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Preview An effective Training Program depends largely on the Trainer’s ability to engage his audience, and understand the various learning styles. The trainer has to employ different training methods to cater to the diverse ways in which individuals assimilate information and acquire knowledge or learn new skills. Keeping this as a back-drop, we had Marc Ratcliffe and Aaron Smith (associated with MRWED International) provide an insight into the various learning styles exhibited by people and the learning / information processing abilities observed across generations. Learning Styles Learning is reflected in the way we respond to environmental, social, emotional and physical stimuli, to understand new information. Learning style is defined as the way that information is processed. Most people show a preference for one of the following basic styles: visual, auditory, kinesthetic. It is common to combine the primary and secondary learning styles. Illustration: A question is posed to the audience: What is it that comes to your mind when you hear the word “Dog”. Some people see a picture of the animal, hear a bark, while others remember the feeling of the dog’s soft coat. Those who see a picture of a dog in their mind eye are probably visual, those who hear the bark are probably auditory and those who feel the soft fur of a dog are probably kinesthetic. This simple analogy suggests that each person’s interpretation is different, we communicate and process the information differently. Thus, the trainer has to consider the audience’s needs and expectations. He is required to adapt to the audiences’ learning styles for messages to get across. A “One size fits all” does not hold true. Learning — Conceptual Understanding: Learning is a process of acquiring Knowledge, Skill-sets and Attitude. Visual Learners: Characterized by learners who need to see what is going on. They like reading and watching television and enjoy looking at photos, plans or cartoons. Visual learners learn by watching. They recall images from the past when trying to remember. In addition to this, they picture the way things look in their heads. They would be attracted during learning to words like “see, look, appear, picture, make clear, and overview”. They are likely to have strong spelling and writing. A visual learner can be taught best by using: Posters, charts and graphs Visual displays Booklets, brochures and handouts Variety of colors and shapes Pune Chapter - Learning Styles: Understanding the language of the Learner Clear layout with headings and plenty of white space Aural / Auditory Learners: Learners who learn by listening. Auditory learners can be identified because they love to talk, are attracted to sound (and distracted by noise), and prefer to hear things rather than read them. They may read in a “talking” style, hearing the text as they go and may appear to daydream whilst “talking” inside their head. They often enjoy the telephone and listening to music. Auditory learners tend to spell phonetically. They can sometimes have trouble reading, because they don’t visualize well. They learn by listening and remember facts when they are presented in the form of a poem, song or melody. An auditory learner can be taught best by using: Question and answer Lectures and stories Audio tapes Podcasts Discussion pairs of groups Voice Modulation: Variety in tone, rate, pitch and volume Music or slogans Tactile / Kinesthetic learners: These are learners who often learn by doing. Kinesthetic learners can be identified because they move around a lot, tap pens of shift in their seat. They enjoy games and do not really like reading. Kinesthetic learners learn best through movement and manipulation. They like to find out how things work and are often successful in the practical aspects of art, design and carpentry. Additionally, they will remember most effectively through practice. A Kinesthetic learners can be taught best by using: Team activities Hands-on experience Role-plays Note taking Emotional discussions Knowing your student’s preferred learning style can help the trainer maintain interest and promote reinforcement of new material. Another consideration is the environment in which people learn best. While tradition tells us to have a quiet room, well lit with a straight back chair, some children learn best in a more chaotic environment. Trying different methods of learning may prevent the students from feeling frustrated and inadequate when they are not able to work up to their potential. Experimenting with different learning styles and environments may improve the student’s accomplishments and feelings of achievements. Generational Learning Generation — Definition Birth years within 15 year range, who share similar experiences, common beliefs and behavior and self-perceived to be a generation. Generation Labels: Before 1945 - Silent (Mature) 1945 — 1964 - Baby Boomers 1965 — 1979 - Generation X 1980 — 1995 - Generation Y – By Marc Ratcliffe & Aaron Smith 