One of the main reasons I decided to take the PDAL program was to learn how to design more effective workshops and presentations so my students could actively practice the new behavior and embody what they learned. Often students of self-development content take in the information but fail to make the changes they seek. My intention with my studies was to learn how to better design programs to help people make meaningful changes in their lives.
Program Design PDAL 0110
This course reminded me how important the needs assessment phase is to accurately determine the learning objectives and what the result is at the end of the program and ongoing. In the past, I had a hard time articulating in written format what the learning outcomes would be for my programs. This course helped me to do this better and I continue to practice this skill. I intuitively know what the outcomes are but being able to articulate it in a way that connects with what my audience needs in a way they can understand and connect with is a skill I continue to work on.
Application in the Workplace
The Program Design course has been very helpful in creating a logical flow that makes it easier for me to absorb what the learner wants to accomplish and communicate it through learning objectives that help them fill the gap in the fastest way possible. I used this approach when creating the Strength in Community Workshop program – a 6-week program that addresses the needs of women entrepreneurs as we move through the pandemic. It helps them learn the skills they need to move forward in their businesses while they connect with other entrepreneurs in a community setting. Overall the program is designed to take the unique needs of rural and northern Manitoba female entrepreneurs into account, which are different than those of urban entrepreneurs.
Here is the promotional post of the Strength in Community Workshops which outlines the learning objectives.
Needs Assessment PDAL 0120
The assignments for Needs Assessment enabled me to use a proposed project as a test case for developing a new program. As a consultant, I didn’t have projects from my job that I could readily use without client permission so I partnered with a new company for this project in exchange for a copy of the final report. That in itself made the process more interesting and valuable as I was able to develop new relationships and offered something that was beneficial for myself and the company I partnered with.
A new tool to me was the decision matrix where costs, time to implement, potential impact are taken into account when analyzing the best way to offer training given resources available including time. The use of the performance gap process was also new and allowed me to see the value of drilling down through questioning to help stakeholders discover potential reasons for performance gaps. As a curious person who loves learning, I enjoyed seeing how asking curious questions helps to uncover organizational issues.
This image shows the Decision Matrix used to determine the best path to fill the gap in leadership skills.
Application in the Workplace
I’ve used what I learned in the Needs Assessment program in every course I develop. I look at where the gaps are for learners and how I can help them fill that gap in the fastest, most cost-efficient, and effective manner.
Program Evaluation PDAL 160
This course allowed me to use a program I was designing for Team Building as a test case. The assignments in this course took me deeper into what I might call social program evaluation on a larger scale and made me think of the challenges of measuring learning outcomes and behavior change from programs where there is a lack of access to learners after the end of the program. I was introduced to program evaluation standards and the logic model, two tools I had not used before which opened up my way of looking at behavior change and the challenges of measuring the success of public programs.
Application in the Workplace
Shortly after taking this course, I was hired to do an assessment in a new series of online video workshops. Being able to immediately put my new skills to use was a great way to build upon the skills of all of my courses so far. The analysis of the efficacy of the workshops aligned with the original needs of the learners and the program design as well as what I learned about adult learners, and universal design. In this case, the evaluation task was an overall view of the proposed program.
Diversity and Accommodation PDAL 150
I took the Diversity and Inclusion course at an interesting time. It was just after the Covid pandemic started and I was shifting my work to an online format. A project I was working on was creating a virtual Team building workshop for international students. They were connecting from countries all over the world with the cultural and language variety that came from over 20 countries in some classes. This was also during the time of George Floyd’s death and the Black Live Matter protests that were starting in May and June of 2020.
As I moved through this course I was aware of the need for accommodations, awareness, and sensitivity to current events as we develop and deliver our programs. There is so much we can take for granted as learning and development professionals including what is easier to see and what is going on below the surface for our students.
This course helped me to become more sensitive in my facilitation and program design when developing cross-cultural programming to meet the needs of all students.
An example of an assignment that takes into account a group of students is included below.
