Planning the Event and Incorporating Learning Theory
In designing my learning activities, I meticulously planned every aspect, considering various adult learning theories and the learning cycle to ensure an effective and engaging training session. My planning revolved around Knowles’ theory of andragogy, which underscores the need for self-direction as a significant factor in the learning of adults. Considering that adult engagement is based on practical horizontal knowledge application, pure information conveyance was replaced by an interactive trait (Ngozwana, 2020). Leveraging Knowles’ principles, I devised activities to make the participants work with the trafficking issue from their perspective. This included things such as permitting checkpoints for students’ self-esteem, reflecting, and exchanging views and thoughts within their groups and among students in general. By encouraging participants on the journey to be cooperative and wholehearted, I intended to benefit from the knowledge of the crowd and make individual learning a process. Besides that, I intertwined the constructs of other non-formal adult learning theories and transformative learning theories to make the training program more critical and transformative as well.
Learning Cycle Integration
Using Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, where learning is seen as a cyclic process through which experiences are concretized, reflective observation takes place, and abstract conceptualization occurs, with active experimentation following suit, I integrated this concept. To cater to the different learning styles, I included various activities, including group discussions, case studies, and interactive exercises. The practical part was probably the most efficient, transmitted by actual events and simulations so the participants could experience the material closely (Lee, 2020). This was followed by the instruction of reflective observation of participants, which helped them obtain new insight by reflecting on their experiences and finding patterns and connections to concepts. Group discussions were the space to demonstrate our different knowledge and views, torching the flame of teamwork and peer learning. Also, emphasizing an understanding of the subject matter during the phase of abstract conceptualization, participants were instructed to think about balancing analysis and synthesis skills, considering the observations and personal experiences that led to the creation of conceptual frameworks. At this phase, participants examined the theories, paradigms, and constructs applicable to the selected facet, challenging them to critically analyze and link theoretical concepts with practical scenarios.
Experimentation was further stimulated through “hands-on” activities such as exercises and field experiments that served to deepen the participants’ understanding and, to a large extent, contribute towards honing their knowledge and skills in real-world scenarios. Through this phase, the participants had chances to test the hypotheses, try some other solutions, and develop a better understanding from the obtained experience. Kolb’s experiential learning cycle has been integrated to add to the overall training design; the training is a comprehensive learning experience that considers the group’s un-resembled learning needs and options (Lee, 2020). It not only actively enabled the participants’ engagement but also helped to immerse us better into the central theme of the studies.
Training Plan
The training plan was a blended learning curriculum designed to bring the best outcomes. At the same time, it was also efficient in managing time. The room arrangement was done circularly to enrich collaborative work and allow communication with others quickly. Create your journey and become a global citizen! The round of the seating arrangement was a deliberate decision to promote a sense of inclusivity where all the participants are equally valued and feel engaged (Lee, 2020). The event provided an engaging and immersive experience. With this setup, the openness invited free conversations and moved around the room simply, which made people feel connected not on the same platform but in the same community. I employed the physical layout and multifaceted teaching materials that easily integrate with different learning styles for better engagement. Pictures were used as a way of representing complex concepts or to reaffirm the essential points that were highlighted. This was done along with the video clips that allowed for more dynamic and interactive content to explain the complex concepts in the theoretical aspects. Printed handouts were offered for additional information along with the session; participants could then review them at their own time and refer to them whenever needed during or after the training period. To enable participants to engage directly, I wove interactive components such as polling questions and group activities into the training program to spice things up and maintain participants’ attention. By including a range of resources and diversified activities, one can cater to the different learning styles and ensure that each participant can participate in a meaningful, goal-oriented way.
Lesson Plan
Practice on the Day and Lessons Learned
On the event day, the implementation of the project just stayed on track as planned. Interestingly, certain unplanned events affected the session in different ways, such as technical hiccups and the level of engagement of participants.
Feedback and Reflections
I was glad to get feedback from the trainees that they were fully involved in the program and that the games had repeated positive information in the learning process. Audiences appreciated the opportunity for practical, hands-on activities and peer collaboration while applying the theoretical knowledge in real situations. Providing real-time feedback on the success of incorporating various learning activities and interactive parts into the training proved that it created a vibrant learning environment more conducive to the learning process (Gordon, 2022). Participants showed greater engagement as they became active members of the learning process. Nevertheless, the critique conceded that the film should work on the speed of the delivery of information and the use of appropriate symbols and metaphors for the ideas in question. Several persons have shown concern about the speed of the session, as they have felt a sense of haste, and some segments were not adequately deliberate and skipped. Furthermore, some participants expressed difficulties regarding particular subjects/concepts, implying that the lecturer should help create more precise concepts.
Considering that I was confronted with these remarks, I realized that flexibility and adaptability would be helpful when it comes to unforeseen circumstances and coordinating a training session. The implementation of a precise plan should not be undermined; the needs and feedback from the user in real life should also be taken into consideration. Now that I have learned from this experience, I am confident that the confluence between being thorough in content presentation and allowing enough practice and teamwork is the best way to maximize the learning outcomes.
Regarding future activities, the solution to this problem is to work on schedule so that the meeting duration will be longer and allow more time to discuss profoundly and for reflection. Further, I will prioritize improving the core idea’s clarity by referring to the review of slides and adding some additional explanations where relevant. Thanks to the feedback, I plan to effect practical improvements in the subsequent training events so that all the participants will gain a deeper level of learning.
Action Plan for Improvement
Pacing and Time Management: To overcome pacing issues, I will swiftly disclose the content and dedicate particular breaks for each responsibility in the coming lessons. This will then follow a process of getting the time needed to be added to each training step and properly performing an agenda rearrangement. For this, I will establish clear deadlines and prioritize major activities to create a more structural and comfortable learning environment for participants. Moreover, I will include some active learning activities, such as small group discussions and hands-on exercises, so the participants stay focused and fully engaged throughout the session. Moreover, it will also provide activities to develop the information presentation with the active involvement of the participants and reflection, which will undoubtedly increase the learning outcomes.
Clarity of Concepts: To ensure that ideas are clear, I will redo the slides to explain significant points well. Ideally, this means reordering how new terms and ideas are presented to let the complexity sink in more easily. They can also use physical materials like drawings and pictures to understand abstract concepts and definitions better when required through constructing interconnected presentation slides and supplementary source materials in a way that gives participants clear, concise, and understandable facts that are easy to understand and retain. Furthermore, I will admit questions and feedback from participants during the session so that the issue is resolved at any lingering doubts or uncertainties on their side, as well as to promote the clarity and comprehensibility features of the training content.
Conclusion
Time management in event planning begins with looking into different kinds of adult learning theories and how different instructional strategies should be involved. After the experience, I have successfully identified my shortcomings and used a tailored action plan to improve in the upcoming sessions. I aim to empower students by developing a process that will continually improve my teaching style and adaptations. Through implementing feedback, I will be performing as an education facilitator.
References
Gordon, S. P. 2022. Integrating the experiential learning cycle with educational supervision. Journal of Educational Supervision, 5(3), 1.
Lee, K. W. 2020. Learning management knowledge: Integrating learning cycle theory and knowledge types perspective. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 19(2), 192-222.
Ngozwana, N. 2020. The application of adult learning theory (andragogy) by adult educators and adult learners in the context of Eswatini. Uneswa Journal of Education (UJOE).
Appendix
Appendix A: Training Plan