1996 — now - Generation Z Silent Generation: This is the group that is considered wise, and have been the fighters / survivors. Most of the people in this group have now retired. They are not generally very adept at learning new technology. Average time in which information is processed to make a decision is 20 — 30 seconds. Baby Boomers: This constitutes the largest population, and exhibits the greatest stability. This is also the generation where the media had a lot of power and wide reach. The average time in which information is processed to make a decision is 10 — 15 seconds. Generation X: This is the generation that saw evolution of technology. This is also the generation that recognized “Kids as a Market”. This group income leap-frogged in terms of the income level, as compared to any other generation. The average time in which information is processed to make a decision is 5 - 10 seconds. Generation Y: The generation that is the easiest with technology — they have an ardent need to be “connected”. They associated brands with personal identity. The average time in which information is processed to make a decision is 3 - 5 seconds. Generation Z: Aptly labeled as the “.com” kids, they are adept at multi-tasking and have been instrumental in inventing a world-wide new language. They generally exhibit very low attention spans. Cross-over generations: It is important to note that the temperament and learning abilities, values of people belonging to various generations have been described are only generalizations. There are several cases of “Cross-over generations”, where one may not conform to the norms / constructs. There are a lot of people who belong to the “Silent Generation”, but have exhibited traits / learning abilities comparable to those belonging to Generation X / Y, and vice versa. On a parting note… We need to understand what motivates our learners, and be flexible to cater to all learners. It’s also important to create open channels for communication. It is very likely that there could be a varied audience, having different learning styles and belonging to different generations. It is important for a trainer to conduct a formal training needs assessment to determine the underlying training needs, understand the audience’s background and know their expectations / outcome of the training. The trainer is then to reconcile all such variations by employing different training methods to deliver the training, and also conduct evaluation at different stages, to reinforce the concept. | HRD News Letter | March 2009, Vol.24, Issue:12 44
Fascinating Facts – K. Satyanarayana 248. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton Addresses Students Of Pace University Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton told graduating students at pace University that America must continue to make sacrifices to ensure a better future. "Future preference is what in large measure brings this class here today - families who sacrifice so that their children can have better opportunities, people who do a good day's work in order to build something, to make their job mean something, people who start businesses in order to employ and create profit that can be recycled back into the society and people who understand that if we do not keep future in mind, we impoverish the present and we dishonor our past," she said. (Source: The New York Times, May 20, 2003) 249. Einstein's Thoughts Are Now On The Web The Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the California Institute of Technology, where the Einstein Papers Project has its headquarters started a new web site. It contains digitized images of some 900 Einstein papers as well as a searchable list of 43,000 documents in the archives. Those interested can visit www.alberteinstein.info (Source: The New York Times, May 20, 2003) 250. Ten Year Plan To End Homelessness All across America, major cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia, and Indianapolis are adopting and implementing practical plans to end homelessness in ten years. They are working in partnership with public agencies, homeless specialists and community organizations. All these efforts are based on one key idea - homelessness is a solvable problem. Research shows that permanent housing is more cost-effective than shelters, jails and other temporary housing solutions. For more information please visit www.endhomelessness.org (Source: The New York Times, May 19, 2003) 251. Canada's Policy On Drugs - Treat rather than Punish. Larry W. Campbell was elected as mayor of Vancouver on a promise of more treatment for addicts and regulated injection sites. He has not yet received federal approval to open the centers but a privately financed center has started functioning. Up to 25, drug users come to this center every night to shoot heroin or cocaine into their veins. They are supervised by a registered nurse, who dispenses fresh needles, swabs, sterile water to cook the drugs and advise on how to maintain veins. The injection site, modeled after