EAC 559 The Adult Learner One of the most important characteristics of any class or training program designer

r is the ability to understand the environment and be able to adapt the program to that environment. The recent and constant technological changes that occur in todays Information Age serve to create a new, challenging environment that must be carefully navigated by training professionals. As technology improves, its changing the educational landscape and an ever-increasing number of classes are being taught via distance education methods such as the internet and video. With these different course delivery methods changing the environment, instructors must thoughtfully consider techniques to optimize student learning. One such approach is attempting to use technology to create collaborative learning efforts. Over the course of this program, Ive personally seen multiple times that collaboration has produced increased and/or more efficient learning in individuals. These personal experiences have also been supported by different articles and academic writings Ive encountered during this same time. Collaborative learning is only one of many tools, but its an outstanding and highly effective tool. In this assignment, I first critically reviewed an article written by Cheryl Hawkinson Melkun, then I reflected on its personal application in my life within the training and development field. This assignment was important to me because it reinforced the importance of collaborative learning, group work, and constantly adapting proven ideas to new environments. Its easy as a trainer to say that one intends to include collaborative methods in a new distance learning program. Its much more difficult to actually incorporate collaborative measures that will produce valid, measurable learning improvement. A course designer must understand how he intends to create a collaborative culture in a class separated by physical restrictions of time and space that isnt conducive to collaboration. The designer must encourage working together and the discussion and development of ideas without making students feel uncomfortable, which could force them to withdraw from the process. Melkuns article has limitations as discussed in the paper. However, its still an excellent paper that provides some evidence to support the value of creating collaborative environments in training programs regardless of the limitations presented by distance education environments.