Learning Theories and Instructional Strategies

ANSI Z490.1

• ASSE serves as secretariat for ANSI accredited committee that developed the American National Standard: Criteria for Accepted Practices in Safety, Health, and Environmental Training.
• Standard number is Z490.1

Analysis

• Includes validation of training needs and objectives, assessment of needs, or even if training is needed.

Design and Development

• Involves identifying and assembling the methodology and materials for the training program; design should be based on the findings of the analysis.

Implementation

• Includes the actual performance of the training activity, such as classroom instruction, self-paced instruction, on-the-job training or other forms of training.

Evaluation

• Determines if the objectives of the training program have been accomplished, and if desired outcomes were achieved; assessment/evaluation can occur during and after training and can feed into the next training cycle.

Establishing a Small Group

• Involves subject matter experts to discuss the problem to find a resolution.

The Course's Objectives

• Used as a short overview at the beginning of a training course to help learners mentally navigate the course; objective sections are usually kept short to minimize mental fatigue.

Objective

• Even though it's an essay question, it remains objective when limited to an explanation of specific objectives. These are objective facts, and interpretations of them, may only have some degree of subjectiveness in grading.

Subjective

• The interpretation of philosophy is subjective, and grading will vary based on individual experiences.

Instructor Skills

• Instructional materials that include detailed directions for the material are considered cognitive.

Safety Professional Actions

• Work with employees and supervisors to develop mutually agreed upon written/individual development plans. This plan outlines new training goals and safety-related responsibilities.

Declarative Memory

• The memory that can be declared of facts, explicit memory.

Procedural Knowledge

• Experts often have highly refined procedural knowledge; not necessarily refined declarative knowledge.

Reward

• Intrinsic reward is considered more powerful than extrinsic reward; instructors have less ability to influence intrinsic reward.

Feedback

• This principle relies on learner responses and instructor follow-up.

Response

• Research shows covert responses are superior to overt responses for assisting the learning process.

Lecture

• Considered the least effective group teaching method.

Defining Training Objectives

• The first step in developing a safety training program is to acquire a training staff, determine the scope and content of the training program, define training objectives and obtain training materials.

Problem Solving Scenarios

• If an expert faces a new problem with limited experience, a small group discussion of subject matter experts (SMEs or subject matter experts) are the best way to solve the problem.

Training Course Ice-Breakers

• Starting with ice-breaker sessions is an effective way to improve training course involvement in all courses; sessions are short.

Essay Test

• An essay-based test that requires an explanation of objectives is considered objective because it's based on facts and doesn't need subjective interpretation, even if grading may have some subjective input.

Subjective Interpretation

• Subjectivity in interpreting meaning is based on both the student's and instructor's different backgrounds and information.

Training Courses

• Safety-related training courses for managers will often be shorter than similar courses for line/operations employees.

Visual Explanations

• Visual explanations using few words are best for a low-level formal education audience to explain processes/procedures.

Types of Survey Feedback

• Responses to written surveys, personal discussions, and discussion groups are typical methods of obtaining feedback.

Statistical Evaluation Method

• A x²-test determines the statistical significance of a test problem that missed more often than expected

Minimum Number of Exam Items

• A minimum of 20 exam items is suitable for a viable statistical sampling.

Didactic Model

• A teaching model for knowledge/information presentation which is often ethically and philosophically based.

Presentation Conduct

• Moving presenters should use auditory signals.
• Stationary presenters should use visual signals.
• Auditory signals should be used for immediate action.

Learning Location

• When the receiving location is noisy, any means of communication other than auditory signals should be used.

Trainer Skills

• Trainer communication, interpretive skill, personal traits, interpersonal style, learning techniques, attending skills and process factors, are all important skills to support a productive training session.
• Effective trainers have command of communicative skills, including, but not limited to, empathy, listening, and using clear, concise language, relevant to the subject being taught.

Attending Skills

• Skills in communication and attending to audience members, including the skills of eye contact, attentive body language, and affirmative nonverbals support a productive learning experience.
• Attending skills include maintaining participation, flow of interactions, and creating an inclusive environment.

