Allard (1991) on Program Planning

Allard, P. B. (1991). Why they didn't learn what we wanted them to learn. In T. J. Sork (Ed.), Mistakes made and lessons learned: Overcoming obstacles to successful program planning (New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, vol 49) (pp. 55-66). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Type of Work

• Book Chapter

Problem Addressed

• Planning errors that limit learners’ ability to learn

My Notes

• Great list of things to do/not do.
• Highlights the importance of clarity, buy-in, and keeping the focus on the learning (which requires an understanding of and a commitment to the learner).

Great Quote

• “Education can be imposed, but learning cannot” (p. 65).

Outline

1. Why it is important
1. Errors in planning reduce a planner’s credibility.
2. If participants question the credibility of the process, “they ‘shut down,’ or rather they fail to ‘open up,’ to become receptive to learning” (p. 55)
2. Types of planning errors
1. Carelessness
1. Premise: Every detail is important. If we can’t get the small things right, they won’t trust us with the big things (i.e., learning, personal development, etc.)
2. To Do:
1. Think about everything from every perspective. Anticipate mistakes and misunderstanding. (Example: foreign participants who drove to Woodstock, Vermont, instead of Woodstock, Connecticut.)
2. Avoid
1. sloppy setup
2. disorganized, out-of-date, and out-of-sync participant materials
3. equipment malfunctions
2. Confusion
1. Premise: Unidentified (and, therefore, unclarified) assumptions lead to confusion.
2. To Do:
1. Don’t assume that your vision matches everyone else’s vision. Spell it out to be sure!
2. Negotiate to achieve a single agenda. Multiple agendas lead to lack of focus which confuses participants.
1. Collaboration can lead to multiple agendas if too many stakeholders are involved.
3. Lack of Commitment
1. From Management
1. Premise: If management is not supportive, program objectives will be undermined.
2. To Do:
1. “Be sure you have commitment from each level of the organization, and if there seem to be inconsistencies in what the various levels expect, negotiate a compromise before planning proceeds” (p. 58).
2. From Participants
1. Premise:
1. Participant resistance limits learning.
2. Resistance is often based in fear of …
1. overexposure
2. not learning what one needs to know
3. wasting time
4. vulnerability
3. “Observers and auditors” disrupt the learning environment
2. To Do:
1. Be aware of who the participants are
1. “There are at least three kinds of people in a classroom: prisoners, vacationers, and sponges” (p. 58)
2. Expect resistance from prisoners and vacationers AND plan responses to the resistance
2. Create trusting environment
3. Let participants know what will and will not be reported back to supervisors
4. “Set the expectations early” (p. 59)
5. Don’t let folks “’just observe’” (p. 59)
6. Expect participants to be committed to the learning which includes
1. setting aside time to fully attend
2. “putting other work aside” (p. 60)
7. Use the confirmation letter (or another contact) to spell out attendance expectations ahead of time
8. Set the example in terms of time commitment, distractions, etc.
3. From Trainers
1. Premise: “danger comes when we begin to sacrifice the learning process to meet our own needs” (p. 62)
2. To Do:
1. Recognize and celebrate the fact that every learner and learning opportunity is unique.
2. “put aside our own egos, our personal agendas, and sometimes our beliefs and desires, no matter how well intended” (p. 61)
3. Define success in terms of learning, NOT based on whether or not participants liked it
4. Lack of Clarity and Courage
1. Premise: “Beware the hidden agenda” (p. 62).
2. To Do:
1. Do not compromise your ethical principles
2. Trust your instincts
1. Subject matter experts and others who are not program planners do not necessarily understand principles of program planning, but if those principles are not followed learning will not occur anyway.
5. Lack of Cultural Sensitivity
1. Premise: If they can’t understand you, they won’t learn what you want them to learn.
2. To Do:
1. “speak slowly and clearly and articulate fully” (p. 63)
2. “keep your face toward your audience as much as possible” (p. 63)
3. “listen to the word choices, grammar and syntax that international participants use, and match your words and grammar to theirs” (p. 64)
4. use props, etc. to demonstrate what you mean
5. use examples everyone can relate to (i.e., TV shows, movies)
6. “learn as much as you can ahead of time about the country and the specific organization where you will be training” (p. 65)

Conclusion

• Learners learn what they want to learn.
• Ultimately, we cannot force learners to learn what they do not want to learn.