Negotiating_with_Learners

Assignment 2.1 (Recommended words count: 800 – 1000 words) Research all of the following points: • Negotiating with learners, e.g. initial assessment, agreeing goals and actions • Inclusive learning e.g. the use of different delivery methods, resources, adapting lesson plans • Integrating functional skills into their subject area (language, literacy, maths, ICT) • Communication e.g. verbal/non-verbal and possible barriers Produce one written rationale for all areas of research in 1a -1d above, a methodology for your area of research, your approach taken and a précis of your findings. Rationale Law enforcement is arguably one of the most complex and constantly changing professions, due in no small part to the expectations placed on the police service by the citizens it serves. As police officers, we are expected to perform our duties in a professional, unbiased, and competent manner. As part of the Operational Training Department, we train all aspects of Public Order, Personal Safety, First Aid, Method of Entry and Tactical Entry. All officers come with widely differing backgrounds and educational needs and it is therefore very difficult to use standardised courses if I hope to met all the needs of my learners all of the time. Therefore the identification of learner’s needs is paramount. One of my tasks has been to design and plan role specific training courses for operational officers. This is where initial assessment, negotiation with units and learners, inclusive learning and effective communication, all come into play. As Petty (2004, p451) states, “If learners don’t know what they are trying to do, they are most unlikely to do it.” During the decision phase, I carry out initial assessment tests to enable me to identify the relevant aims and specific objectives of the training to be provided. It is therefore vital that I keep up-to-date with current legislation, ideas and methodologies in relation to the delivery of knowledge and assessment of my learners. Failure to do so can result in incurring civil liability, as well as death or serious injury to ourselves or a member of the public we’ve sworn to protect. Until now, it has been down to me to identify the learning goals and outcomes for each course and historically, as an Operational Training Department, have not been required to look closely at the integration of functional skills into the courses. Therefore, what I needed to find out about, in terms of being able to improve not only the design of courses but also the implementation of them was: • the advantages and disadvantages of negotiation in relation to the learning outcomes of the specific unit and learners requiring the training • whether or not we could integrate any of the functional skills into the courses and; • how my own and others communication skills could be causing barriers to effective learning. Methodology I used a number of different methods when researching these topics. I started by looking up the definition of ‘communication on the internet which lead me to other websites which were particularly useful when researching Functional Skills. I also read a number of different books which had been recommended by other trainers and finally used the feedback provided by my assessor from my observed lessons in relation to my verbal and non-verbal communication when delivering training. The reason for using these research methods was that I wanted to be able to use my findings to help develop and improve myself as a trainer. Therefore, I needed to ensure that my research was relevant to me personally e.g. my feedback from observed lessons. Précis In the early 1970s Malcolm Knowles introduced the term "andragogy," describing differences between children and adult learners (Knowles, Swanson, & Holton, 2005). Andragogy focuses on special needs of adult learners. Knowles identified six assumptions about adult learning: (1) need to know, (2) self-concept, (3) prior experience, (4) readiness to learn, (5) learning orientation, and (6) motivation to learn. Of these six assumptions, self-concept is about negotiation, about adults believing that they are responsible for their lives (Knowles et al., 2005). They need to be seen and treated as capable and self-directed. Facilitators should create environments where adults develop their latent self-directed learning skills (Brookfield, 1986). In their book, ‘Teaching, Training & Learning: A Practical Guide’, Reece and Walker (2007, p.264) argue that a negotiated course design will not only suit the needs of individual learners but will demonstrate a commitment to, and owner ship of, their own learning. However, they then go on to state that the system of negotiation is not without its problems. They cite a number of advantages such as increased motivation, a closer relationship with the trainer and early identification of learning problems as well as possible disadvantages which include a bureaucratic situation, unrealistic goals set and a difficult process to manage. Inclusive learning is about ensuring that each learner has the best opportunity to achieve. It can be affected by a number of issues including religion, language barriers, unfamiliarity with equipment such as computers, prior learning experiences or social issues, for example, single parents who are unable to attend evening training. The Quality Improvement Agency state on their website that: ‘ICT can support both individuals and groups and break down some of the barriers that lead to educational exclusion, disaffection and underachievement.’ Feedback regarding teaching methodologies should be sought regularly from the class and used to ‘fine tune’ subsequent session plans by identifying the most effective and enjoyable methods of the group absorbing learning. Functional skills are defined by the Quality and Curriculum Authority on their website as: ‘those core elements of English, Mathematics and ICT that provide an individual with the essential knowledge, skills and understanding that will enable them to operate confidently, effectively and independently in life and at work.’ They go on to explain that, in terms of language and literacy, learners should be confident and capable when speaking, listening, reading and writing and are able to communicate effectively in a range of situations and levels, in mathematics, learners will be able to solve problems in context, including the use of ICT when appropriate and in ICT learners will be able to use ICT to find, select and bring together relevant information in order to interpret and exchange information. What is 'communication'' According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary the word means 'the act of imparting, especially news', or 'the science and practice of transmitting information'. These definitions clearly show the link between 'teaching' and 'communication' as teachers are constantly imparting new knowledge or transmitting information. Communication is a complex process and in order for it to be effective, it must be a two-way process and involve both verbal and non-verbal communication. Hubley (1993) concluded that teachers need to be aware of both their own body language and that of their students if they are to truly communicate effectively and ensure that their students have the best possible chance of learning from their teaching. The adult learner has many responsibilities that must be balanced against the demands of learning. Because of these responsibilities, adults may have barriers against participating in learning. Some of these barriers include (a) lack of time, (b) lack of confidence, (c) lack of information about opportunities to learn, (d) scheduling problems, (e) lack of motivation, and (f) "red tape" (Lieb, 1991). If the learner does not see the need for the change in behaviour or knowledge, a barrier exits. Likewise, if the learner can not apply learning to his/her past experiential or educational situations, the teacher will have barriers to overcome. Conclusion In concluding this research, it has been pleasing to see that overall, my planning, designing, implementation and evaluation of the training I carry out for South Wales Police, is in line with current best practice and thinking. For example, we naturally embed elements of Functional Skills, mainly language and literacy, into our teaching and training. During activities such as Statement Writing, officers have to write and evaluate statements to ensure that they are clear, concise, accurate and ready for presenting at court. Personal Safety training involves tactical communication. Here officers are taught how to use correct and appropriate speaking and listening skills as well as analysing their own and others non-verbal communication to ensure personal safety. To ensure inclusivity, all lessons plans have to go through an Equality Impact Assessment process to ensure that a variety of teaching methods, learning styles, resources and barriers to learning have been taken into account when writing all lessons. This process also ensures that all learning materials used, e.g. handouts and case studies, promote equality and value diversity. As part of all trainers’ on-going professional development, bi-annual assessments are carried out by qualified assessors, to ensure that we are embedding best practice into our teaching and training. This process involves 1) a pre-brief meeting to discuss the lesson plan design and content 2) an observation of the lesson, which covers issues such as the learning environment, the pace and structure of the learning, the identification and support of individual learning needs, checks on learning, inclusive learning strategies, teacher style and effective communication skills , the management of learning and learner involvement and 3) a de-brief of the lesson in which we are given written feedback with an action plan if required. However, one area in which improvement could be made is that of negotiation. Although some areas of officer training is already negotiated, for example, behavioural ground rules and the length and timing of coffee and lunch breaks, others could be considered. Although it would be almost impossible to negotiate learning aims and objectives with officers, as these are often identified by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), one area I could consider negotiating on is that of assessment. For example, I could discuss the methods available and negotiate the timing, models and/or setting of assessments with the learners. The benefits of this would include encouraging officers to really think about what skill or knowledge needs to be assessed and what activity might really assess it and much of the stress and nervousness may be removed, allowing officers to give a more realistic demonstration of their knowledge, skills and attitudes. (1223 words) Bibliography Brookfield, S. D. (1986). Understanding and facilitating adult learning: A comprehensive analysis of principles and effective practices. California: Jossey-Bass, Inc. Daines, J., Daines, C, and Graham, B. (2006) Adult Learning, Adult Teaching. Welsh Academic Press Hubley, J. (1993) Communicating Health. London: Macmillan Knowles, M. (1984). (3rd Edn) The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species. Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing. Knowles, M. S., Swanson, R. A., & Holton, E. F. III (2005). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (6th ed.). California: Elsevier Science and Technology Books. Lieb, S. (1991) Adult learning principles. [on-line] Available from http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/adults-2.htm. [Accessed 15 June 2009] Petty, G. (2004) (3rd Edn) Teaching Today. Nelson Thornes Quality Improvement Agency (2008) Inclusive Learning and Teaching [on-line] Excellence Gateway. Available from http://excellence.qia.org.uk/page.aspx'o=135154 [Accessed 12 June 2009] Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (2009) Functional Skills [on-line] Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Available from http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_6062.aspx [Accessed 15 June 2009] Reece, I., and Walker, S. (2003) (5th Edn) Teaching, Training and Learning: A Practical Guide. Business Education Publishers [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]