"Theory is splendid but until put into practice, it is valueless." - James Cash Penney
4. Present the content - showed the class on how to construct a cause-and-effect diagram.
5. Provide learning guidance - to aid them in the learning content, QR Code that leads them to the website that offers tutorial in constructing cause-and-effect diagram was provided on the screen for those who possessed smart phones otherwise the website address will be given.
6. Elicit performance (practice) - each group was then assigned a problem statement from which they are to construct a cause-and-effect diagram.
7. Provide feedback - to assess and facilitate learning, feedback was provided after each group presented their cause-and-effect diagram. The most common mistake is placing the cause under the wrong category.
8. Assess performance - each learner was provided with a cause-and-effect diagram template to be completed based on a problem related to their workplace.
9. Enhance retention and transfer to a job - asked the class to create a cause-and-effect diagram on a cue-card as a job-aid for reference at the workplace.
KOLB Experiential Learning
In the teaching the 4 stages of team development, I decided to attempt KOLB Experiential Learning. There are 4 stages in the KOLB Experiential Learning namely:
Concrete Experience
At this stage, the learners are involved in an activity called the Warp Speed. Watch the video clip below.
Who says adult learners do not appreciate the use of games in their learning? So long, it is related to the learning outcome they will be more than happy to play. This is very much align with my maxim which is Learning MUST be Fun!!!
Reflective Observation
This is the crucial part of experiential learning process which can be facilitated or done by learners independently. Facilitating a reflection is challenging, and the challenge is to draw from the learners what they have observed from the activity conducted in the concrete experience. Due to shortage of time, what I did was to introduce the concept of the 4 stages of team formation and then getting the learners to reflect and identify the parts of the activity where the 4 stages of team formation occur. Learners are able to identify the 4 stages as such:
A representative of each group was required to present their answers.
From the above activity, I highlighted to the class the importance of being specific when providing constructive feedback to the team members performance to ensure performance standards are met. I informed them that the skills acquired will be useful at their workplace feedback are provided to the staff during the annual performance appraisal.
Confidence
To assure learners that they will be able to carry out the required task of providing constructive feedback to their own team members at the workplace, each group was required to perform a role-play based on different scenarios provided to them. Once again, I stressed the need to be specific when doing this. Watch the snippets of the role-play in the video clip below.
The above activities were done as a learning aid for the learners to answer the assessment questions and one of which is to provide constructive feedback to three team members with different issues.
Gagne 9 Events of Instructions
1. Gain attention of learners - as a stimulus to gain learners' attention, the following slide was projected on the screen and the learners were asked to observe what went wrong in the picture which caused the wrong product to be designed, manufactured and delivered to the customer.
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| Learners observing an image projected on the screen. |
2. Inform students of the objectives - informed learners that they were required to produce a cause-and-effect diagram after this session.
3. Stimulate recall of prior learning - asked learners if they were familiar with the cause-and-effect diagram. which most of the learners recognised as the fish-bone diagram.
4. Present the content - showed the class on how to construct a cause-and-effect diagram.
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| The cause-and-effect diagram drawn on the white board as a learning guidance. |
5. Provide learning guidance - to aid them in the learning content, QR Code that leads them to the website that offers tutorial in constructing cause-and-effect diagram was provided on the screen for those who possessed smart phones otherwise the website address will be given.
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| Learners scanning the QR Code that led them to website where more details of the cause-and-effect diagram is provided. |
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| Learners working in groups to produce a cause-and-effect diagram based on a problem statement of their choice. |
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| One of the team members presenting the cause-and-effect diagram. |
9. Enhance retention and transfer to a job - asked the class to create a cause-and-effect diagram on a cue-card as a job-aid for reference at the workplace.
KOLB Experiential Learning
"For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them." Aristotle
Concrete Experience
At this stage, the learners are involved in an activity called the Warp Speed. Watch the video clip below.
Who says adult learners do not appreciate the use of games in their learning? So long, it is related to the learning outcome they will be more than happy to play. This is very much align with my maxim which is Learning MUST be Fun!!!
