Essential Instructional Skills for Professional Driver Trainers UNIT 2: Principles of Adult Learning

North American Transportation Management Institute, Lesson Objectives You ’ ll be able to: 1.Identify the 4 conditions of effective learning 2.Define learning 3.Integrate the principles of adult learning into your teaching 4.Identify learning motivating factors

North American Transportation Management Institute, Definition of Learning A change in behavior as a result of experience The act or process of acquiring knowledge or skill

North American Transportation Management Institute, Attitude Influences Learning The object of instruction is to change behavior at some point after the instruction is completed. The likelihood of a student putting knowledge to work is influenced by the student’s attitude for or against the subject.

North American Transportation Management Institute, Attitude Influences Learning (Cont’d) People influence people. You can influence others’ attitudes toward the subject matter and toward learning itself. Strive to have students leave your class with as favorable an attitude toward your subject as possible.

North American Transportation Management Institute, Some Laws of Learning Learning is accelerated by good “teacher relations” The learner must be ready to learn. Learning is accelerated if the learner is aware of what is to be learned

North American Transportation Management Institute, Some Laws of Learning (Cont’d) New learning is most effectively acquired by building on what the learner already knows Learning is facilitated by a variety of methods and techniques of instructing

North American Transportation Management Institute, Some Laws of Learning (Cont’d) The most effective way of learning is by doing Repetition is necessary to learn It is easier to learn it right than to change a wrong habit Teach through all five senses Learners forget a vast amount of what they “learn”

North American Transportation Management Institute, Conditions for Effective Learning Motivation Participation Knowledge of results Reinforcement

North American Transportation Management Institute, Motivation All learning stems from the motivation - the desire to learn. Determine what motivated your students to attend:  Were they sent as a job requirement?  Did they come on vacation time?  Did they pay their own way?  Are they attending for personal enrichment?  Are they just there to “build their resume”?

North American Transportation Management Institute, How to Motivate Fit the job to the employees Establish a friendly and businesslike atmosphere Give carefully planned instruction on how to do the job and sell it to them Stress good discipline to the job Plan ahead Let employees get involved in the planning

North American Transportation Management Institute, Be the Best Instructor Possible Students are most effectively motivated by a good instructor. Research shows that the “best instructor” is one who:  is friendly  likes people  is understanding and considerate  is fair, just and tolerant

North American Transportation Management Institute, Be the Best Instructor Possible (Cont’d)  recognizes, appreciates and rewards effort  knows the subject, how to teach it, and how to make it interesting  plans and organizes his or her work  maintains good discipline  is enthusiastic about the subject and well-motivated

North American Transportation Management Institute, Participation Make appropriate use of application of what is being learned. Practice does not make perfect, but practice is needed. Participation is the WHAT for effective learning.

North American Transportation Management Institute, Knowledge of Results Timely and accurate knowledge of how well we are doing. Some suggestions:  relate the material to one’s goals or objectives  relate to other tasks which are familiar to the learner  establish some general rules, principles or ideas Knowledge of results is the HOW of effective learning.

North American Transportation Management Institute, Reinforcement Provide immediate recognition or reward for good performance. If people are rewarded, it reinforces their learning and the frequency of responses will increase.

North American Transportation Management Institute, Key Factors in Adult Learning Setting Definite plan and definite goal Expectations Activity Learner’s experience Learner’s emotions

North American Transportation Management Institute, Key Factors in Adult Learning (Cont’d) Atmosphere Cooperation Interest, vividness and intensity An individual process Feedback

North American Transportation Management Institute, Desirable Conditions for Learning 1. Goals 2. Trainer atmosphere 3. Physical atmosphere 4. Participation 5. Variety 6. Trainee-centered/trainer-coordinated 7. Voluntary and satisfying