In the era of accountability staff developers of adult learners must
design adult learning experiences which lead to application and transfer
of learning to assure results in the work setting. In the Introductory
Module we learned about this Paradigm Shift.
The Florida Department of Education Professional Development System
Protocol System Standards indicate Follow-up and Feedback are important
to effective staff development. Protocol standards relate to four
areas of follow up:
Transfer to Students -the extent to which participants
use the knowledge and skills learned in training to instruct students
in classrooms
Coaching and Mentoring -the extent to which training
incorporates coaching and mentoring activities to assure the application
of knowledge and skills learned in the training
Web-Based Resources and Assistance -the extent to
which administrators and teachers are provided web-based resources,
assistance, and discussion groups related to training completed
Follow Up Coordination -the extent to which follow-up
services are coordinated across multiple schools receiving training.
Accordingly, the Broward County HRD Department Quality Review process
requires Follow-Up and Feedback be a part of the design process.
The research of Joyce and Showers is convincing in helping designers recognize
the importance of follow up activities. Click on the link to the Broward
County Schools HRD web page and review the research and its implications for
designers.
Begin your thinking
as a designer about the design product you are preparing and how you might
answer the following guiding questions from the Quality Review process.
How will participants reflect on their learning experience during the
event?
How will the participant be coached during the implementation of new
learning?
What type of job-embedded samples will be collected to demonstrate
implementation of new learning?
Will there be intervals of time between sessions? (i.e. time to practice
new learning on the job?)
The
Broward HRD Department provides designers with a few examples of methods
the designer may use in providing follow up.
DEFINITION
Management Reinforcement is the process by which
supervisors of the adult learners being trained reinforce the content
that has been learned during on-the-job interactions. The supervisor
may use a variety of strategies including: informal feedback or performance
discussions, verbal or written recognition of the use of new knowledge
and skills, or documenting the use of the knowledge and skills learned
as part of the performance evaluation process.
The Broward County Schools HRD Department has created
the Behavior Implementation Results Tool which is designed to assist with
the documentation of behavior change and the analysis of results for individual
adult learners.
Behavior Implementation Results Tool
This tool assists you in documenting
behavior change of the individual and analyzing results against desired
outcomes.
Event Title:
Participants Name:
BET#:
Baseline Due Date:
Before Implementation Due Date:
After Early Implementation Due Date:
Reflection on Staff Development Due Date:
Facilitator's Name:
Implementation:
Baseline:
What behaviors do you demonstrate at your job site that relate to
the specific objectives?
Date
Prior to Implementation:
What behaviors do you demonstrate at your job site in relation to
these specific objectives? Please share how your behaviors might impact
your job performance.
Date
After Early:
Reflect on your behaviors after implementation. Please share how
your behaviors impacted your job performance.
Date
Reflection:
Reflect on your behaviors after the closing date of your staff development.
Please share how your behaviors impacted your job performance.
Review
the Business Event Type Review Rubric on line to understand what is required
for component approval in the area of feedback and follow-up.
Consider how feedback opportunities for the learner will be a part of the design
for your design product.
There is an old adage that "feedback is the breakfast of champions." Providing
feedback is something that many are not comfortable with or they may lack
the skills to do it effectively.
Adult learners can benefit by getting low risk feedback as a part of the
workshop or the training experience. In addition through follow
up activities on the job, adult learners can gain helpful and specific
feedback in honing the use of their new knowledge and skills.
The Broward County
Schools HRD Department offers a blended CD-ROM and classroom-based course, Coaching
for Quality Staff Development , which assists participants
in providing effective feedback. To learn more about how effective feedback
can be provided as a follow up activity by a trainer, a peer or a supervisor,
review the Keys to Effective Feedback document. (pdf)
Here are some
examples of Low Risk Feedback and how it might be accomplished in the work
setting following training or staff development as the participants try
out new skills and behaviors.
Feedback can be provided on job performance by valued peers such as teachers
on the same grade level, team, or subject area department or by ESE Specialists,
Reading Specialists, or Curriculum Specialists within the school.
Feedback can be provided by the Office Manager to secretarial and clerical
personnel or they can buddy up and offer feedback to one another.
Feedback can be provided by the transportation supervisor to bus drivers
who are applying new skills to managing behavior on the bus.
Job Embedded Approaches
DEFINITION
Job Embedded Learning is learning that occurs
as part of the normal work activities of an adult. Job Embedded
approaches may be used to assist adults in transferring and applying
new learning from classroom based training events to their professional
lives.
Job embedded staff development is
not an add on but rather becomes a part of the work that professionals
do everyday on the job. Examples of job embedded approaches include coaching,
action research, study groups or professional book talks.
Click
on each to learn more about the approach and how it might be used as a
follow up strategy.
Think about the
examples of follow up strategies and job embedded approaches that may be
used as follow up strategies. Consider how you might provide
assurance of transfer and application of new knowledge and skills in the design
project you are working on.
Submitted
Activity 5 A: Answer the questions below and submit them via
email to your learning facilitator. If
you do not have access to email, print out your responses. A pdf file is provided
as an option and use the
US Mail or Pony Mail
to send them to your learning facilitator.