Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Jessica Lee
M.s.Ed. Adult Education Program
Indiana University
Spring 2018
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CONTENT
As would be expected with a group of four members learning increasingly more about
adult program planning over the course of the semester, our group project pivoted and evolved
continuously from our individual proposals and, in fact, our original group proposal. This
evolution is detailed in the “Process” section of this report. Ultimately, the direction that our
group took reflects a combination of a) evaluative analysis related to an existing program and b)
decision making related to hypothetical design enhancements. In other words, using Caffarella’s
(2002) interactive model as a framework, our group examined each of the twelve components
1. What planning and design decisions are evident in the program as it is currently operating?
2. What planning and design decisions would we recommend to enhance the program?
high-level overview of the targeted organization and training program and research base for our
project. Next, we discuss each component of Caffarella’s (2002) interactive model in relation to
the questions listed above. In the following section (also developed collaboratively by our
group), we detail the process that—facilitated by the class discussion boards for each course
module—led to our ultimate group focus. The final sections include our individual reflections
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ohio Valley (BBBSOV) is a one-to-one mentoring
program dedicated to improving the lives of children facing adversity. Established in 1969, the
agency currently serves children in Vanderburgh, Warrick, Posey, Perry, Spencer, and Gibson
Counties in Southwest Indiana, and Henderson County in Kentucky. Bigs (mentors) and Littles
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(mentees) are matched based on location, personalities, and preferences. BBBSOV provides
intensive support from the start (i.e., primarily through ongoing monitoring from designated case
managers) so matches can grow into long-lasting friendships (BBBSOV, 2018). A key
component of this support is the volunteer training provided to all Bigs before the mentoring
relationship begins. To date, however, limited evaluation has been conducted on the
Research Base
to youth mentoring. Positive youth outcomes have been associated with length and quality of the
mentoring relationship (Grossman & Rhodes, 2002; Rhodes & Lowe, 2008), while a mentoring
agency’s adherence to established theory-based and empirically-based best practices has been
linked to relationship length and quality (DuBois, Holloway, Valentine, & Cooper, 2002).
Specifically, high quality volunteer training is related to higher levels of perceived program
support among volunteers, more favorable perceptions related to the value of the training, plans
to continue mentoring for longer periods of time, and ultimately increased levels of satisfaction
with the mentoring relationship (McQuillin, Straight, & Saeki, 2015). Further, in a study
exploring the relative importance of individual standards included in the Elements of Effective
Practice for Mentoring (EEPM) Manual (MENTOR, 2015), Kupersmidt, Stump, Stelter, and
Rhodes (2016) observed that training was the only standard independently predictive of match
length.
The research described above provides considerable support for the importance of
volunteer training in the nonprofit sector. In terms of best practices for planning, designing, and
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implementing effective training for adult learners, however, our group turned to more
model served as the foundation for our examination of BBBSOV’s current volunteer training
program and for our recommendations regarding planning and design decisions that would
enhance the current program. Each of the twelve components are discussed in turn throughout
the remainder of this section. Additional support for our recommendations comes from
Silberman and Biech’s Active Training: A Handbook of Techniques, Designs, Case Examples,
and Tips and our group members’ experience with adult training programs in different contexts
(i.e., higher education and corporate training contexts). We identified some commonalities
between some of the design steps of Silberman and Biech’s active training model and
Caffarella’s interactive model and have incorporated those similarities into some of our
recommendations. Silberman and Biech’s eight step model includes: (1) Assessing the need for
training and the participants; (2) setting general learning goals; (3) specifying objectives; (4)
designing training activities; (5) sequencing training activities; (6) starting detailed planning; (7)
Through our analysis of the program context, or the “human, organizational, and
environmental factors that affect decisions planners make” (Caffarella, 2002, p. 59) regarding the
BBBSOV volunteer training program, it was clear that program decisions have largely been
aligned with the key contextual factors. As the volunteer training occurs prior to a match being
made between a volunteer and his or her mentee, the people involved in the training process
simply include program staff and prospective volunteers. While the average age of volunteers in
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this program is approximately 33 years-old, this mean reflects a bimodal distribution comprised
of a lot of individuals with adult children (i.e., “empty-nesters”) and college students/young
adults (BBBSOV, 2018). As a result, individuals attending the training are likely to look
substantially different in terms of age, income, and other demographics. However, feedback from
BBBSOV suggests that having such a heterogeneous group of participants actually benefits the
within the training program emerged as a key exemplifier. Namely, given the nature of the
program, BBBSOV has many standard operating procedures in place to ensure that children are
safe at all times. Encouragingly, these procedures comprise a considerable portion of the
volunteer training. Further, while the training stops short of directly addressing specific cultural
factors, volunteers are trained on cultural awareness as a result of the fact that BBBSOV serves
One recommendation that our group identified in discerning the context of this program is
that the organization should be mindful of how power influences the program. Because adults
volunteer for the mentoring program, their participation in training is, by extension, also
voluntary. Viewed through this lens, there is a great deal of power that is held by the participants.
