Training Based in Adult Learning Theory

Marianne Winters is a leader in the movement to end and address sexualized and domestic violence and is passionate about progressive movements that are visionary, inclusive, current, responsive and proactive. Some would say that she’s “all over the place”. She prefers to say that she thrives on variety and is energized by the multi-faceted, never ending, interconnected and always exciting work of social change. She is the Project Diva for Graphix for Change and consultant and trainer for Praxis for Change.

I’ve been working on organizing a 3-day training for Law Enforcement officers and advocates on the current issues in sexual and domestic violence. As I recruit faculty and talk to them about their role and their presentations, I’m constantly aware and respectful of the important responsibility in this task. We have some ambitious and important hopes for this training that boil down to a police force in my state that is more aware, more skilled, and better in tune with the needs of victims of crime and the behavior of perpetrators of crime. I’m well aware of the life and death issues at stake. Teaching adults who are already good at their jobs and have already had life experiences is the task at hand. It starts with setting our own objectives based on a vision of transformation. It starts with understanding that training is indeed transformation. So we begin by thinking about what does the well-trained law enforcement professional look like? Then we must put in place the lectures, exercises, resources, discussions that help move us all in this direction. I offer this short slide show on adult learning theory. I hope it will give you some ideas and tools that will help make your next training engaging and effective. If you try any of these ideas, please let me know. As trainers and facilitators, we need each other to stay current, share our triumphs and our mistakes, get and receive feedback, and build our movements.