**CORPORATE LEARNING COURSE**

DIRECTOR'S GUIDE

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**CORPORATE LEARNING COURSE**

Director's Guide

> \"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.\"
>
> Helen Keller

The members attending this Corporate Learning Course are further honing
their understanding of "Team CAP." At Level III, the adult CAP member
will be in the thick of operating their respective wing in support of
CAP's major mission elements. This "corporateness" refers to CAP's
status as a non-profit humanitarian corporation which was first
chartered by the US Congress in 1946. The next 12 hours will be devoted
to developing a knowledgeable CAP corporate citizen and enhancing their
ability to contribute in a team environment. Help make the connection
between the squadron which the member is now very familiar with, and its
connection to, and support of, the wing.

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**CIVIL AIR PATROL NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS**

U. S. Air Force Auxiliary

105 South Hansell St

Maxwell Air Force Base, AL 36112-332

Published by the Missions Directorate,

Professional Development Division

PURPOSE: The objective of Corporate Learning Course (CLC) is to develop
a knowledgeable corporate citizen who can contribute effectively to CAP
missions in a team environment.

GENERAL CRITERIA: As outlined in CAPR 50-17, adult members taking part
in CLC and should have completed Squadron Leadership School and be
learning about squadron operations. The course itself normally occurs
over successive days but can be scheduled to meet the need of wing
members keeping in mind the minimum 12.5 total hour requirement.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: To fulfill the course's overall goal, the curriculum
is organized into two blocks of instruction. They are: Corporate
Citizenship and Teambuilding. The objectives and desired student
outcomes are detailed along with the other information about that
particular class at the corresponding section in this guide.

WORKING WITH ADULTS: The following guidelines are excellent ideas for
the instructor to think about and use when presenting the CLC, and any
other CAP coursework, to the adult members of this organization.

**Definition**: Adult education is the process through which adults have
and use opportunities to learn systematically under the guidance of an
organization, teacher, supervisor, trainer, or leader. It is a cycle of
planning, conducting and evaluating learning activities. It requires
guidance by the teacher or trainer. It is concerned with purposeful
guided learning. It is usually ungraded.

1\. Adults expect the learning to fit into daily life.

2\. Adults use previous experiences to learn new material.

3\. Adults have likes and dislikes with dislikes getting stronger with
age.

4\. Adults are extremely sensitive to failure in the learning situation.

5\. The most effective learning environment for adults is one where
leadership is shared.

6\. Many adults doubt their ability to learn.

7\. Physical factors can impair learning.

8\. Adults expect the answers they get to be correct and work. They are
often goal directed.

9\. Adults in the learning environment will vary widely in age,
experience, motivation and goals.

10\. The learning strategy (methods and techniques) should be suited to
the learner, not the learner to the strategy.

11\. Learning for an adult is a slow, evolutionary undertaking that
requires time to ripen.

12\. Adults affected by instructional decisions should be able to
influence those decisions.

13\. Adults need to be respected in the learning environment for
choosing to be present.

14\. Adults control their own learning. The teacher/trainer is a
facilitator of learning, not a "teller" of facts.

## The Instructor: Your job as the director or segment instructor is to present the material in an efficient, and yet entertaining manner. You are the conduit, the material goes through you to the students. To do this, you must first know the material. Become familiar with the material we have, and find some supporting material so you can answer questions which may arise. As director, ensure that your instructors are also prepared. Look over their plans, perhaps have a rehearsal to see that they are comfortable teaching the material

Tailor the course to fit the needs of your students. You may want to
extend a class if you feel your students will need more time.

**Teaching Techniques:** What follows are some short segments containing
hints for different teaching techniques. You and your instructors will
use a variety of these techniques throughout the course. These segments
have been adapted from the Leadership 2000: And Beyond text.

**Hints:** There are many ways to present to groups, and many things to
remember. For now however, here are seven hints which will help you as
you prepare to speak in front of your class.

***Know your subject:*** Review or research any part of your subject you
are unsure about. You must be ready to answer - or find the answer
quickly - any question that may arise.

