Step 2: Progress- and Success-focused Program Design
Broaden the Experience Base
Formal training – training provided in a classroom or online through a well-defined instructional process – is usually the most common way to impart knowledge and develop new skills. Yet informal learning through hands-on experience is often one of the best ways to ensure that the learning is internalized and transferred to real-life or work settings. Where possible, skill building and adult learning programs should try to broaden the experience of the learner by applying the content in a real setting (Keeton, Sheckley, & Griggs, 2002). Simulation or role-playing can be a good first step in applying knowledge, such as what is often used in soft skills training programs. Other innovative ways to broaden learners’ experience base include field trips to worksites, job shadowing, internships and the use of transitional jobs (Henle et al, 2005).