The organization must ensure that the training is engaging enough that participants choose to
attend. In discerning the context, Silberman and Biech’s (2015) Active Training manual suggests
that BBBSOV should be mindful of the familiarity of participants with the subject matter of the
volunteer training program. They should also inquire about any successes and problems
volunteers may have encountered if they have participated in any other volunteer programs
(Silberman & Biech, 2015, p. 16). At the same time, an adult volunteer cannot be matched with
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a mentee until they successfully complete the training. From this perspective, BBBSOV has both
the power and the responsibility to include pertinent information (e.g., safety policies) regardless
of whether or not they are especially engaging. While our group acknowledges that BBBSOV is
aware of this mutually-dependent power structure on some level, feedback from the organization
suggests that this is not a consideration that drives the program design.
As a small organization, BBBSOV has little trouble building support for the volunteer
training program internally. In fact, it was observed that the Executive Director often facilitates
the training himself, though he noted that this decision is at least partially based on his former
roles as case manager and program director. Similarly, adults who sign up for the mentoring
program agree to a minimum commitment of twelve months. During this time, they agree to a
minimum amount of time spent with their mentee each month, regular contacts with their case
manager, and completion of evaluation surveys and other instruments. In other words, the
participants have demonstrated a high level commitment to the mentoring program before being
invited to participate in the training. As a result, feedback from BBBSOV suggests that
In terms of enhancing the program, our group recommends that BBBSOV seeks
additional support for the training program from the Board of Directors and the broader
community. To be sure, we would not suggest that the Board of Directors does not currently
support the training program. However, the current level of support from this group is reportedly
passive—Directors are largely ambivalent about the training. Our recommendation would be to
invite one Director to attend each training cohort. This would a) allow them to develop a deeper
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connection to the inner-workings of the organization and b) reinforce to training participants the
Caffarella (2002) notes that “thinking through strategies for obtaining support from the
wider community is essential in the planning process” (p. 98), and this is particularly true for
BBBSOV. Recruiting and maintaining a pipeline of mentor candidates is critical to the success
of the organization overall. While this recruitment is tied to the broader mentoring program and
not specifically to the volunteer training component, our group recommends that BBBSOV uses
information about the specific training component as marketing material to recruit volunteers for
the program as a whole. Feedback from BBBSOV suggests that one reason potential volunteers
hesitate is that they feel overwhelmed or underqualified for a mentoring role. Our group suggests
that advertising the training that is required before being matched may minimize these concerns.
In describing the interactive model, Caffarella (2002) notes that “not all of the
components—and therefore not all of the tasks—are addressed in every program, and often need
to be altered depending on the people and the context” (p. 25). With this guidance in mind, our
group recognized the barriers in identifying, sorting, and prioritizing program ideas for
BBBSOV. Namely, the decisions related to these components seem relatively obvious when
compared to the other components. It is the mission of BBBSOV to match adult mentors with
children facing adversity, and adults are not prepared to serve in the mentor role (at least, not in
accordance with specific BBBSOV policies) until they are trained to do so. While the specific
objectives for the training sessions (described below) are likely to be adjusted over time, we
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would propose that broader program ideas for this particular training (i.e., preparing volunteers
to be mentors) have been and will be stable for the life of the organization.
The development of program objectives is one component where our group immediately
recognized the need for BBBSOV to improve. Program objectives, which Caffarella (2002)
education and training programs” (p. 156) do not exist for the BBBSOV volunteer training
program. The training does address specific content such as the roles and expectations of Bigs
(mentors), and overview of the program and historical outcomes, logistics of the match
introduction, relationship development and common issues, match support (from case managers),
and child safety, and our group agreed that learning objectives could be inferred from the content
that is covered. However, no written objectives are currently included for the training.
As a direct response to this deficit, our group recommends that BBBSOV develops
written learning objectives for the volunteer training program and ensures that content and
delivery of the training are logically aligned with these objectives. This recommendation was
also inspired by Silberman and Biech’s (2015) third step of “Specifying objectives”. Silberman
and Biech (2015) assert that program planners should specify the kinds of learning participants
will experience and the results that you wish to achieve (p.16). Additionally, BBBSOV should
have their objectives written in a way that they can be used as “tools for monitoring, managing,
and evaluating the training (p.16).” For example, a relevant objective for this program might be,
“By the end of this training, participants will be able to describe the BBBSOV policies around
social media use.” Then, program planners would need to ensure that these policies are included
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in the training (e.g., being “friends” with your Little is allowed, use only your Little’s first name,
do not post any pictures of your Little if he or she is a ward of the state). Consistent with
Caffarella’s (2002) best practices and Silberman and Biech’s active training model, we
recommend that the objectives are practical, concrete, discriminative, feasible, and describe
measurable achievements.
