How Did the Training Leaders of Cadets Course Measure Against the Motivation Framework?

Lt Carlson instructing at the TLC

Over the weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Civil Air Patrol Training Leaders of Cadets course. The course was one and a half days under the tutelage of Lt Col BJ Carlson. I felt it was a well-designed course, but I would like to take a moment and bump it up against Wlodkowski’s Motivational Framework for Culturally Responsive Teaching from his book Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn. I feel this is a useful exercise to help me better understand the framework.

If you remember, the framework comprises four distinct areas, with each one featuring its own strategies. However, you can use the strategies wherever they fit, without limiting them to a particular area. Here are strategies used within the class that specifically stood out to me.

Strategies for inclusion

1. Allow for introductions – After completing the safety briefing, Lt Col Carlson introduced herself and then asked all the students to introduce themselves. The students came from different Wyoming units, and one student came from South Dakota. I was personally familiar with all the students except for two.

2. Concretely Indicate Your Cooperative Intentions to Help Adults Learn – Lt Col Carlson was forthcoming in announcing her desire to help everyone in the class. She let everyone know she would continue to assist even after the course concluded. She provided her contact information.

3. Share Something of Value with Your Adult Learners – Lt Col Carlson took time to explain how she became part of the Civil Air Patrol and how she ended up working with cadets.

4. Clearly Identify the Learning Objectives and Goals for Instruction – Lt Col Carlson began the course by outlining the agenda, explaining the workbook’s organization and its relation to the agenda, and detailing the goals of the course and their connection to the whole Civil Air Patrol.

5. Emphasized the Human Purpose of What is Being Learned and Its Relationship to the Learners’ Personal Lives and Current Situations – Actually, the instructors emphasized this throughout the course. In each section, Lt Col Carlson would tie the topic to the cadet program and how we interacted with the cadet program.

6. Acknowledge Different Ways of Knowing, Different Languages, and Different Levels of Knowledge or Skill among Learners – While the course did not specifically address it, the instructor included it as a subtopic in one of the instructional blocks. I was pleased to see this discussed as part of the section for developing lessons for a unit meeting.

Strategies for developing a positive attitude

1. Use Differentiated Instruction to Enhance Successful Learning of New Content – Not only was the course supplemented with a course guide, Lt Col Carlson continuously handed out additional resources and pointed out resources found on the Internet.

Hula hoop team building exercise.

1. Use Relevant Models to Demonstrate Expected Learning – During the hands-on team-building exercises, the organisers grouped the adults with the cadets. They provided an opportunity to learn from the younger members of the organization, but it also provided us with a brave group of demonstrators.

2. Encourage the Learners – Throughout the instruction, Lt Col Carlson provided encouragement. This was noteworthy during the hands-on team-building exercises.

3. Make the Learning Activity and Irresistible Invitation to Learn – Lt Col Carlson chose three interesting team-building exercises to try. She believed we should try these exercises, usually used with cadets, to get a sense of what our cadets go through, as she leads cadets.

Strategies for enhancing meaning

1. Provide Frequent Response Opportunities to All Learners on an Equitable Basis – Lt Col Carlson did a great job managing the classroom. She provided ample opportunities for providing input. While the class was very interactive, she took time to call on people who were not as active to get their input.

2. Provide Variety in Personal Presentation Style, Modes of Instruction, and Learning Materials – I felt the course did a great job varying the instruction modes. The course was primarily a guided discussion-style course; however; the course had several case studies to review, hands-on exercises, and worksheets. The instructor used a visual PowerPoint presentation to support the course.

3. Selectively Use Breaks, Settling Time, and Physical Exercises – The organisers provided adequate breaks. Also, students could take a break as needed.

4. While Instructing, Use Humor Liberally and Frequently – Lt Col Carlson is very personable, and she likes to keep a light-hearted classroom.

5. Selectively Use Examples, Analogies, Metaphors, and Stories – Over the one and a half days, Lt Col Carlson used countless stories to help illustrate her points. I am confident she provided at least one story for each subject block but often more.

6. Use Case Study Methods to Enhance Meaning – In the course curriculum, there were 15 case studies to work through. Most of the case studies were small; however, they adequately illustrated the points in the lesson.

Strategies for Engendering Competence

1. Provide Positive Closure at the End of Significant Units of Learning – Lt Col Carlson clearly delineated the different course models. A small graduation ceremony punctuated the end of the course with course completion certificates.

This was a very useful course even for someone who has had a lot of experience with the cadet programs. Lt Col Carlson did a great job with the course material, and I was pleased to see that our National Headquarters implemented so many sound instruction principles into the course.