Learner Ability

• Three factors that affect learner ability are: childhood education, motivation, and prior knowledge. An evaluator's primary focus should be on the learner's ability to change.

Training Cycle Step

• Testing training participants before class is the evaluation phase of the training cycle.

Problem Determination Phase

• Determination of problems is part of the evaluation phase.

Training Development Step

• Performing an analysis is the first step to developing training or instruction.
• This also involves developing training objectives, validating the training methodology, and performing an initial student survey

Training Evaluation

• Reaction measures participant satisfaction,
• Learning measures the extent of knowledge gained.
• Behavior measures whether skills are implemented, and
• Results measures the business impact of training.

Necessary Training

• Training is needed when employees are requesting it and when the employees need to know what they do not already know.
• Further, training can be necessary when a survey indicates that employees aren't completing tasks properly or when an audit suggests training is the appropriate solution.

Training Types

• On-the-job training, group methods, and individual methods are three most common training types.

Safety Hierarchy

• Explain the safety hierarchy using declarative knowledge, including steps and definitions. Demonstrate riding a unicycle or performing a pre-flight check for an A-10 are not examples of using declarative knowledge.

Learner Types

• Three categories of learners are: Navigators, Problem Solvers, and Engagers. These characteristics can inform how training is performed and will influence how it's perceived by each learner type.

Metacognition

• Metacognition refers to higher-level cognitive processes that assist with analysis, understanding and controlling cognitive processes, primarily related to learning.
• Five terms to describe metacognitive skills of learners are: planning, selecting, connecting, tuning and monitoring.

Cognitive Strategies

• These strategies provide the ability to sift through and identify critical/important parts of a new material, to connect new/old material and to re-adjust ideas/conclusions when new information becomes more readily known.
• Advance organizers, spatial, clustering and memory aids are different cognitive strategies. Image-rich comparisons are also a cognitive strategy.

Learning Types

• Directive, receptive, guided discovery and exploratory are different learning types, which are critical for effective/task-oriented training.

Learning Philosophies

• Zinn's Philosophy of Adult Education has five different philosophical orientations.

Imposter Syndrome

• Imposter syndrome is an example of the anxiety/self-doubt that may occur when in the presence of a teacher or other learners. Such feelings stem from believing that competence is undervaluing.

Knowledge of Self

• Understanding how one's beliefs and values impact the teaching method is knowledge of self. This includes knowledge of self-understanding, knowledge of content, knowledge of principles of practice, and knowledge of methods, all of which influence the training process.

Training in the Classroom

• Joe likes to use ice-breakers to encourage classroom involvement. Using individual and group work activities in teaching and allowing learners to conduct their self-evaluation is considered a cognitive strategy in teaching and training.

Learning Environments

• Using personal relevance and choice is an example of establishing inclusion, which can result in a favorable disposition in a learning environment.

Learning Contracts

• A learning contract is an advancement in learning processes because it defines a plan for the learner’s experience. This plan guides the learner through a structured course. A learning, contract will prevent changes in the purpose (which is consistent with the general concepts in this study), place the learner partly or mostly in control of the process, and support self-directed learning techniques and web-based training.

Course Evaluation

• Need/Objective/Content comparison is used to evaluate whether a course program is relevant to the needs and objectives.
• Post-training surveys evaluate the retention and implementation of knowledge/skills learned.
• Interviews help evaluate skills and knowledge when observation is not viable.
• Instructor evaluation assesses instructor effectiveness, competence, and operational skills.
• Effective learner evaluation can occur before, during, or after training.

Learner Motivation

• A learners motivation directly affects their level of success during training. Factors influencing motivation include value, confidence, mood, confidence, ability, intelligence, self-efficacy, ability, and health, mood, environment, and health, relating to cognitive, affective, and perceptual dimensions.

Instructor Training

• Instructors can be more effective when equipped with prior understanding of the learners, the course content and teaching principles, relevant to the learning experience. There is also a need to have an understanding of the subject matter being taught, which will help them create an appropriate learning environment.

Competency/Training/Instruction

• Training includes a variety of techniques, including, but not limited to, lesson planning, delivery, and assessment. The instructional design, acquisition of materials, delivery of training, and evaluation are the key components of training.