similar facilities in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands is the only one to operate openly in North America. Its presence is just one sign that Canada's drug policies are moving in a direction that diverges sharply from those in the U.S. - to treat drug addiction more as a medical issue and less as one of law enforcement. (Source: The New York Times, May 19, 2003) 252. French Government Controls The Excesses Of Modern Life At the turn of the 20th century France's infant mortality rate was so high that it provoked scorn from other European nations. In 1904, the French Public Health Act gave the central government authority to compel local governments to take actions to improve the birth rate. One important response was a movement known as puericulture. Intent on improving prenatal and maternal health, puericulture advocates set up clinics all over the country to teach young mothers how to breastfeed. They also taught mothers that overfeeding was as bad as, if not worse than underfeeding. Thus early in its modern history, the French government lectured mothers on the medical value of dietary control. By 1920 not only child mortality was dropped significantly through out France, but first cases of child obesity began to appear. The government insisted that children should always eat at set times. Each meal should be moderate. All the meals of the children should be supervised by adults. Snacking was forbidden. Such boundary-setting continues even today. You will not find Coca-Cola in a French middle school. In spite of all these the French are eating more like Americans these days. Betweenmeal snacking, fast food and conveniencefood consumption are up, particularly among children in big cities. The government is concerned. The influential institute of National Health and Medical Research in Paris has declared childhood obesity an epidemic. (Source: The New York Times, May 20, 2003) 253. North Korea Gives Russia Cheap Labor North Korea is now the poorest nation in Northeast Asia. It provides cheap labor under tight controls to the Russian Far East, which is short of labor. 10,000 North Koreans work in Russia. While Japan, South Korea and Russia lack workers willing to do dirty and dangerous jobs, only Russia has been willing to accept North Koreans as guest workers. They often work 16-hour days. All of its neighbors have contingency plans to block sudden inflow of migrants in the event of a collapse of the communist government. The workers realize that they are the prisoners of the system. The workers come here on three-year contracts, but their wages are collected by the North Korean state companies, that bring them here. A worker is allowed to retain $100. North Korea's worker control system is especially harsh in remote Siberian logging camps, which according to Amnesty International, are directly run by North Korea's ruthless Public Security Service. Escapees interviewed in Moscow in recent years have told human rights researchers that the North Korean camp authorities maintain private prisons and prevent escapes by rationing food and punishing would-be escapees with torture and sometimes execution. During the Soviet era, most logging in Siberia was done by prisoners in forced labor camps. (Source: The New York Times, May 18, 2003) 254. Portable Church Is The Latest From England Visitors tested the pews of an inflatable church in Sandown Park Exhibition Center, 20 miles west of London. It is 47 feet high, and includes a blow up organ, altar, pulpit, pews, candles and stained glass windows. The Church can hold about 60 worshippers. Its creator, Michael Gill of Innovations UK, said he recognized its potential for weddings, christenings and the like. He now has plans for a mosque and a synagogue. (Source: The New York Times, May 16, 2003) Mr. K. Satyanarayana, Hon. Executive Director, National HRD Network. He can be reached at: ksnhrd@gmail.com | HRD News Letter | March 2009, Vol.24, Issue:12 45
Page 2 and 3: ISSN-0974-1720 Vol - 24 March 2009
Page 4 and 5: Smarter HR : Deploying Technology t
Page 6 and 7: Editorial Dear Fellow Professionals
Page 8 and 9: Lead Feature Your 'Time Pass' Throu
Page 10 and 11: Column Trust — The Act of Transpa
Page 12 and 13: Right-training and Right-sizing for
Page 14 and 15: A n specter is sweeping across the
Page 16 and 17: Pink Slip- An Involuntary Exit Mobi
Page 18 and 19: Fighting Attrition in Retail Attrit
Page 20 and 21: Resurrecting Organizations in Turbu
Page 22 and 23: E conomies have slowed down and com
Page 24 and 25: Introduction : Utility in diversity
Page 26 and 27: Introduction: Competition is the ke
Page 28 and 29: Little Harry had managed to convinc
Page 30 and 31: "If a man hasn't discovered somethi
Page 32 and 33: Municipal School to Managers Recent
Page 34 and 35: 2000….when the dot com burst happ
Page 38 and 39: CASE STUDY - 29 "Mr. Sridharan, You
Page 40 and 41: NAGPUR NHRDN NAGPUR CHAPTER EVENT O
Page 42 and 43: JAIPUR CHAPTER MDGs 3rd State Level
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