Teaching Philosophy
“Whoever teaches learns in the act of teaching, and whoever learns teaches in the act of learning.”
― Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage
As an Instructional Designer, my aim is to design dynamic, engaging trainings that incorporate adult learning theories and instructional design models. I value discovering new ways to enhance and improve the learning process. Innovation is never stagnant, and I truly enjoy the ever-changing nature of this work. To me, a crucial aspect of training development is maintaining a learner-centered design. My personal andragogy is based in constructivism and Popular Education theories, centering an openness to change and an emphasis on real-world problem solving.
The concept of andragogy, adopted by Malcolm Knowles, explores key considerations for adult learners. The considerations are also reflected in How Learning Works: Seven Research-based Principles for Smart Teaching (Abrose et al, 2010). These principles have helped me to shape my approach to instructional design, and to be intentional in my course design decisions.
Motivation
The Adult Learner: The Definitive Classes in Adult Education and Human Resource Development (Knowles et al, 1998/2020) explains that “Adults move from extrinsic towards intrinsic motivation as they grow and mature.” Adult learners have more autonomy in their educational pursuits, and establishing the value of your coursework to your learners is crucial to success. Tangible, real-life application of the knowledge the learners gain from your course leads to higher satisfaction, motivation, and course performance. How Learning Works states “Students’ motivation generates, directs, and sustains what they do to learn” (Ambrose et al 2010). It is a course developer’s best interest to align course objectives, activities, assessments, and other course content to concrete, real-world application.
My courses will center this principle by centering real-world examples and having learners work through problems and tasks relevant to the key tasks. I will limit redundant busy-work, and continuously work towards finding ways to connect course material to the relevant skills. Before creating course content, I will begin by creating course objectives and strategies. At this foundational step, I will center the relevance of the course to the lives and future goals of my learners. I will assign tasks and assessments that are attainable, yet still an appropriate level of challenge to foster new learning.
Prior Knowledge
A key aspect of an andragogical approach is acknowledging that adult learners often use their previous life experience and a foundation for future learning. As How Learning Works explains, “Students’ prior knowledge can help or hinder learning” (Ambrose et all, 2010). Adult learners can add personal expertise to a course, seeing concepts through a new perspective or adding new dimensions to the course content. Sharing their knowledge with the course developer and course participants can help to foster a Popular Education approach to a group - where everyone involved is both a learner and a teacher. This can help create more equitable, richer courses. This can also, however, hinder the educational experience. Learners may not be able to make relevant connections to their existing knowledge, or there may be inaccuracies in their knowledge that lead to larger problems down the road. Explicitly addressing commonly held misconceptions, and appropriate scaffolding of information, can help mitigate this issue.
As an instructional designer, I will be proactive about ascertaining what my learners already know or think that they know. This can be through working with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to gain a better understanding of the field, or through surveys and pre-assessments prior to course development. I will explicitly list out common misconceptions, and provide direct feedback to learners early on in their course to help identify any areas of incomplete knowledge.
Feedback
Adult learners are interested in identifying and filling knowledge gaps as needed. They want to be able to organize information and skills in directly applicable ways. Providing mindful and strategic feedback can be incredibly beneficial to aid with their learning. This begins with establishing clear, specific goals for the learners to achieve. Setting these goals up clearly - through tools such as rubrics and existing examples, sets learners up for success by knowing what they will be receiving feedback on. Learners must also have the opportunity to integrate the feedback provided directly into future work. How Learning Works tells us “Goal directed practice coupled with targeted feedback are critical to learning” (Ambrose et al, 2010). It is within the application of feedback to further practice that mastery of a skill begins. Learners are more receptive to feedback if the evaluation will assist them in upcoming attempts, and being able to practice skills while integrating the feedback allows for change and growth.
In the courses I develop, I plan to integrate an opportunity for feedback early on within a course. Identifying actionable steps to improvement at the start of a course can help a learner to center those goals within their further progress. This can involve feedback at the group level, to an entire cohort of learners, as well as more individualized support. I believe strongly in the power of positive feedback, in addition to constructive critique, and will prioritize highlighting learner strengths and unique skills they bring to a task.
Course Climate
Course designers and facilitators have a moral obligation to ensure that their work actively interrupts oppression and marginalization. One way to do this is by following a Popular Education approach. Popular Education, created by Paulo Freire, is a people-centered approach to learning that is centered on activating critical thinking skills, affirms the dignity of all participants, and raises social awareness. This is done by acknowledging that we all bring different skills and expertise, and we all still have many things to learn. This approach values people’s lived experiences, while encouraging discussion and community building.
In addition to the moral imperative to create more just learning spaces, being mindful of course climate also benefits the learner experience. How Learning Works explains that “Students’ current level of development interacts with the social, emotional, and intellectual climate of the course to impact learning” (Ambrose et all, 2010). We must see our learners as intersectional human beings with sociocultural identities that exist within our learning spaces and outside of them. Taking a more holistic view of our learners can extend our thought processes to be more inclusive and explicitly centralizing.
A key aspect of creating more equitable learning spaces in remaining open to feedback. In my courses, learners have the opportunity to provide both anonymous and direct feedback regarding course content and my facilitation. This feedback allows me the opportunity to be more mindful of my language, behavior, and attitudes. Dismantling oppressive systems is life-long work for all people, particularly those in a position of power - such as a teacher or course facilitator. Opening the door for feedback allows me to address issues earlier on, and find ways to continue improving.
As with all areas of life, my understanding of my own personal teaching philosophy is ever-changing. I welcome the opportunity to be a life-long learner, and to find new ways to improve and grow. I am grateful for the opportunity to discover new resources, such as How Learning Works (Ambrose et al, 2010), which help enhance my understanding of research-based principles in teaching. In addition, the feedback and collaboration from fellow colleagues in the field, as well as learners in my courses, help me to challenge my own misconceptions and apply new knowledge to future endeavors. We are all teachers and learners simultaneously, a notion that brings me much joy and motivation.
References
Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching. John Wiley & Sons.
Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage. Rowman & Littlefield.
Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2011). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (7th ed.). Elsevier, Butterworth-Heinemann.