***Be prepared:*** Make sure you have all the materials you need to
teach the class. Do you have you handouts, if needed? Is your audio
visual equipment working? Do you have a back up system should the
primary fail? Do you have a review prepared? Do you feel comfortable?

***Appearance:*** How do you look? Is your uniform in order? Are you
well groomed? Do you look rested and in control? How is your posture? If
you were the student, what kind of first impression would you draw?

***Presentation:*** Don't read your entire presentation verbatim. Do not
distract your audience with nervous mannerisms or inappropriate dress.
Introduce your subject. Have your outline handy for easy reference.
Speak clearly, and loud enough to be heard and understood by all; and,
be sure to maintain eye contact with the audience.

***Teaching Aids:*** Try not to turn your back to the audience when
using teaching aids. Be familiar with all the equipment. Ensure your
teaching aids assist and don't detract from the presentation. As before,
always have a back up plan.

***Feedback:*** Ask questions, use a case study, or call for discussion.
Review the subject before ending the class, and always try to promote
some kind of interaction with the class. Act as the "devil's advocate"
within discussion to stimulate creative thought. Ask for feedback not
only on subject matter but also on the quality of the presentation. Look
at both positive and negative feedback.

***Evaluation:*** As the director or instructor, you will need to
evaluate both yourself and your subordinates. This is where feedback is
especially helpful. There are two types of evaluations: formal and
informal. An example of a formal evaluation is the course critique you
will administer at the conclusion of this course. Informal evaluation
might take the form of a discussion with the instructor after the
presentation to review the session and provide constructive feedback to
the instructor.

**Characteristics of a Good Speaker**: To be effective when teaching by
lecture you should always strive to improve your speaking skills. Eighty
percent of all communication is speaking. A highly competent speaker has
three fundamental qualities*: integrity, knowledge*, and *skill.*

***Integrity:*** Integrity is truth, honesty. If your students feel you
believe what you say, they may believe it also. Also, be sure to
remember your role as an instructor outside the classroom. Your students
will notice if you don't "walk the talk", so if you teach something,
practice it yourself. If you are arrogant, hostile, fearful or do not
build confidence, your listeners may close their minds to your message.

***Knowledge:*** Know both the material you want to present and know
your audience. Think about what they already know about the subject, and
anticipate how they will react to your presentation. Since your speaking
is designed to get a response from your students, know something about
their behaviors and characteristics. For instance, determine whether
they may be hostile to a particular concept, so you can look for ways to
sell the idea differently.

***Skill:*** You must be able to present your material effectively. The
material must be organized both for your audience and for you. The next
step is good delivery. It cannot substitute for good organization, but
the way you project your ideas should have dignity, force, and
effectiveness. A third skill is handling questions for those who ask
them, especially during briefings. Anticipate questions and insert the
answers into the presentation. Also, prepare a reservoir of facts to
augment the presentation. Don't try to work all of them in, but have the
information available when asked.

**The Lecture:** The lecture is the most common teaching technique. It
is basically a one way conversation with the instructor providing the
information to the students. There is generally little opportunity for
direct feedback, but the lecture is very effective when informing or
when the volume of material or time constraints preclude using other
methods.

**Developing The Lecture:** Before you sit down and develop your
lecture, you must ask yourself some questions about subject, purpose,
and situation. When you think about the subject, think in terms of the
interests and needs of the students while you think about the
presentation. While they have a responsibility to listen to your
presentation, know that they will probably be more attentive if they are
also interested in the subject matter. While in this course you have
little input into the choice of subject, you can personalize the
material to make it more interesting.

Limit the subject by thinking about the student's needs, level of
proficiency you desire and the amount of time you have to deliver the
class. While you can add your own information to the materials we
provide, remember that relevance is the key. Keep it pertinent.

Remember that your purpose is to inform the students and to persuade
them that the ideas you are presenting are worthy of consideration.

**The Guided Discussion:** The guided discussion seminar requires as
much preparation as a lecture but is more of a free form way of teaching
the subject matter. It is especially important that you both be clear on
the class' purpose and that you know the composition and experience
level of the students.

