Adult Learning

While training programs can be purposeful, successful learning experiences, the adult learning strategies employed in Ronin’s Sales and Leadership Development Workshops creates a different dynamic. Here are some of the differences:

 
  Conventional Training
Focus: Imparting information, skills, knowledge 		  Adult Learning
Focus: Improving performance and results 		 
 
 
Trainers are responsible for successful learning: Trainers run activities, manage time, and intervene in team activities to make sure participants learn   Participants are accountable for their own learning: Participants self-manage their own learning – running groups, managing their own time, completing assignments, preparing and presenting reports
 
Trainers are the “experts” in what participants don’t know   Participants are the “experts” in what they do know, collectively  
 
Teaching perspective: “One right way” to do things Learning perspective: “Many right ways” to accomplish goals
Training activities are often designed to “keep participants happy” and motivate participant interest, compliance with the program agenda, and willingness to participate   Learning experiences encourage personal advocacy, vulnerability, taking risks and making tough decisions under time pressure without all the needed information – what participants actually experience in their jobs
Content is presented prescriptively (“Here’s what you should do”). Participants who don’t “accept” content can be implicitly “wrong.” Content is presented from a descriptive (“here’s how things work”) rather than prescriptive (“here’s what you should do”) perspective. Participants are empowered to make choices about actions and consequences.
 
Training is often “dumbed down” to level of lowest skilled/ capable participants   No pre-set boundaries for what people can learn – more skilled/ capable participants teach and coach less skilled/ capable participants  
Feedback is often “kind” and “polite,” so as not to make colleague’s “wrong.” Participants receive (and share) honest, supportive feedback from their peers and from knowledge/ practice experts.
Typical outcomes:

Covert to overt resistance to being “trained"

Low transfer of classroom, and knowledge back to work environment		 Typical outcomes:

Increasing accountability for personal learning over the course of the learning

Higher application of what was learned back to the work environment