Navigating the World of Adult Education: An Overview of the Provincial Instructor Diploma Program (PIDP)

The Provincial Instructor Diploma Program (PIDP) offers a comprehensive journey into the realm of adult education. This article explores the key aspects of the PIDP, drawing upon experiences and insights gained throughout the program. It delves into various courses and concepts, highlighting the transformative impact on one's understanding of teaching and learning.

Foundations of Adult Learning: Unveiling New Perspectives

Embarking on the PIDP journey begins with an exploration of adult learning principles. PIDP 3100 opens up the world of Adult Learning. Prior to that, concepts like Andragogy and Heutagogy were unfamiliar, and transformative learning and self-directed learning were brand new. This course broadens the view of the varieties of adult learning and adult learning theories that are out there.

Curriculum Development: Shaping Effective Learning Experiences

PIDP 3210 helps to get acquainted with curriculum development in the sense of planning out all aspects of how to shape a curriculum into a workable document. To discover that templates exist to assist in designing a curriculum can be extremely helpful. Prior to 3210, one would make lists of what needed to be covered in the instruction, but it was not organized; there was no clear plan of activities (instructor and learner), or a timeline.

Assessment Strategies: Measuring Learning and Providing Feedback

Assessment plays a crucial role in the learning process. PIDP 3230 brings one into the world of assessments and how to properly assess students, especially in informal assessment contexts. Formative/Summative assessment instruments are looked at and constructed. Classroom Assessment Techniques (CAT) provide students with performance feedback and promote critical reflection of their own learning. The CAT is also a strategy used to obtain feedback from students on the effectiveness of the teaching and to identifying areas where change or improvement is required. The Critical Incident Questionnaire (Brookfield, 2015) appears to be a tool that can elicit this feedback.

Integrating Technology: Enhancing Learning Through Media

Technology is rapidly changing the landscape of education. PIDP 3240 introduces one to “Teaching Naked”, how higher education is changing rapidly and ways to incorporate more creative uses of technology in learning. One may have never heard of Pecha Kucha slides! PIDP 3240 also familiarizes one with the Canadian Copyright Act (2017), informing that it is not okay to copy another person’s IMAGE from the internet without proper request and attribution, especially as it applies to educational purposes or research.

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Instructional Strategies: Guiding Learners to Success

Effective teaching requires a diverse range of instructional strategies. PIDP 3250, Instructional Strategies, introduces how instruction should be delivered so that goals and outcomes are met.

Debunking the Myth of Learning Styles

A significant revelation in PIDP 3250 is the myth of learning styles! It's insightful how it’s not that we have different learning styles but that we all are capable of using different learning styles depending on what the learning demands. It’s here where one learns about Hattie’s ground breaking Visible Learning research.

Exploring Whole Brain Teaching

Whole brain teaching created quite a lot of interest and conversation in class discussion forums. The general consensus was that it is not a good strategy for adult learners but might be a good pedagogical approach. It is said to activate both hemispheres of the brain, thus the whole brain. Some students described it as a full scale assault on the senses. The instructor controls the classroom and students respond. Although students pair up and there is supposed to be collaborative learning, they just seem to be talking over one another as far as one can see. Rote learning seems to be the major focus in this type of instructional technique, which is not necessarily a bad type of learning but maybe not suitable as an andragogical approach. It does use the psychomotor, affective and cognitive domains, however, in my mind, students have little time to reflect in class and although there appears to be some “forgiveness” for students inability to recall and talk when called upon, students are not given enough time to digest what they are learning. It could work well as an exercise in a flipped classroom though but I’m still not sure I would use it because as an instructor, I would be exhausted after teaching such a class.

The Flipped Classroom Approach

School work at home and homework at school sums up the flipped classroom. This technique has largely been driven by the use of technology, allowing students to watch lectures by video from their home prior to coming to class. It gives the student control over the timing of their learning and they are responsible for their own learning, it gives them time for reflection and allows them time to prepare for the classroom component.

Goal Setting as a Strategy

Goal Setting is a way to engage adult learners. Alisha outlines the educators role and the learner’s role, individual goals, group goals as well as the pros and cons of goal setting as a strategy. She lists 5 goal setting techniques, ranging from a personalized learning plan to choice boards. Her project provides a great introduction to goal setting and provides some good resources for further research on the topic.

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Professional Practice: Navigating Ethical Dilemmas and Building Relationships

Ethical considerations are paramount in education. PIDP 3260 introduces ethical and moral dilemmas. The Skillful Teacher by Stephen Brookfield (2015), discusses being consistently aware “of how students are experiencing their learning and perceiving our teaching” (p. 27).

The Power of Humor in the Classroom

Humor can be a valuable tool for engaging students and creating a positive learning environment. PIDP 3260 explores ethical dilemmas, The Skillful Teacher and how student learning experiences must be brought to the light, CIQ and how simple it is to implement to get anonymous feedback from students about their learning. Humour in the classroom. How do we turn haha into AHA? Humour involves the communication of multiple, incongruous meanings that are amusing in some manner. Research shows that humour in a lesson can improve recall, build community, reduce stress and boost student learning. The appropriate use of humour is important. There are different types of humour and some are less appropriate than others, for example, sexually or racially offensive or aggressive humour is not. It was also suggested to avoid sarcasm, forced or too much humour or culturally inappropriate humour. One of the most frequently used types of humour in the classroom is the self-disparaging kind, where the instructor makes fun of themselves. Classmates also use puns, jokes, funny videos, comic strips, or memes to entertain and educate. It was strongly felt by all that humour, appropriately used and in small amounts, created a positive learning environment, allowing students to relax and feel comfortable.