Use the checklist below as a guide for conducting guided discussion
sessions:

> ***Prepare to be deeply involved with the seminar topic and getting
> the students to talk productively.***

***Introduce the topic. State your objectives - be factual, but brief.
Stick to the purpose.***

***Ask well-planned questions. Write them out. Rehearse.***

***Be a good listener, open minded and objective. Avoid taking sides.***

> ***Avoid using sarcasm, ridicule, judgment, or argument when guiding
> the discussion. Do not demean anyone.***

***Involve all members of the group.***

***Think ahead of the group and lead by asking open-ended questions.***

> ***Encourage members to think on their own. Establish an attitude on
> common helpfulness.***
>
> ***Be sensitive to group actions and reactions. Attempt to understand
> what lies behind the words of each student.***
>
> ***Understand individual behavior and change the behavior if necessary
> so the group can achieve its purposes.***

***Be honest when you do not know. Avoid quibbling, anger, and personal
affront.***

> ***Be friendly, calm, and attentive. If humor seems appropriate, be
> sure the story can relate to the topic. It must be in good taste. Do
> not tell off-color jokes.***
>
> ***Keep control of the group process. Summarize the points covered and
> keep the discussion directed toward the seminar and learning
> objectives.***

***Avoid letting one student control the discussion.***

***Make a final summary and relate the progress of the students to goal
achievement.***

***Close on time.***

> ***Help evaluate the seminar by completing required reports, rating
> forms, comments, and record of student responses.***

**The Case Study:** We have provided several case studies for you to use
in this course. The case study is a learning experience where you use a
real life situation to more effectively teach procedures, concepts,
patterns of behavior, or other courses of action. This method challenges
the students by getting them involved and allows them to apply their
knowledge and experience to explore or solve cases. Cases may deal with
one, or many skills; and can be written or oral.

The key here is to lead them to the desired conclusion (if there is one)
while not solving the case for them. Ask questions to stimulate the
creative process, to get your students to think through the case study,
and not to quickly draw out the answer.

**Other Approaches:** Though you may not use all the techniques we are
briefly presenting while teaching this course; it is helpful for you to
be familiar with them when you return to your own unit. In this last
section, we will quickly discuss some other teaching tools which you may
use in the future.

**Panel Discussions**: Panel discussions are either structured or
unstructured, and take place between two or more experts (usually
excluding the regular instructor). Constructive arguments by each panel
members are often followed by debate and response to questions from the
instructor (moderator) an/or the audience. Many Sunday morning news
shows use this format effectively, if you wish to see an example.

Panel discussions are different from seminar discussions in that in the
panel discussion the experts present their views, versus the seminar in
which the students themselves debate the question or topic.

**The Practical Exercise:** Practical exercises differ from case studies
in large part because they are usually contrived to set up a learning
situation, or concentrate on hands-on skills. They can involve field
trips, simulations, and role playing.

***Field trips*** bring the learning environment to the student. Here,
students interact with people, places, things, and situations which help
attain the educational objective. Here, the settings are the primary
teaching tool you have, because you can envelop the students within the
desired environment.

***Simulations*** are low-risk, educational experiences that substitute
for some real-life situations. They involve any number of people and
topics, and supplement what is learned in the classroom. More elaborate
versions may involve special equipment, specially trained staff, or
special sites.

***Role playing exercises*** require students to project themselves into
a simulated interpersonal situation and play the parts of persons and
situations assigned by you. For this reason, it has the potential of
providing more personal experience that can be achieved by using the
case study. Role playing is mostly used to practice skills in
counseling, interviewing, and conference leadership. As the instructor,
you are free to point out good and bad points and steer the action. This
type of exercise could be very useful to use in the "Core Values"
segment.

While these descriptions have been short, and certainly aren't all the
teaching techniques available to you, they should provide a foundation
for you to begin mapping out how you want to teach these segments. Have
fun with the class, material and students. Enjoy what you are doing and
the process. When you have fun, they will.

