive of instructional videos. Users can also subscribe to channels that strike their interest, so as to be always up to date on the latest content. Finally, I like groups.io for its similarity to the now-defunct Yahoogroups. “Groups.io provides an expansive set of web-based group communication tools, including a calendar, wiki, file and photo sharing areas, and chats. What’s unique about us is that all of these features are built around the core email group system.” (Why Email Groups? The Groups.io Philosophy, 2021) While I’ve primarily used groups.io as a hobbyist, the system does include a vast array of professional and educational groups. It’s also easy to establish and maintain a group on nearly any topic you can imagine. While membership is free, establishing your own groups requires a paid account.

References
Jashik, S. (2021). The Professor and the Post. Retrieved from Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/07/08/east-carolina-professor-quits-over-facebook-post-he-says-he-didnt-make
Why Email Groups? The Groups.io Philosophy. (2021). Retrieved from Groups.io: https://groups.io/static/why