Lab education norms

What helps maximize the learning experience?

These norms are not judgments about “right” or “wrong” behavior. They represent the gathered wisdom of what seems to be most useful if you want to learn in this situation.

1. Accepting responsibility for your own learning. Actively making use of the resources and methods available in lab type workshop. Putting on the shelf your impulses toward passivity and cynicism.

2. Self-disclosure, asking for feedback, working at self-observation and insight,

3. Helping to build a learning community – being on time, focusing on your own learning and being willing to assist in the learning of others by offering feedback and observations.

4. Avoiding distractions – being at all sessions and not allowing other things to interfere; taking care about drinking alcoholic beverages before a session, not getting involved in an intense relationship with another participant or trainer.

5. Staying in the  “here & now” vs. the “then & there” – we learn by reflecting on the behaviors in the group. We learn from disciplined reflection on experience that we have in common.

6. Keep it in the group – Keep the reflection – learning process in the group not in outside conversations. And, don’t tell others not in the workshop about what other participants say and do.

Standards

You will need to leave the workshop if –

1. You are very late for a session or leave early
2. You walk out of a session (for whatever reason – upset, angry, etc.)
3. You are, in the opinion of the trainers, significantly interfering with the ability of others to learn. For example, being drunk, being threatening in some manner.

Role of Trainers – (more in LTI HI participant manual)

·     To help the group and individuals analyze and learn from what is happening in the group.

·     To offer theory, a model or research

·     To encourage the group to follow norms that tend to serve the learning process

·     To offer training and coaching in skills that tend to help the learning process

·     To not offer structure or an agenda. To remain silent, allowing the group to experience its anxiety about acceptance, influence, etc.

·     To be willing to disclose oneself, to be open with the group. On occasion being willing to offer feedback and challenge a participant

·     To avoid becoming too directive, clinical, or personally involved.