Attitudinal Based Learning Giving Learners the Choices they Need
Abstract
Attitudinal Based Learning uses an individual learner’s choice to learn to provide a more solid foundation for sustained change than can be achieved by simply developing knowledge or skills. This article introduces the ideas on which Attitudinal Based Learning is established, how it works in practice, and provides a simple guide to adding an attitudinal element to training.
Key Learning Points
The Key Learning Points this article aims to provide are:
1. The basic concepts of how Attitudinal Based Learning can improve How Adults Learn
2. The difference in effectiveness between pedagogic and andragogic learning processes
3. The relationship between beliefs and values and delegate behaviour
4. How Attitudinal Based Learning works in practice and adds value to other learning methodologies
5. How attitudinal elements can be introduced into training
About the Author
Abstract
Attitudinal Based Learning uses an individual learner’s choice to learn to provide a more solid foundation for sustained change than can be achieved by simply developing knowledge or skills. This article introduces the ideas on which Attitudinal Based Learning is established, how it works in practice, and provides a simple guide to adding an attitudinal element to training.
Key Learning Points
The Key Learning Points this article aims to provide are:
1. The basic concepts of how Attitudinal Based Learning can improve How Adults Learn
2. The difference in effectiveness between pedagogic and andragogic learning processes
3. The relationship between beliefs and values and delegate behaviour
4. How Attitudinal Based Learning works in practice and adds value to other learning methodologies
5. How attitudinal elements can be introduced into training
About the Author
Paul Dunn – contact@howadultslearn.com
Paul has been pioneering the development and practical delivery of the latest learning technologies for the last 20 years. He is an international speaker and broadcaster on organisational development and Accelerated Learning. He is perhaps the leading authority on Attitudinal Based Learning in organisations and consults globally with P3 Training in aligning business, organisational vision and people through values.
Attitudinal Based Learning – Giving Learners the Choices they Need
Introduction
You can take a horse to water, but how do you make it drink?
You can coach, train, and develop skills; you can even ‘accelerate’ learning, but ultimately these only ‘take the horse to water’. It is the horse that chooses whether to drink or not. The basis on which a learner decides to learn, to take on board new knowledge, to develop new behaviours, and to ‘change’ is peculiar to each individual. In particular, the decision to learn is driven by the perceived usefulness, or not, of new material, given their personal context. Attitudinal Based Learning focuses on this decision making process, and in so doing aims to establish a more solid foundation for sustained change than simply developing knowledge or skills.
What is Attitudinal Based Learning?
You can coach, train, and develop skills; you can even ‘accelerate’ learning, but ultimately these only ‘take the horse to water’. It is the horse that chooses whether to drink or not. The basis on which a learner decides to learn, to take on board new knowledge, to develop new behaviours, and to ‘change’ is peculiar to each individual. In particular, the decision to learn is driven by the perceived usefulness, or not, of new material, given their personal context. Attitudinal Based Learning focuses on this decision making process, and in so doing aims to establish a more solid foundation for sustained change than simply developing knowledge or skills.
What is Attitudinal Based Learning?
Developed out of the thinking of, amongst others, Malcolm Knowles and Robert Dilts, Attitudinal Based Learning is a systematic process designed to treat the learner’s context as the core construct to which we offer new choices.
Malcolm Knowles argued that adults require ‘andragogic’, rather than pedagogic learning processes. In the pedagogic process it is the teacher, not the pupil, who is in control of what is learned. The teacher even controls when and how the learning takes place. By contrast, adults require a learning process that enables them to fit the new knowledge, skill or behaviour in their own unique context. This is what Knowles referred to as ‘andragogy’. Forcing ideas, content or skills on adult learners, without this fit, simply creates a learning resistance cycle within learners. In practice this hypothesis is evidenced by the behavioural response from a delegate ‘sent’ on development. Knowles concluded that behaviourist and cognitive approaches are equally useful or un-useful and that a higher order connector was required.
The shift in mindset of trainers demanded by this conclusion is enormous. People are not re-programmable machines; their behaviour is not always rational; they have the ability of free thought and can exercise choice. The learner is in control, decides what is to be learned – or not, how it is to be used - or not. Thus a trainer’s job becomes one of convincing people that learning is to their advantage, rather than simply developing new knowledge or skills within them. Furthermore, in this paradigm, organisational needs can only be satisfied if the learner decides that change is worthwhile to them.
Robert Dilts supports this thinking by explaining that we all operate at different levels -each deeper level being more powerful than the previous. External behaviour is the manifestation of those levels working in combination. Dilts proposes that changing beliefs and values (attitudes) will have a ripple effect on capabilities, skills knowledge and the environment.
So, let us consider the choice aspect of learners. Do learners make choices on the basis of a change in their environment? – Sometimes. Do learners make choices on the basis of lots more information? – Sometimes. Do they make choices based on the application of new skills? - Sometimes. Do they make choices based on their beliefs and attitudes? - Almost always. Do they make choices on the basis of their own identity and their personal place in the world? Almost always.
Attitudinal Based Learning interventions focus on these deeper, more powerful levels and, therefore, deliver a superior return on investment and more sustained levels of change.
So how does it work in practice?
