Have you been tasked with creating a workshop for staff but aren't sure where to start?
This page provides guidance for and what to consider when designing learning experiences for staff.
Key Adult Learning (Andragogy) Principles to Bear in Mind
How is adult learning (andragogy) different from pedagogy? Pedagogy is the teaching of children, or dependent personalities (like college students). Andragogy, on the other hand, is the facilitation of learning for adults, who are self-directed learners (such as learners in workplaces). In order to best meet the learning needs of staff and faculty, you'll want to bear the following adult learning principles in mind when designing all aspect of your learning experience.
| Ownership | Relevance | Active Involement | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
Adults are self-directed learners and want to be in control of their own learning. They want to be able to set their own goals, choose their own learning activities, and assess their own progress. | Adults learn best when the material is relevant to their lives. They are more likely to retain information when they can see how it applies to their work, their personal lives, or their goals. | Adults learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process and learn best when they are able to do - not just listen. They learn best when they can participate in activities, discuss the material, and reflect on their own experiences. | Adults need to know why they are learning something. They are more likely to be motivated to learn when they understand the purpose of the learning, and need to know how the new information will benefit them as individuals (not just the institution). |
Road Map for Designing a Hands-on Workshop
Where to Begin?
Start designing your workshop with the end in mind. What are your overall goals for the workshop? What should learners do differently or be able to do as a result of the learning experience? Defining your learners' destination will help you determine how to get them there.
From there, you can think about relevant, meaningful activities related to those outcomes and objectives, bearing in mind the adult learning principles above. How can your activities allow your participants to be active and take ownership of their learning? Making the journey engaging will help ensure they stay along for the ride.
As an instructor, you'll also want to devise ways of knowing that the participants have learned what was intended. How will you know they've arrived? How can they show you that they reach their destination when you're not there to guide them on their journey?
| Outcomes and Objectives | Activities | Assessment, Evaluation, and Feedback |
|---|---|---|
| What should learners do differently or be able to do as a result of the learning experience? | What specific activities will students do to learn the things you want them to learn? | How will the students know how well they’re doing? How will you know how well they’re doing? |
| Examples: | ||
At the end of this lesson, learners will be able to:
| Students will:
| Students will sucessfully define a topic of interest, then locate and bookmark at least one video and one activity related to their topic. |
Structuring Workshop Topics*
| Opening | Short Lecture | Active Learning | Ending |
|---|---|---|---|
| CONNECT and SPARK | Inform, Explain, and Deepen | Engage, Apply, and Retain | Close, Praise, Plan, and Reinforce |
Go over the purpose of the section and why this information will be relevant or useful to the learner. | Explain and show the information. | Give the learner an opportunity to practice. |
|
| Examples: | |||
"In this section, we'll discuss how to search for LinkedIn Learning courses based on your topic of interest, so that you can easily find activities that will be beneficial to you." | "You can use the search bar at the top of the page to find activities related to what you want to learn. For example, if you want to learn more about pivot tables, you can type "pivot tables" into the search bar. Then you can filter by 'type' then select video, course, or learning path, depending on the amount of time you have to devote to the topic. We'll elaborate on the differences after you get a chance to practice searching." | "Let's practice this so that you can better understand how to use the filters and what results they'll give you. What's a topic you'd like to learn more about? It can be work related, or even a personal interest. Type your topic into the search bar, then hit enter. You'll see a list of items that match your search criteria. Now, filter by 'video.' What results display? What happens if you filter by 'course' instead? How did your results change? When do you think it would be best to view a video versus a course? When do you think pursuing a learning path could be beneficial?" | Great job, everyone! It's fun to learn more about what activities interest you. To review, after searching for a topic in LinkedIn Learning you can filter by video, course, or learning path. Videos are generally best if you only have a short period of time to devote to a topic. These are great for 'just in time' needs, such as when you only need a quick refresher or the information to complete a short task. I use these whenever I need to remember how to create a pivot table. Courses are series of videos devoted to a topic, and are great for when you want to dig a little deeper, versus only wanting an answer to a quick question. So you might look for a course on pivot tables if you want a deeper understanding of pivot tables. Learning paths are series of courses related to a broder, overarching topic. For instance, LinkedIn Learning has a learning path called 'Master Microsoft Excel,' which includes a course on pivot tables. |
*Adapted from Dr. Greg Reihman's "Structuring Class Meetings: A Planning Guide"
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Universal design is an approach to the design of learning that takes into consideration the variety of abilities, disabilities, racial/ethnic backgrounds, reading abilities, ages, and other characteristics of learners.
Additional Resources
- Handouts on how to design a workshop
- Lehigh Branded Presentation Templates
- Instructional Design: Adult Learners (LinkedIn Learning course)
Sources: