Some “learn” how to teach while others may “teach” how to “learn”. My philosophy, which I affectionately refer to as The “IT” Factor builds on the reciprocation of both roles and rests in three simple principles:
- Know thy audience.
- Inspire others to “do” and “learn” what inspires them.
- Make things as simple as possible, but no simpler.
Principle 1: Know Thy Audience.
My philosophy is based on the principles of the Adult Learner and the praxis of Andragogy. Many will debate “when” an individual becomes an Adult Learner, but my principle holds the same for all: Every learner is unique and every learner will draw most from what is important to them based on their previous or current experiences and motivations to learn. The best model of this is a reciprocal relationship between the teacher and the learner where lines of authority are blurred and both individuals coach one another in the learning process. Knowing thy audience also includes identifying preferred learning methods and inspiration behind individual learning. In addition to the individual, the “audience” is further defined by an understanding of the larger group, and/or discipline.
In Nursing, teaching and learning is fundamentally based on a “knowing of thy discipline”. From an “audience” perspective, this refers to an understanding of the context and dynamic needs of our population of professional learners. These professional learners include both traditional and nontraditional students which can be made up of high school graduates, later career GED completion students, distance and on-line learners, traditional face to face learners, college major transfers, previously degreed professionals, and even international English as a second language students. All of these “audience members” are unique in that they each present with various life experiences and motivations towards learning, however they all desire contextual inspiration of the same discipline.
Principle 2: Inspire others to “do” and “learn” what inspires them.
“Picture perfect” Adult Learners come with predefined intrinsic motivations and are easily inspired. Opponents of Andragogy debate the level of ownership required to be an Adult Learner, whereas I believe the lack of ownership simply stems from a lack of inspiration. The most effective “teachers” have the ability to coach “learners” towards what inspires them. I classify these characteristics as the E’s and A’s of “IT”. Facilitating inspiration requires an enforcing, enthusiastic, engaging and encouraging learning environment where the “teacher” enjoys what they do and present themselves as amendable, available, accessible, approachable, and accountable to learners.
Example Case
Take the case of Johnny: If Johnny is in a math class by necessity yet hates math, before effective learning takes place, the “teacher” must “get to know” Johnny. This is where the reciprocation of the “teacher” becoming a “learner” takes place. If Johnny has no ownership or intrinsic motivation, the “teacher” must then take responsibility to guide Johnny toward a path of importance. Along this journey however, “knowing” Johnny may require the “teacher” to “learn” new things and amend old ideas. Because of Johnny’s vulnerability in the learning process, a teacher who is approachable, available, accessible, and accountable easily facilitates the learning process for Johnny. While Johnny’s importance of math may seem like the end goal, importance by definition does not equal ownership; importance is simply a value or state of significance. Inspiration, however, is a force or an influence that makes Johnny want to do something.
Yes, Johnny is an individual, but the same principle of inspiration can be applied in group settings. Effective nurse educators have the have a responsibility to inspire learners to embrace an understanding and appreciation of the fundamentals of our discipline. These fundamentals include implementing safe and effective health interventions, caring for complex patient populations and communities, engaging in interprofessional learning strategies, practicing ethical and moral reasoning, embracing a progressively transforming health care system, engaging in evidenced based practice and research, and a instilling a passion for lifelong learning. While “knowing” each individual would maximize the learning process, knowing the “audience” in relation to our “discipline” is an efficient method of accomplishing the same goal of inspiration.
Principle 3: Make Things as Simple as Possible, but no Simpler
Learning environments and instructional strategies have evolved into such a complex myriad of opportunities, that the basic methodology of learning can easily get loss. While striving to remain innovative and relevant (or even refusing to do so), we face the challenges of evoking student frustration (they don’t know where to look for something they want), anxiety (they worry the thing they need is no longer available), and distrust (they assume we are hiding something). We must strive to keep learning simple and inspirational, despite the complexities of a continuing transformation of our discipline. On the contrary, over simplification can be a major hinderance to the Adult Learner resulting in a lack of independent ownership, critical inquiry, and overall “inspiration.” We must keep things as simple as possible, but no simpler.
While the historical and even modern principles of learning are fundamental, educational terminology continues to transform and sorting through foundational principles is a challenge even for the most advanced and experienced educator. Pragmatism, idealism, realism, humanism, progressivism, constructivism, and even reflective practice while logistically complex, all have a basis in two simple principles, so strive to keep it simple: Know thy audience and inspire others to “do” and “learn” what inspires them.
Brandon Rachal 