Malcolm Knowles argued that adults require ‘andragogic’, rather than pedagogic learning processes. In the pedagogic process it is the teacher, not the pupil, who is in control of what is learned. The teacher even controls when and how the learning takes place. By contrast, adults require a learning process that enables them to fit the new knowledge, skill or behaviour in their own unique context. This is what Knowles referred to as ‘andragogy’. Forcing ideas, content or skills on adult learners, without this fit, simply creates a learning resistance cycle within learners. In practice this hypothesis is evidenced by the behavioural response from a delegate ‘sent’ on development. Knowles concluded that behaviourist and cognitive approaches are equally useful or un-useful and that a higher order connector was required.
The shift in mindset of trainers demanded by this conclusion is enormous. People are not re-programmable machines; their behaviour is not always rational; they have the ability of free thought and can exercise choice. The learner is in control, decides what is to be learned – or not, how it is to be used - or not. Thus a trainer’s job becomes one of convincing people that learning is to their advantage, rather than simply developing new knowledge or skills within them. Furthermore, in this paradigm, organisational needs can only be satisfied if the learner decides that change is worthwhile to them.
Robert Dilts supports this thinking by explaining that we all operate at different levels -each deeper level being more powerful than the previous. External behaviour is the manifestation of those levels working in combination. Dilts proposes that changing beliefs and values (attitudes) will have a ripple effect on capabilities, skills knowledge and the environment.
So, let us consider the choice aspect of learners. Do learners make choices on the basis of a change in their environment? – Sometimes. Do learners make choices on the basis of lots more information? – Sometimes. Do they make choices based on the application of new skills? - Sometimes. Do they make choices based on their beliefs and attitudes? - Almost always. Do they make choices on the basis of their own identity and their personal place in the world? Almost always.
Attitudinal Based Learning interventions focus on these deeper, more powerful levels and, therefore, deliver a superior return on investment and more sustained levels of change.
So how does it work in practice?
Attitudinal Based Learning starts by finding agreement on what delegates believe is true, useful and works. In practice this requires time to be spent up front considering the required change at a level that is conceptual, high chunk and attitudinal. Once this agreement is found, then, and only then, can they progress to new thinking.
Let us explore, for example, leadership behaviours. A typical Attitudinal Based Learning process would ask learners:
1. To identify for themselves truly great leaders
Let us explore, for example, leadership behaviours. A typical Attitudinal Based Learning process would ask learners:
1. To identify for themselves truly great leaders
2. To consider what beliefs, attitudes, skills and behaviours made them truly great
3. Whether all this data is useful to a budding leader
Most learners would agree that budding leaders would find the information useful, especially because no-one has challenged their perceived map of the world – the whole process has taken place in the learners’ context, not the trainer’s. The next step in the process would be to ask the learners to:
4. Consider how this data would apply to their working context, challenging and changing it to fit their environment
5. Consider whether this list would be useful for them to apply as individuals
****At this point, with the ‘avenues of escape’ cut off, the learners are left with no choice but to agree – their relationship with, and attitude towards, leadership behaviours has changed.
In structuring the process in this way the learner has not only been able to ‘fit’ the new material into their existing map of the world, but also identified the usefulness of it. Once this has been achieved, the learner will be keen to learn the new skills or attitudes and apply these in practice.
This Attitudinal Based Learning process can be used to ‘frame’ any subject, technical or non-technical, skills or knowledge based. Attitudinal Based Learning does not throw out the baby with the bathwater, best practice ideas such as Accelerated Learning, Gestalt Theory and NLP, are not discarded but included and enhanced by the use of Attitudinal Based Learning techniques.
Changing the focus of training towards Attitudinal Based Learning
The following ten-stage process will change the focus of training towards Attitudinal Based Learning:
1. Identify the attitudes that need changing in the Training Needs Analysis
2. Prepare a list of attitude based outcomes that describe the beliefs and values after the change
3. Focus the design on producing and re-enforcing these attitude shifts rather than the content itself
4. Start learning sessions at a conceptual and high chunk level, focusing outside the organisation
5. Work with these existing high chunk ‘useful’ ideas at the beginning and then add the new thinking as the session develops
6. Get learners to work out what is ‘right’, especially around behaviours, then overlay the organisational needs on top and find commonality
7. Avoid confronting learners’ personal maps of the world with statements such as ‘by the end of this session you will…’, especially during the early stages
8. Avoid challenging individuals personally in the early stages, operating in small, playful groups can be helpful in achieving this
9. Having established what learners think is right, mix delivery methodologies to explore new ideas
10. Ensure learners feel that they are intelligent, responsible and ‘adult’ – provide ideas or new thoughts rather than demands or ‘musts’.
Conclusion
Once a horse is at the water’s edge, if it wants to drink it will drink.
Similarly, a learner provided with information which is perceived as useful and which fits their personal map of the world will want to learn. Trainers who can bring learners to the conclusion that the information ‘fits’ their personal framework and is useful to them will achieve a significant increase in the take up and application of new knowledge, skills and behaviours – and isn’t that what it’s all about?
References
Dilts, R Changing Belief Systems with NLP Meta Publications 1990
Knowles, M The Adult Learner Butterworth Heinemann 1973
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