**D-DAY:** You are all set, now its show time. How do you feel? How
should you feel? What should you do?

Even experienced speakers become nervous before a presentation. In fact,
this nervous energy is probably beneficial because it can remind you to
tie up loose ends to become more sure of yourself.

You can relieve some of the nervousness by knowing your material cold,
and by being enthusiastic about the subject. It's also a good idea to
rehearse the presentation before actually going in front of the class.
Consider using a tape or video recorder when you rehearse. As you begin,
draw a breath. It calms you down at the last minute and helps you to
focus.

Don't focus on yourself as you present the material. Remember to focus
your attention both on the subject matter and on your audience.

It's okay to move around, but move to your advantage. Try to move
purposefully, and to be dynamic, rather than moving nervously, or worse,
not moving at all. Moving dynamically helps the students keep their
attention focused on you. Use movement to emphasize important points.
Move from behind the desk or podium to get "closer" to the students.

Maintain eye contact with the audience. Look at several people at
different points around the room. Do not look at the floor, constantly
at your notes, at a single point in the room, or off into space.
Maintaining eye contact also gives you non-verbal feedback. You can see
if the students are listening.

Remember the power of your voice. Good voices have three important
characteristics: quality, intelligibility, and variety. Think about some
of the more effective speakers you have heard of. What made them
pleasant to listen to? Now, think of some of the poorer speakers you've
heard of, and what you remember about them.

Finally, when possible, speak extemporaneously. Try not to read from a
manuscript or directly from the text. By speaking extemporaneously, you
use the material provided and plan what you wish to say. You outline the
points you want to get across and possibly key words and phrases. But it
also allows you the freedom to rearrange ideas if needed, and allows you
the most overall flexibility.

**Consider:**

That every class is different, in terms of the students' intellectual
and experience level, their temperament, and your relationship with
them. The students may want to focus of a different aspect of the
subject than the last class. Be ready to roll with the punches, but
remember that it is your responsibility as the instructor to make sure
the lesson objectives are covered.

We have gathered most of the information for you. You can probably teach
this course solely from the materials we have provided. But we want you
to personalize the course for your students and for your wing. When you
do this, be sure to develop an outline about what you want included to
fill out the course.

Don't be afraid to draw on your own experience or the experience of
others. If you are very skilled, you should be able to draw from class
experience and be very effective. Don't be afraid to change and add
material as time goes on, teaching is a constant improvement process.

We have also organized most of the materials for you in providing the
class materials, instructor's pages, and slides. Using these materials,
it should be straight forward to develop a plan of action.

Remember to make an effective introduction. Arouse curiosity, and
establish the tone for the class. This is where your students will
listen most closely, so make it count.

We have provided the body for you. You'll also find case studies to
facilitate the process. The most effective tool you have is the slides.
Use them. By the way, the slides are memory joggers, not the class
itself. Do your work before you begin.

The conclusion you create should be brief, and should review the main
points.

**Special Terms**

*ATTENTION:* The attention step is intended to catch the student's
interest. An attention step is included in each lesson, but instructors
are encouraged to local attention statements to supplement the lessons.

*MOTIVATION:* The motivation step gives students reasons why they need
to know the information in the lesson. Again, instructors are encouraged
to develop their own motivation statements to personalize the statements
for the students.

*OVERVIEW:* The overview includes a brief review of the main points you
will cover in the lesson. This is the introduction to the lesson.

*SUMMARY:* The summary reviews the main points at the end of the lesson
and ties the lesson together.

*CLOSURE:* The closure statement ends the lesson and refocuses the
students' attention to the next lesson.

*SAMPLE OF BEHAVIOR:* A sample of behavior is the measuring stick by
which you can measure the students' absorption of information. To
measure the sample of behavior, you will use some kind of evaluation, or
test. In most cases it will be a completion of the action dictated by
the verb in the Desired Learning Outcome. That is, if the statement
begins with "state"..., then have the student make a statement in their
own words about that issue, or pick out a new and correct statement
about the subject on a written test.