Reflective Observation
This is the crucial part of experiential learning process which can be facilitated or done by learners independently. Facilitating a reflection is challenging, and the challenge is to draw from the learners what they have observed from the activity conducted in the concrete experience. Due to shortage of time, what I did was to introduce the concept of the 4 stages of team formation and then getting the learners to reflect and identify the parts of the activity where the 4 stages of team formation occur. Learners are able to identify the 4 stages as such:
Abstract Conceptualisation
For this session, the abstract conceptualisation had occurred in the Reflective Observation stage. In hindsight, I could have posed to the class the following questions related to the Warp Speed activity:
Active Experimentation
Learners are encouraged to observe at their workplace whenever a new team (such as Committee to organise the company's event such as Dinner and Dance, Family Day etc.) is formed, how this team undergo the 4 stages of the team development.
Keller ARCS Model of Motivational Design
According to John Keller ARCS Model of Motivational Design, there are four steps for promoting and sustaining motivation in the learning process namely Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction.
Attention
To grab learners' attention, I had used a visual stimuli i.e. a video as a lead-in activity to the lesson. Learners were given the web address where the video resides. They were required to observe how a counter staff of a fast-food restaurant provides service to the customers.
I had introduced another attention grabber by posing questions on how the performance of the counter staff could be improved. They were to answer this question at group level to be done during a brainstorming session.
- Do you observe the different stages in the activity?
- How many are there?
- What are some of the characteristics of these stages?
Active Experimentation
Learners are encouraged to observe at their workplace whenever a new team (such as Committee to organise the company's event such as Dinner and Dance, Family Day etc.) is formed, how this team undergo the 4 stages of the team development.
Keller ARCS Model of Motivational Design
According to John Keller ARCS Model of Motivational Design, there are four steps for promoting and sustaining motivation in the learning process namely Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction.
Attention
To grab learners' attention, I had used a visual stimuli i.e. a video as a lead-in activity to the lesson. Learners were given the web address where the video resides. They were required to observe how a counter staff of a fast-food restaurant provides service to the customers.
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| Learners watching video either from their tablet or mobile phone. |
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| Learners discussing on how the performance of the counter staff could be improved. |
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| A team member presenting the group's answer. |
The following are the points highlighted by the groups for the counter staff to consider in order to improve her performance.
- Grooming - at this I told the class to be more specific for example for hygiene reason she is to wear a hair net and remove her nail paintings
- Greet more professionally - to be more specific I told the class to highlight the specific greeting standard of the restaurant
- Be impartial (to treat all customers fairly) - when prompted how was she unfair to the customers the class was quick to respond that she favours the black guy which some claimed to be her boyfriend (and I commented that this was just an assumption as it was not indicated anywhere in the video that this was the case)
- Provide the customers with the product they need - when asked for examples the class quoted that she changed the customer's order from cookies and cream, to coke
- Manage customers according to company's SOP and not to call the security whenever she failed to resolve issues with the customers.
From the above activity, I highlighted to the class the importance of being specific when providing constructive feedback to the team members performance to ensure performance standards are met. I informed them that the skills acquired will be useful at their workplace feedback are provided to the staff during the annual performance appraisal.
Confidence
To assure learners that they will be able to carry out the required task of providing constructive feedback to their own team members at the workplace, each group was required to perform a role-play based on different scenarios provided to them. Once again, I stressed the need to be specific when doing this. Watch the snippets of the role-play in the video clip below.
After the role-play I provide the following feedback:
- Ensure that all the issues in the scenarios were addressed. For example, in one scenario a leader addressed a suggestion by the team member which was opposed by the staff, however she did not address the part that the said team member was 'demoralised' due to this same matter.
- Clarify any assumptions. In the scenario where a staff made mistakes in her monthly report, it was assumed that she had slackened because she would retire in a couple of months time. Team leader should probe and asked if she had any issues with her retirement or any other personal issues that caused the mistakes.
The above activities were done as a learning aid for the learners to answer the assessment questions and one of which is to provide constructive feedback to three team members with different issues.
