AQS Management Systems, Inc. uses the latest in adult learning principles in the development and presentation of its training programs. These principles make extensive use of Discovery Learning, a technique that has long been recognized among professional educators. Our programs represent Educational Excellence, in addition to technical excellence. The bibliography below provides additional information on the techniques AQS Management Systems has learned from and adapted for our use.
Our carefully constructed training programs make use of five techniques that are specifically designed to help us achieve excellence. These contribute to making all of our training programs performance leaders. These five techniques include:
1. Learning Methods
AQS Management Systems recognizes four basic methods of presenting content to our students in three learning domains; cognitive, humanistic and behavioral. Each has a purpose and must be presented sequentially to ensure student learning objectives are met and, in most cases, exceeded.
A basic tenant of the methods is that you need to use all of the methods to ensure that the learning will "stick." Each method (described below) provides the student with the knowledge or skills to move to a higher learning plateau.
Lecture: This is used when students have little or no knowledge of the subject matter. This method works best for the introduction of new concepts or facts. It presents information from the cognitive domain. If this method is used beyond the basic introduction of new material, the student will inevitably tune out. If this method is skipped, the student will become lost and core learning cannot take place. While this can be considered the least effective type of training, it is necessary to set the stage for further learning. The most common mistake made in training is to use too much lecture.
Participative Lecture: This is used when students have some knowledge of the subject matter. This method ensures that students become participants in learning at an early stage. It also allows students to relate the new material or fact to their unique situation or existing knowledge base. Communication is two way and students are able to enrich the subject matter with their contributions. Student learning is increased to a point where students are ready to move on to Discovery Learning.
Discussion: This is the first stage of Discovery Learning and is part of the humanistic domain. It allows the student to share experiences with the instructor and the class as a means of sharpening their knowledge. Successful use of the Discussion method will allow students to interact, re-arrange and test their knowledge. The Discussion method will fully engage each student in the learning process.
Self Directed Learning: This is the second stage of Discovery Learning and it is part of the behavioral domain of learning. This method is used extensively throughout all of our training programs. This is the most effective learning method, because it is here that knowledge and skills are imbedded into behaviors that can be reproduced in the workplace. At this stage, students become fully responsible for the learning outcome. While this method is the most effective, these experiences must be carefully crafted during authorship and properly managed in the classroom to achieve performance results. AQS Management Systems has a staff of educational professionals who have developed these programs and ensure that they are "on target" for our learners. AQS Management Systems use two types of Self Directed Learning in our Student Activities:
Student Discovery – These are essentially problems that the student must solve in a small group setting. The problems are carefully crafted to ensure the learning is directed toward the overall goals of the course. Further, this method provides instructors with the opportunity to evaluate student contributions and skills as part of our measurement system.
Role Play – These are situations that have been carefully crafted so the student can practice what they have learned. Emphasis is placed on creating a "no fault" learning environment, where students are allowed to fail as well as to succeed. The theme of these exercises is to polish the newly acquired skill without fear of failure; students learn by doing.
2. The Deming Cycle and the PDCA Model
AQS Management Systems uses the PDCA model in the management of all training programs. Use of the model provides the structure that focuses instructors and students on results. AQS Management Systems uses this model for entire training programs and within each learning event.
Plan
- State the purpose and reach agreement among participants
- Establish goals
- Establish learning objectives and measurements of success
Do
- Present Material / information
Check
- Check for learning during student discussions
- Student Discovery - allows students to check their knowledge / skills
- Measure results (conducted during the discussion that follows each student activity)
Act
- Role Play - used to demonstrate (and build confidence) in knowledge / skills
- Measure results (conducted during the discussion that follows each student role play)
- Written Examination
Each of our courses uses the PDCA cycle on each individual learning objective as a means of ensuring the results our students have come to expect. Students will see the PDCA cycle repeated many times in each course.
3. Learning Modes
Research has shown that students learn visually, auditorally, and kinesthetically. Learning can take place when we; see, hear, respond, solve, and feel/experience. A typical program allows the student to learn by "seeing" and "hearing" a lecture supported by overhead slides, a textbook and instructor lecture.
AQS Management Systems course materials place a heavy emphasis on doing, which allows the student to add "do" to the "see" and "hear." AQS Management Systems has deliberately constructed our textbook to match our overhead slides. Instructors are coached to provide specific supplemental material that translates to course notes recorded by students. Much of the instructor's added content provides for practical application of course content to promote performance improvement in the workplace. Note taking is the activity that expands learning into the kinesthetic mode where it becomes a powerful reinforcement to the learning objectives.
4. Sequence
AQS Management Systems believes there is a sequence to presenting materials that enrich the content. AQS Management Systems has worked hard to ensure that we build the basics first as a means of ensuring that follow-on topics are understood within their proper contexts.
5. Benchmarking
AQS Management Systems practices competitive benchmarking as a means of keeping all of our training programs at least one full generation ahead of our best competitor. AQS Management Systems has found that the best lessons are not learned from other RABQSA course providers but from other more innovative educational programs found throughout North America. We have adopted benchmarking as part of our continuous improvement process.
Our educational philosophy is based on the following:
Begin Here: The Forgotten Conditions of Teaching and Learning, Jacques Barzun and Morris Philipson, American Council on Education, 1991
Behaviorism Versus Humanism, Tom Huberty and Tom Kramlinger, Training and Development Journal, 1990
Developing Seminars for Adult Learners, Dr. Eugene J. Audette, University of St. Thomas, 1988
Improving Instructional Learning: Applying Deming's Quality Principles in Classrooms, Lee Jenkins 1996
Teaching Smart People How to Learn, Chris Argyris, Harvard Business Review, 1991
Orchestrating Learning With Quality, American Society for Quality, David P. Langford and Bargara A. Cleary 1995 |