Application in the Workplace
Shortly after I completed this course I was hired to create a team-building workshop for international students from around the world who were now taking their professional programs virtually due to the pandemic restrictions. The Diversity and Accommodations course was highly useful as my students were from over 30 countries, mostly with English as their second (or more) language. This required me to keep in mind the differences of time zones, availability of technology (zoom was used), language levels, cultural differences, comfort with being on video and using audio. This kind of program, with so many moving parts, was fun to deliver, and I enjoyed seeing students connect with each other in a virtual setting even though they were thousands of miles away.
Here is a quote from one of my students:
“I thoroughly enjoyed yesterday’s Team Building activity! Had a great bonding with the team! All credit to your style of teaching! This is the best thing to happen to a set of diverse strangers meeting online. I am going to use much of what you taught all through the rest of my life to better network! Thank you so much again!” – Mahesh Kumar BVN
Technology and Learning PDAL 140
In the Technology and Learning course, I was challenged to look at a learning program and suggest a better way to use technology for learning and develop an implementation plan. During this course, I had the opportunity to dive into Thinkific as a program development tool, analyze an existing program and create a plan for implementation for the organization. One obvious aspect of this project was the greater depth of knowledge I gained about using Thinkific as a learning development tool. As someone who enjoys learning new software programs, this was a fun and challenging task.
Beyond that, I gained knowledge of change management frameworks, in this case, the ADKAR model, to identify potential barriers to accepting the change of moving to Thinkific. ADKAR stands for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement. I have always enjoyed positive change and learning new things so my aha moment was a greater awareness of the importance of the first two steps in the model of helping the people in an organization become aware of the need for change, then desiring the change. In the past, I might have moved quickly through these two phases as I embrace them more easily than others. I now see how critical taking the time and doing this well is, and how it sets the learning and development project up for success.
Application in the Workplace
I was initially hired to facilitate the Strength in Community Workshops and after taking several courses on teaching and technology I quickly saw an opportunity to improve the course delivery by using Mighty Networks platform to develop the workshops and create a community for the participants. The content of this PDAL course helped me to prepare a proposal of the benefits of hosting the workshops on this platform while creating space for learners to engage with each other and the Women’s Enterprise Centre of Manitoba.
Using what I learned about change management, I was able to work with the team to transfer the program to this platform successfully. The program has been highly successful and we are excited to be expanding on program offerings through the use of this technology.
Here’s an example of the table of contents for this first course.
Foundations of Teaching Online EDTC 550
One of my growth experiences was learning more about the Community of Inquiry and how important it is to have instructor presence in the courses I facilitate. Part of my responsibility as a facilitator is to be present, encourage students to learn from each other. I have experienced this first-hand in courses I’ve taken where the facilitator does not answer emails, is not present in the online discussion, is not present in the course materials, and sometimes is barely present in the assignment feedback.
As an introvert, being more present in my instruction time does not always come naturally for me, but realizing how important it is for students, I make a specific effort to pop into breakout rooms on zoom, participate in chats in my course community discussions, and open up the zoom class to questions and feedback. This engagement with students has benefitted me in my work and the students as well. I will continue to develop this part of my programming.
Applications in the Workplace
I’ve been drawn to the technology courses in the PDAL program and enjoy the power they give my program development in the ways that I can connect with learners. I continue to use technology to create learning tools, facilitation, and interactivity from learner to learner. I’ve used these new skills in every program I’ve developed and facilitated since.
Using Technology for Teaching and Training EDTC 560
In this course, I explored many technology options for delivering learning and development programs. I discovered that I enjoy learning new technologies and teaching them. I also gained a fair bit of confidence in being able to dive into new software program and not being afraid of the learning curve. I’ve moved from a fixed mindset in this area, to a growth mindset and hope to help other mid-aged adults do this same.
This assignment explores various technology tools that can work for a program including the basic ones of text, audio that are not always thought of as technologies.
Check out this video on using our Strength of Creativity in new ways. It was created to help students look at ways they can apply this strength differently when taking the workshop. The images and video clips were created in Canva.com.
Application in the Workplace
I’ve found my happy place in using technology to create connections and communicate with learners. I will continue to learn about new technologies and ways to use them in my programs and facilitation.
