Attribute 7: Design, facilitate and guide learning for each individual’s success, using a wide range of context‐appropriate strategies
Several examples of how I meet this graduate attribute can be found in other sections of this portfolio including:
- Attribute 6: In this section I identify how I use Fleming's VARK inventory to design learning that is catered towards the different individual learning styles I encounter in the classroom, to ensure success for each student.
- Case Study 1: In this case study I show how I have adapted delivery to suit learners with different cultural and language backgrounds so that they can successfully complete the units, as well as recognising that different learners have different backgrounds, and designing opportunities for people with pre-existing knowledge to be able to demonstrate this in place of going through course content.
- Case Study 2: In this case study I outline a special group of students who participated in the courses I run within my current workplace, and how I had to adapt to their learning needs from both a language and cultural background, as well supporting them as they were new to the workforce comparative to other students, so that they could successfully learn in addition to my normal group of students.
In addition to the above examples, I would also like to share another example. Part of my current role in my organisation is to design and deliver education based on content provided by system owners for new information systems that are rolled out to the organisation which all staff are required to use. Most of the time specific systems are only used by a small subset of our staff, so I am not involved in the education delivery, however from time to time a new system is introduced that requires all staff education, and ongoing education for new staff as they join the organisation. These systems have included our organisations Learning Management System, Sharepoint which acts as a company intranet, and our Workforce Management System which is used for staff to clock on and off to shifts and book leave.
Focusing on the specific example of the Workforce Management System, this is an example of how I have provided learning tailored for the needs of different individuals. Information System training is a challenging area at times, as different people have different comfort levels with information technology, due to factors like age, levels of education, and how much they use computer systems in the workplace. Also when new systems are introduced, there is also an element of resistance to change from some people who are used to the current way of doing things.
Recognising these learner differences, my first priority was to provide multiple modes of learning for staff members. First, as the organisation has over 1000 employees, it was not practical to run face-to-face training for all staff, so my first priority was to make an eLearning module available to staff. A copy of this module can be found below:
To access eLearning click here
Login using username: gdte
Password: gdte123
Module title: Workforce Management System
Focusing on the specific example of the Workforce Management System, this is an example of how I have provided learning tailored for the needs of different individuals. Information System training is a challenging area at times, as different people have different comfort levels with information technology, due to factors like age, levels of education, and how much they use computer systems in the workplace. Also when new systems are introduced, there is also an element of resistance to change from some people who are used to the current way of doing things.
Recognising these learner differences, my first priority was to provide multiple modes of learning for staff members. First, as the organisation has over 1000 employees, it was not practical to run face-to-face training for all staff, so my first priority was to make an eLearning module available to staff. A copy of this module can be found below:
To access eLearning click here
Login using username: gdte
Password: gdte123
Module title: Workforce Management System
For a large number of our staff, an eLearning module was all that was needed, as there use of the system was straight forward and they were comfortable with the use of technology. However, recognising that some learners may learn better by being able to ask questions, drop-in question and answer sessions were also offered where system specialists and myself would answer any questions based on the eLearning material about practical systems usage.
While that approach was appropriate for the majority of our staff, some of our staff were less comfortable with the use of technology and/or required much more indepth use of the system, for example managers who needed to manage approvals for large teams. So in addition to eLearning modules, we also ran classroom sessions, where participants used their company laptops to practically engage in the material. This meant that all learners had access to education that catered to their learning needs. In addition throughout all forms of delivery, a focus was made on the benefits of the system as compared to the current way of doing things, so staff could see the advantage of using the system, to overcome resistance from some learners.
Elements of this approach have been informed by the article of Hakala (2009) who writes about training technology to technophobes. One element he discusses is the need to soothe fears, and face-to-face training provided a means to do this in-person for those who had hesistance in using the system. In addition he suggests the need to focus on time-saving benefits of new technology for more experienced workers which was the focus of the training for managers.
As can be seen from the above example and the other examples throughout this portfolio, I use a broad variety of strategies to meet the individual needs of all my learners.
While that approach was appropriate for the majority of our staff, some of our staff were less comfortable with the use of technology and/or required much more indepth use of the system, for example managers who needed to manage approvals for large teams. So in addition to eLearning modules, we also ran classroom sessions, where participants used their company laptops to practically engage in the material. This meant that all learners had access to education that catered to their learning needs. In addition throughout all forms of delivery, a focus was made on the benefits of the system as compared to the current way of doing things, so staff could see the advantage of using the system, to overcome resistance from some learners.
Elements of this approach have been informed by the article of Hakala (2009) who writes about training technology to technophobes. One element he discusses is the need to soothe fears, and face-to-face training provided a means to do this in-person for those who had hesistance in using the system. In addition he suggests the need to focus on time-saving benefits of new technology for more experienced workers which was the focus of the training for managers.
As can be seen from the above example and the other examples throughout this portfolio, I use a broad variety of strategies to meet the individual needs of all my learners.