Have you ever been tasked with designing a training program for student workers, creating a seminar or workshop for your staff, or developing an on-campus event? This session will walk you through how to create a learning experience for your participants through tying together goals and objectives, learning/instructional activities, as well as assessments to ensure that your participants are gaining the knowledge and information you set out to provide. Learn more about this model and hear from a variety of institutions that have had success adopting this intentional approach with various student organizations and staff.

1. CREATING SIGNIFICANT LEARNING
EXPERIENCES
Zachary George, Lake Forest College
Jennifer Keegan, Knox College
Anne Kremer, DePaul University
Caitlin Smith, Northwestern University

2. BEFORE WE BEGIN…
 Take a moment to think of a
program, workshop, seminar, training you either
attended or planned…

3. LEARNING GOALS
 Understand the three phases of creating significant learning
experiences with a particular emphasis on learning
goals, teaching and learning activities and feedback and
assessment.
 Relate and assess what you are learning about the creation and
implementation of significant learning experiences to your own
work as designers of workshops, events, training and other
programs.
 Identify resources and other professionals to use, collaborate
with, and assist regarding your continued learning about
developing and executing significant learning experiences.
 Get excited applying this model to any
workshops, events, training or other programs you have
designed or will be designing.

4. 3 PARTS: SIGNIFICANT LEARNING
EXPERIENCES

5. LEARNING GOALS
 Start backwards…
 What is it that I hope participants will have learned; what
will still have value after this
workshop, event, training, program is over?
 Learning-centered approach verses leader-centered
approach
 Focus on lasting impact of the
workshop/event/training/program over time

6. LEARNING GOALS
 Ask yourself:
 What key information is important for participants to understand?
 What kind of thinking is important for participants to learn? What
skills are important for participants to learn? What projects do
participants need to know how to manage?
 What connections should participants be able to make?
 What should participants learn about themselves?
 What would you like to see participants take an interest in or care
about? What changes would you like to see?
 Not all will apply necessarily…

7. TEACHING & LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Shape the nature and quality of the learning experience
Passive Learning Active Learning
 “Doing” and “observing” experiences
 Only “receiving” information  Case studies, simulations, role-play
 Stories via film, literature, oral history
and ideas  Actively doing/observing in action what you
want them to learn
 Listening to lecture  What do you want them to know/know how
to do when the workshop is over?
 Reading a book  Can be “doing” as well as “observing”
 Limited and limiting in terms of
 Reflection
types of learning  People are meaning-making beings
 What one is learning
 Lacks application and reflection  How one is learning
 Alone or with others

8. FEEDBACK & ASSESSMENT
 To measure success, must tie learning goals and teaching
and learning activities to feedback & assessment
 Avoid only backward-looking assessments:
 Mid-terms and finals
 “We have covered topics X, Y & Z , do you get it?”
 Attempt:
 Forward-looking assessments
 Case study or hypothetical situation – if you were in this situation, how
would you apply X, Y & Z?
 Replicate contexts for which participants can apply knowledge
 Self – Assessment
 Create multiple opportunities for self-assessment and reflection on
performance thus far
 Important to know how to assess and measure work as well as the work of
others compared to criteria and standards identified
 Frequent and immediate feedback
 Other examples: surveys, testimonials, benchmarking, focus
groups, colleague feedback

9. CONNECTING THE DOTS…

10. Where do you want
to go? Ideally what
do you want learners
to learn?
How will you
How are you know if your
going to get participants get
participants where you want
there? What them to go?
teaching and How will you
learning know if they are
activities will achieving the
help them best goals you’ve
meet your set?
learning
goals?

11. APPLICATION
Northwestern University: Tour Guide Training
Knox College: New Staff Training
Lake Forest College: Ambassador Program
IACAC: Middle Management Institute

12. NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY:
TOUR GUIDE TRAINING
Learning Goals:
 Understand that as a tour guide it is their responsibility not just to
remember the foundational facts, figures, and route of the campus
tour, but more importantly to fulfill your roles as a storyteller.
 Create an emotionally memorable tour for visiting families by sharing
personal stories about their experience as a student at Northwestern.
 Be able to identify resources on campus that can help them improve
their knowledge about campus (including academic
programs, special student projects, on campus activities, etc.).
 Have the desire to gather more stories and experiences not only
about themselves, but about their fellow classmates to share with
visitors on campus.
 Value their role as a tour guide and the important work that they do in
recruiting wonderful students to Northwestern.

13. NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY:
TOUR GUIDE TRAINING
Teaching and Learning Activities
 Storytelling Ice-Breaker *focus on narrative
 Veteran tour guides share their favorite tour story with the
group
 New guides share a favorite Northwestern memory
 Pseudo-competitive Jeopardy
 Mock Tour
 Mix groups of novice and veteran guides
 Each guide gives 1/7 of tour
 Pause for feedback from entire group following each portion of
tour

14. NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY:
TOUR GUIDE TRAINING
Feedback & Assessment
 During Training:
 Peer feedback throughout group tour
 End-of-day reflection
 Ongoing/Post Training:
 Exec board – 2 training gurus
 Shadowing and feedback
 Quarterly joint tours
 Visitor comment cards

15. NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY:
TOUR GUIDE TRAINING
Audit


16. KNOX COLLEGE:
NEW STAFF TRAINING
Learning Goals
 Understand staff member’s role as an admission counselor in the
context of the university as a whole.
 Remember and application of office procedures, technical
competencies and time management.
 Develop and be able to apply knowledge of the
institution, academic programs, research opportunities when
talking with families.
 Come to see themselves as members of a team.
 Get excited about being a member of the admission profession
and representing Knox College.

17. KNOX COLLEGE:
NEW STAFF TRAINING
Teaching & Learning Activities
 Lecture Sessions
 Informational Competencies:
 Knox College Basics, The Admission Interview, FA &
Scholarships, Travel Planning, etc.
 Day-to-Day Competencies:
 Meeting w/ HR; computer, voicemail and calendar set-up; tour of
admission office; expenses at Knox
 Professional Development Competencies
 Office Gatherings
 Mentoring
 On-going training through January

18. KNOX COLLEGE:
NEW STAFF TRAINING
Feedback & Assessment
 Traveling with senior staff member
 Observe senior staff member interacting with
prospective students and families at college fairs and
high school visits
 Apply what they have learned by taking the lead in
these situations
 Vet High School Visit Presentation
 Utilize the information they have gleaned from readings
and in session, to create a presentation they would give
during a high school visit
 Veteran staff member offers constructive feedback

19. KNOX COLLEGE:
NEW STAFF TRAINING
Audit


20. LAKE FOREST COLLEGE:
AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
Learning Goals
 Use dynamic communication skills and speak confidently about
the university to a variety of audiences
 Identify the similarities between their college search experience
and that of prospective students
 See this opportunity as one to propel them into the work force
applying public speaking and communication skills to job
interview experience.
 Relate to diverse audiences and apply appropriate interpersonal
skills
 Come to see themselves as representatives of Lake Forest
College and a role model for incoming students

21. LAKE FOREST COLLEGE:
AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
Teaching and Learning Activities
 Monthly Meetings
 Group Presenters = highlight professional
development aspect
 Business Cards
 Two Trainings per Year

22. LAKE FOREST COLLEGE:
AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
Feedback & Assessment
 Still in progress…
 1/1 meetings with Ambassadors to discuss
internships & letters of recommendation

23. LAKE FOREST COLLEGE:
AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
Audit


24. IACAC:
MIDDLE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
Learning Goals
 Identify your communication/behavior style and develop an understanding of how
your communication/behavior style effects others
 Understand, respect, appreciate and value individual differences in communication
and leadership
 Come to see yourself authentically as leader within your office (regardless of your
title)
 Understand best practices for middle managers as well as how to manage up and
squeeze every experience out of your current role to ensure professional
development is maximized.
 Identify the similarities and differences between enrollment managers and
admission directors
 Create short and long term goals that identify skills and experiences you need to
get to the next step
 Be ready to build on your personal skill sets and strengths so to become more
attractive and prepared for your next career move
 Develop a network of peers and professionals supportive of your personal and
professional growth

25. IACAC:
MIDDLE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
Teaching & Learning Activities
 DiSC Assessment
 Leadership & Communication Strategies
 Q& A Panel with Current Deans and Directors
 Goal Setting
 Budgeting
 Resumes & Interviews

26. IACAC:
MIDDLE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
Feedback & Assessment
 Survey
 Immediately following
 6 months
 1 year out
 Using feedback to develop MMI 2012
 Incorporate MMI participant in planning/committee
member

27. IACAC:
MIDDLE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
Audit


28. GRADE YOUR OWN

29. QUICK QUIZ
Thinking back to the program we asked you to reflect
on…
 Did your program identify learning goals/objectives (to
your knowledge)?
 Did the “teaching and learning activities” relate to goals
and objectives identified?
 Was active learning implemented to assist in
transmitting the information?
 Did the feedback and assessment methods help
determine if goals were achieved?
 Are all of your dots connected?

30. LET’S WALK THROUGH ONE
TOGETHER

31. DISCUSSION, REFLECTION &
FEEDBACK

32. IDEA SHARING

33. IDEA SHARING
 Business cards
 Write the following:
 Student Employee/Ambassador Training
 Tour Guide Training
 New Staff Training
 Special Workshops
 Staff Seminars
 On Campus Events
 Off Campus Events
 Share a Tip

34. THANK YOU!
 Questions/Comments:
 Zachary George
 zgeorge@lakeforest.edu; 847-735-5013
 Jennifer Keegan
 jkeegan@knox.edu; 309-341-7163
 Anne E. Kremer
 akremer@depaul.edu; 773-352-7693
 Caitlin Smith
 caitlin-smith@northwestern.edu; 847-491-4396

35. REFERENCES
 Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating significant learning
experiences: An integrated approach to developing
college courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

36. THANK YOU!