Corporate or professional training and development strategies should consider the fundamentals of learning theory for adults. Most people understand the simple relationship between teacher and student, assuming you underwent formal education. The curriculum was prescriptive, with the student taking explicit direction from the teacher and completing work at regulated intervals. This is the pedagogic approach, typically applied in formal academic settings. In pedagogy, the role of students and learning activities depends on the teacher.
Corporate training is much different from a formal academic setting. Employee training and development can’t be solely dependent on the instructor. Other aspects that may need to be addressed when training corporate employees are learning styles and personality types. Sometimes, understanding how people behave and what drives them through tests such as this online disc assessment can help trainers/trainees structure their coursework and learning accordingly. Depending fully on the instructor is not an efficient model for talent development as corporate trainers’ ratio to employees tends to be much higher than 1 to 30, which is typical in a pedagogical setting. Teaching adults who are juggling multiple responsibilities also makes learning even more challenging.
The good news is that adult learning theories place less emphasis on instructors. Two adult learning theories would be beneficial to understand when creating an enterprise training program. Andragogy and Heutagogy. Andragogy and Heutagogy both assume adults are self-directed, but the training approaches may differ slightly. Andragogic-based teaching aims to establish structure so adults can be self-directed with their learning activities, whereas Heutagogy is self-determined. Heutagogy strategies center around the fact that learners can figure out their goals, learning paths, or processes. The differences between Pedagogy, Andragogy, and Heutagogy are important when creating courses or training to engage your learners. Adult learning theories can help support your organization’s training and development strategy. Understanding these theories and applying the most effective one for your organization is the challenge of training and developing leaders.
While your employees can manage their development, setting the tone and expectations around self-education in your company training program is essential. Management should strive to create a “learning first” corporate culture to facilitate a future-proof workforce. Only then will training be a priority for your organization.