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Description

Adult Learning Theory: Distinguishing How Adults Learn
9:30 to 10:20 a.m.

Faculty: The Professional Development Team, Illinois Judicial College

Course Description: Adult learners bring a lifetime of experiences, formal education, and wisdom to the classroom or to a webinar which they want to share with their peers. Good teachers know the learners’ specific needs before educating them. Some like to say that children’s brains are like sponges. They soak up new information. Conversely, adult brains are like sieves. They filter all new information through their experiences and tie any new information to past experiences. Dr. Malcolm Knowles’s research indicates that children and adults learn differently. As such, faculty members must design educational courses that honor those differences. Adult learners are also self-directed and will only truly engage with subject matters that interest them.

Learning Objectives
As a result of this course, I will be able to:

• Identify the characteristics of adult learners
• Discuss methods for motivating adult learners

Kolb Learning Styles: Teaching to All Learning Styles
10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Faculty: Mr. Joseph Sawyer

Course Description: Dr. David Kolb developed the Kolb Learning Circle in 1984. Dr. Kolb defined learning as “the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (Kolb, 1984). There are two parts to Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory. The first is that learning follows a four-stage circle. Dr. Kolb believed that, ideally, learners progressed through the stages to complete a cycle, and, as a result, transformed their experiences into knowledge.

The second part to Kolb’s Theory focused on learning styles, or the cognitive processes that occurred when adult learners acquire knowledge. Kolb believed that individuals could demonstrate their knowledge, or the learning that occurred, when applying abstract concepts to new situations. This session will explore the Kolb Learning Cycle and the four types of adult learners identified by Dr. Kolb’s research.

Learning Objectives
As a result of this course, I will be able to:

• Self-assess my own learning styles
• Describe the four modes of learning from Kolb’s learning circle
• Analyze the implications for teaching around the circle

Learning Activities: Making Learning Interactive
11:40 to 12:30 p.m.

Faculty: The Professional Development Team, Illinois Judicial College

Course Description: Why do presenters rely on lectures to the exclusion of other learning activities such as small groups, case studies, debates, learning games, etc.? Presenters should design effective learning activities that help the students achieve the learning objectives. Learning objectives define what the students will learn. The learning activities define how the students will achieve those learning objectives.

Learning Objectives:
After this course, I will be able to:

• Describe why the lecture method is used to exclusion of other methods
• Summarize how to design learning activities that help your learners accomplish their learning objectives

Lunch Provided (in person only)
12:30 to 1:15 p.m.

Using PowerPoint Effectively
1:15 to 2:15 p.m.

Faculty: The Professional Development Team, Illinois Judicial College

Course Description: Many books have been written about the inappropriate use of PowerPoint. This course will address the importance of using words and phrases, complementary visuals with text, videos, and other methods for helping the participants accomplish the learning objectives.

Learning Objectives:
After this session, you will be able to:

• Enhance your continuing judicial education teaching using presentation software;
• Apply basic design guidelines to their own PowerPoint presentations; and
• Distinguish between effective and ineffective PowerPoint slides.

Team Teaching and the Use of Effective Panels: Planning for Success
2:15 to 3:15 p.m.

Faculty: The Professional Development Team, Illinois Judicial College

Course Description: This course examines the use of team teaching and panels. Team teaching is an art. Doing it well requires more planning than a solo presentation. Often, the presentation features each of the presenters teaching for half of the time. The best practice is to plan how each presenter will engage the participants with both voices complementing one another. Both presenters know exactly when they’ll be presenting because of their co-created roadmap.

Panels of experts are commonly used in Illinois and in judicial branch education across the country as well. However, many of these panel presentations fail to meet the learners’ needs because there isn’t proper planning. This course helps participants to understand the necessity for additional planning when using panels. The faculty will address the use of moderators and a variety of learning activities to energize panels and to help the learners reach the learning objectives.

Learning Objectives
As a result of this course, I will be able to:

• Summarize ways to team teach effectively
• Define whether the use of a panel presentation is the most effective method for helping the learners reach their learning objectives
• State how to energize panel presentations using a variety of learning activities