Addressing Introversion and Extroversion in the Classroom

Like Susan Cain in her TED talk, The power of introverts, one may consider themselves an introvert, or at least on a sliding scale, more introvert-oriented. Current teaching strategies, such as the group work mentioned by Susan tends to really engage the extrovert but often leaves the introvert struggling. It seems obvious that group work, lots of noise and activity will not be the best fit for introverts all the time. As an instructor, one should be aware of these tendencies to be introverted or extroverted in students and try to make adjustments to encourage the best possible outcomes for them. One way to deal with this is to give students various options for assignments when possible. In some cases, it may not be possible and group work or presentations may be required. In other cases, individual reflection or research may be required. The important thing is to be flexible, allowing options for assignments, such as group presentations, individual research projects, individual papers, digital presentations, role playing, and think-pair-share work. Building in lots of opportunities for breaks and reflection within the classroom is also a good strategy. In regards to learning outcomes, having a learning contract is one way to individualize the course work for students instead of forcing them to participate in an environment that is biased towards the extroverted personality.

Team Teaching

Team teaching requires educators to do everything together such as planning, instructing, assessing and reviewing course delivery. To do this successfully, a strong commitment to the process is required. The process includes a willingness to get to know each other thereby creating a relationship of mutual respect and trust. The School of Education at California State University (2015) has outlined six team teaching strategies that one can try in a classroom. One Teach, One Observe - One teacher acts as the primary teacher and the other gathers observational data on student learning. Station Support Teaching - Course content is divided into separate parts and is taught by separate teachers at stations. Teachers are able to address several areas of the curriculum as small groups move from station to station. Team Teaching - Two teachers share the lead role with one class group.

The Importance of Reflective Practice

Reflective practice is a fundamental piece within the PIDP program - right from the first course all the way to the end. Built into each and every course is an assignment that encourages students to reflect on what they have learned, and how they will use this. There are many ways to reflect but the method used in the PIDP program is the focused conversation model which is a written assignment consisting of observation, reflection, interpretation, and decision. I am going to discuss reflection from my own perspective, and how I believe that it solidifies learning and motivates an individual to improve. How often are we given the occasion to reflect? How can we properly digest information within the pace of our busy lives? I ask these questions from my own personal experience: I am living proof that reflecting upon one’s own thoughts and actions fosters critical thinking and motivates one to keep learning and improving, and especially to value our own actions, good and bad, as learning opportunities. Reflective practice is necessary to understand our thoughts, feelings and actions and in doing so creates opportunity for professional growth and development. In this course, I was introduced to Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988), a looped six step process that sequentially reflects on the situation or learning, encouraging the user to consider how things could have been done differently.

Overcoming Challenges in Reflective Practice

The observation and reflective are fine, however one really finds themselves digging when they get into the interpretive portion where they are asked to draw out the meaning, values, significance, implications of the issue one has highlighted. This is where one does what one calls “going down the rabbit hole”- I start doing massive research on the internet, in journals, books, wherever. This is where the whole thing goes wrong because I spend so much time trying to gathering facts, I lose focus and get lost in my research. This effectively cripples me from moving onto the last step: decision. When I finally do get the interpretive portion done, I am so burned out that I used to just fly through the decision part and don’t really make any decisions - I am unable to elicit a resolution or make a decision about what I will do in the future with this knowledge - how I will use this in my practice. It occurred to me this is not a scientific paper, it is a personal reflection.

The 2-Minute Paper

After watching this video project on 2 minute papers, one might be pretty interested in finding some more examples of how this has been used as an assessment technique in the classroom. It allows students to summarize what they learned or list one point they learned and to list something that they didn’t understand or feel they need more clarification on. It not only helps the students reflect on what they have learned at the end of the class and what they feel they need to learn more, it also helps the teacher assess the students learning and determine what improvements can be made in future lesson planning.

Facilitating Online Discussions: Creating Engaging Communities

Online discussion forums are a vital component of many PIDP courses. For the last few days one has been given an online discussion forum to facilitate as one of assignments in Instructional Strategies class. One has been charged with facilitating the discussion for 10 days.

Strategies for Effective Facilitation

I decided to start off sort of slow and define what humour was, say how it has been used and then throw out a bunch of questions and post a video. Upon reflection I would do this differently I think. I’m still working on what I would do but I don’t think I would put nearly so many questions down. I would wait and pose them as the discussion unfolds. How do I keep students engaged in the topic and most importantly, how do I stay involved and participate in the other forums as well? I’m now on a hunt to find some more ideas. I have decided not to post any long videos such as Ted talks as they are time consuming for people to watch.

Addressing Resistance to Learning

Brookfield has highlighted several ways to respond to resistance in Chapter 17 of his book. Assess Learning Incrementally - resistance to learning often results in lack of participation and effort. Formative assessment is key for these students so that ongoing they are made aware of their status, giving them opportunity to address their own lack of commitment which may result in negative outcomes.

Embracing Diversity in the Classroom

Class composition in colleges and universities are becoming increasingly varied in backgrounds and experiences, reflecting the diverse society we live in. In Chapter 8: Teaching in Diverse Classrooms in his book The Skillful Teacher, Brookfield (2015) suggests that in order to effectively work in the diverse classroom you need to take the time to determine what the class composition is. This can be achieved using Classroom Assessment Techniques such as creating learning profiles, background probes, or initiating group activities/games that encourage individuals to ‘share’ who they are. Diversity in the classroom is a reality and it can feel overwhelming trying to grasp how one can possibly meet and accommodate all the needs within any given course.

Lifelong Learning and Professional Development

Lifelong learning is about intentionally seeking opportunities to continue to learn, grow, and develop both personally and professionally.

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