[Kenny Kitzke (2009.02.17)]
Having caught up with my email backlog, I did not see that anyone responded to your post. So, I enter where fools fear to tread.
This type of phenomenon goes on day after day in every business where I consult. What I mean is that people with authority (managers and executives) over other people (employees) constantly decide what behavior those other people should exhibit.
In your case, the instructor has decided that learners should ask questions when requested by the instructor as an indication of learner participation in the learning/instructing. When the learners do not respond (to the instructor’s stimulus), the instructor(s) begins guessing at the reasons the learners don’t respond. While at it, they guess at the reasons learners might respond.
It seems to me this is exactly what instructors/leaders who understand behavior to be a stimulus-response process would do. The instructor(s) apparently hope to identify how they can stimulate the response in the learners that the instructor’s wanted.
So, I would think that knowledge of PCT would be of great help to these instructors. What they might realize is that trying to control the behavior of other people is very haphazard. Even when some stimulus appears to produce the desired behavior response in one person, it will not necessarily produce that response in someone else. Those who understand PCT will grasp this and not waste their time speculating on why learners do or do not ask questions when the instructor seeks them.
It would be consistent with PCT to understand that even the learners don’t control their behavior…they act like they do (asking or not asking questions when invited) to control their perceptions (known or experienced only within themselves and specifically unknown to their instructors). Perhaps the instructors would benefit from considering whether asking questions of the instructor is something even relevant to the learners in establishing the learning they seek. Why would that be more relevant to demonstrating a degree of learning than a test? Or, is this mostly just about making the instructor perceive themselves as more valuable?
Anyway, I see some similarities to actions taken by business leaders to try to control the behavior of employees to things the leaders believe are appropriate for their employees (because they may find it personally laudable like: working 60 hours per week for 40 hours of pay, contributing to charities they like and support such as United Way, etc. And, when the desired behavior is not observed, the leaders drive themselves (and me) crazy trying to figure out how to stimulate the desired behavior. What a waste of time and money while truly relevant things (like learning PCT) go unnoticed and untried.
What do you think, Fred?
Kenny
In a message dated 2/13/2009 10:16:23 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, nickols@ATT.NET writes:
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[Fred Nickols (2009.02.13.0809 MST)]
I’ve been involved in a discussion on another list that focused on the difficulty of getting learners to participate. A specific example used was asking learners if they had any questions and getting zero responses. In the course of this discussion, it became clear that learners do or don’t ask questions for many reasons: as far as don’t is concerned, they don’t want to delay progress; for another, they don’t want to appear stupid; for a third, they don’t want to be viewed as troublemakers. As far as do is concerned, they want to know more about a particular point or they want to put the instructor through hoops or they want to show off with a particular question or whatever.
All of these reasons illustrate learners acting to control certain variables (pace and self-image/reputation being two mentioned above).
So, it seems to me that one useful application of PCT is for instructional technologists and instructors to better understand and cope with learner behavior in light of PCT.
I’ll let you know if anything really interesting pops up.
–
Regards,
Fred Nickols
Managing Partner
Distance Consulting, LLC
nickols@att.net
www.nickols.us
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