ELMIRA COLLEGE - Office of Continuing Education

AED 5075 - Training of Trainers: Learning Environments & Social Dynamics

Winter 2000 - Feb. 5, 19 at Elmira College

Feb. 26, Mar. 4 at the Liverpool BOCES

Ted Pietrzak, Ph.D.

Box 100   

Jamesville, NY 13078

Phone: 315-498-5699

Email: perfdev@aol.com

PLEASE REFER TO THE SECTION BELOW ENTITLED COURSE DESCRIPTION SECTION FOR GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION

EXPECTATIONS and EVALUATION CRITERIA

1. Full attendance is required on both days. Active participation is expected.

Reading of the text is required. Students may contract for B/B+ or A-/A grades.

2. Training Activity - Setting Climate - Two or three person groups will develop an appropriate ice-breaker exercise (6-8 min) and a context-related warm up exercise (8-10 min) for the rest of the class to experience at the 2nd class meeting. You may set up the audience to be 'a particular learner audience' so as to make the exercises relevant to your learning/ expertise or work situation. The two exercises should be related to the same learning context/ audience make up. 30%

A Leader's Guide (1 page per exercise) will be handed in to the instructor explaining: rationale, intent/ desired outcome, procedure plus any special hints if necessary. 20 %

3. Learning Experience Environmental Design Activity (LEEDA) - Individuals or two person groups will design a short (up to10 min.) module, an adult learning experience with content with which you are comfortable. Set us up as a 'particular learner audience.' You may use part of or the whole audience. Conduct the learning/ training experience in the selected pre-designed setting.

Use a small group participative structure as the learning setting, congruent with the activity module and goals. Use any classroom set-ups in the building (chairs/ tables/ no tables/ configuration/ equipment/ AV) that will help you achieve your goal for the learning/ training module within the time frame. Scan the building rooms on the first class meeting for capabilities and options.

Room availability for the 2nd meeting should be checked ahead of time. 30%

A two page LEEDA Paper linking the learning content, approach, group sizes, room configuration, outcomes and interaction rationale will be handed in to the instructor. 20%

Course Description Section

A. AED 5075 Training of Trainers: Learning Environments and Social Dynamics (1 Credit)

B. DESCRIPTION: This workshop focuses on how to design an effective and positive physical, sociological, and psychological environment for adult learners. Preliminary arrangements, warm-up activities, establishing rapport, involving adults in their learning experience, and effective listening all help create a positive psychological environment. Color, sound, room size, and furniture arrangements are components of the physical environment that impact learning. Planning for the special needs associated with culturally diverse learners and individuals with disabilities also are covered.

C. OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course students should be able to perform with excellence in the following areas: (a) Critique a learning environment and understand the factors present in an effective learning environment; (b) understand such concepts as ergonomics and proxemics and prepare a subsequent plan for an effective classroom design; (c) self-assess informational processing as it relates to learner rapport; and (d) conduct effective warm-up exercises.

D. STRUCTURE: The workshop's instructional methods will include lectures, handouts, assigned readings, discussion, individual or small group assignments, and a course project. Students are encouraged to challenge each other, to explore course areas of special interest, and discuss topics of interest with each other.

E. RESOURCES: The required text is Hiemstra, R. (ed.). (1991). Creative environments for effective adult learning (New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, Number 50). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. A series of selected handouts are disseminated throughout the workshop. In addition, participants are expected to carry out individual research for and use of related materials via library materials or the Internet.

F. COURSE OUTLINE:

1. Introduction to creating effective learning environments

2. Warm-up activities and establishing learner rapport

3. Site planning and limitations

4. Review of adult learning principles, resistance, and various psychological issues

5. Sociological aspects of a learning environment, including cultural differences among learners

6. Physical aspects of a learning environment, such as ergonomics and proxemics

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