I want to make it clear right at the outset that in this post I do not have any answers. I am posting it because I really want to hear what you all think. So lets go.
In part one I talked about the work of Richard Potts, director of the Human Origins Programme at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and his Variability Selection Theory.
The basic premise behind his theory is that there are two powerful features of the human brain: a database to store knowledge and the ability to then deviate off the database to solve problems and learn new things.
I finished the post by asking:
“When is it OK for the trainer to fill in gaps in the learner’s database”
“Can you train in a subject you know nothing about”?
When is it OK for the trainer to fill in gaps in the learner’s database?
I was recently running a “train the trainer” session for a client. At one point a small group of the learners were given a topic by their boss to redesign and then run a short section of the redesigned session using their new understandings from the course.
They refused saying that in order to train this topic, their learners would need to have a degree of prior knowledge. In other words the gap between the starting point of their session and our database was too great.
Fair point I thought.
But what if the gap isn’t as big as in this example?
NLP tells us that “we all have all the resources we need” and brain friendly training builds on this premise when we talk about “creation not consumption”
But what if the gap in our learner’s database is just enough for them to be unable to jump it themselves?
- What if the trainer has the knowledge the learners need to fill in the gap?
- Is it brain friendly for the trainer to fill the gap for them?
And so onto to question 2.
Can you train in a subject you know nothing about?
If the answer to question one is “No, It isn’t OK for trainers to use their knowledge to fill in the database gaps of their learners” then do trainers actually need to know anything about the subject they are training in?
Does “creation not consumption” mean that all the content has to come from the learners and what they get is what they get?
I remember a good few years ago delivering a time management programme as an internal consultant without having the first idea what time management was about. I know I found it a deeply challenging experience and yet the learners had a great day, developed some really useful insights and reported that the course was great.
Would it have been awesome if I had been a time management expert?
I don’t know what the answers to these 2 questions are but I would love to hear from you what your answers are:
- post a comment here
- start a discussion in a LinkedIn group you belong to – let us know where by putting the group name in a comment below)
- twitter your thoughts and add @bftrainer to the tweet
If you use LinkedIn and want to hook up with Ally or Paul, check out our profiles and add us to your network
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2 Comments
Thought provoking stuff as always
On whether the facilitator needs to be an expert- I would say it depends on the subject and the time available to train. I wouldn’t want the last thing I hear before I drift under the aneasthesia to be the surgeon saying ‘right guys, we’ve got her for 2 hours, lets see who can find and identify the most squishy bits correctly cos I’ve never got to grips with anatomy.’
On the other hand I’ve been in a similar position to you Paul, in being less than an expert and just guiding the group to explore and think about their approach to something. The feedback has been great for these events!
From the time point of view we don’t always have the luxury of having the time to allow learners to explore so being a subject matter expert can help to close off simple questions, especially in things like I.T. training.
I guess you also need to consider peoples learning styles. Some people will love playing and finding the answer through discussion, others will hate it and will expect answers provided.
I guess one way to strike a balance is to think about subject matter and time available and use this to pick a facilitator and design the learning
Hiya Annabel,
Your comment about the surgeon made me laugh out loud. Thank you!
I link this a little to coaching. A great facilitator is like a good coach. They need to know the right questions to ask. The answers always belong to the coachee. And I have at times been known to use “blind coaching” where I know nothing of the other person’s circumstances but lead them through a process that I know works.
I guess that’s what we do when we are facilitating a session on a subject we are not expert in.
Lets see what others say.
Ciao for now,
Paul
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[...] Read Part Two – Despite not knowing the answers, Paul expands on the questions: “When is it OK for the [...]
[...] Firstly, it highlights the change in emphasis from learners being consumers of facts and information delivered by the expert at the front to explorers seeking solutions and creating knowledge for themselves with the support of a skilled guide. Paul hinted at the significance of this in “When the brain goes off piste pt.2” [...]