Having recommended the learning objectives in the prior component, our group next
turned to an examination of the instructional plans for the BBBSOV volunteer training. In the
current training design, a group of participants meets in a conference room with one or more
members of the BBBSOV staff. Instructional materials include handouts that are provided to
each participant and a Power Point presentation that guides the pacing and sequencing of
content. In addition, the staff facilitator supplements the written materials with his or her own
stories. Further, participants are encouraged to ask questions and share their own ideas
throughout the process. Encouragingly, Caffarella (2002) identifies such face-to-face group
discussion as a technique that is aligned with the learning outcome of acquiring knowledge—the
At the same time, our group recognized a clear lack of instructional techniques tied to
situations that volunteers will almost certainly face in their roles as mentors to children facing
adversity, our group recommends incorporating additional instructional techniques into the
volunteer training. Namely, Caffarella (2002) identifies simulations and problem-based learning
as effective techniques for building problem-solving skills. These techniques are also echoed in
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Silberman and Biech (2015) as effective for problem solving skills. For BBBSOV, the facilitator
could describe a common problem that volunteers face (e.g., a mentee that seems detached
and/or reluctant to open-up to the mentor) and ask participants to work collaboratively towards a
solution. Importantly, our group would recommend that the scenarios not have a clear-cut
solution, but rather require participants to brainstorm and weigh a variety of solutions. Further,
our group would recommend incorporating role playing into the instruction to concretize the
concepts and scenarios being discussed. With our suggestion that scenarios should not have a
clear cut solution, the active training manual offers a few additional suggestions for role plays
including improvisation and semi-prescribed roles. An improvisational role play could involve
participants being given a general scenario, as mentioned above. Silberman and Biech assert that
improvisation would allow greater spontaneity and an opportunity to gear the scenario towards
participants own experiences (Silberman and Biech, p. 130, 2015) . Similarly, a semi-prescribed
role play could be an effective strategy, where participants are given information about the
situation and the characters to be portrayed, but not told how to handle the situation (Silberman
given the nature of the enrollment process. Because volunteers must complete the training before
being eligible to be matched with a mentee, and because the matching process can take two
weeks or more, it is almost always the case that volunteers are several weeks removed from the
training before they have the opportunity to apply what they have learned. Further, because
volunteers often only meet with their mentees once a week, it is not out of the question that many
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months could pass before a volunteer is presented with a situation that was covered in the
volunteer training. Required monthly contact with the case manager does aid in transfer to an
extent, there is no guarantee that all of the training content will resurface during these calls.
learning transfer, and our group highlighted three in particular to recommend to BBBSOV. First,
because much of the instructional material is already presented in written form, our group
recommends posting this information as job aids on a site that is easily accessible by volunteers.
The primary purpose of these aids would be to provide quick and clear answers to specific
questions volunteers may have as they navigate the mentoring relationship. Second, our group
recognizes that mentoring relationships present unique challenges that may be best understood
online support group for volunteer mentors. This private forum would be an opportunity for all
active mentors to share aspects of their relationships that are working well as well as those that
are a struggle. Within this online support group, we believe that BBBSOV could also implement
an idea from Silberman and Liech (2015), who suggest asking participants to complete a
questionnaire that provides insight about their current functioning in their mentor relationship
(p.312). As a part of this questionnaire participants could be asked to evaluate their areas of
strength and weakness, and seek help with their weakness from others who identified such areas
as strengths. Finally, Caffarella (2002) indicates that follow-up sessions can be effective tools to
reinforce the concepts and knowledge presented in an earlier training. We recommend that
BBBSOV offers such booster sessions at least quarterly for any active volunteers to attend at
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When addressing evaluation planning, it was important for our group to consider a subtle
but critical distinction—evaluation of the mentoring program overall versus evaluation of the
place for the mentoring program overall and, while a discussion of this evaluation is beyond the
scope of the current report, we recognized that many of the indicators (e.g., increased match
length, improved self-esteem and grades among mentees, a reduction in problematic behaviors)
could be viewed as long-term outcomes of the training program. At the same time, we
recognized that there are there are too many other factors that could influence these outcomes for
framework that isolates the effectiveness of the volunteer training. For example, we recommend
that BBBSOV develops an assessment of the learning objectives described above and
administers it at the end of each training. This would ensure that participants have learned the
key information covered in the training or highlight the need to revisit certain information. While
enough—the short-term assessment that is missing from the current evaluation framework. If it
can be established that all volunteers were adequately knowledgeable upon completion of the
training, the theory could begin to be built that the longer-term outcomes result, at least in part,
from the volunteer training. In addition to evaluating short term learning gains, it is also
important that BBBSOV are capturing participant reactions and experience throughout their
training. Silberman and Biech (2015) suggest issuing reaction surveys in the form of checklists,
anonymous reaction index cards, and ratings (p. 355). We believe that by incorporating surveys,
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those delivering the training will have relevant and recent feedback to make adjustments to
In the absence of any structured evaluation specific to the volunteer training, program
successes and failures are currently identified through staff reflections about the sessions and
informal feedback from training participants. As a result, there are not formal processes in place
for making recommendations about the training program or communicating results of the
program. Our group developed two recommendations related to this component. First,
recognizing the value of subtle and informal feedback, we recommend that participant reactions
to the training (even if only expressed through casual conversation) be taken into consideration
when planning for program improvements. Second, once the training evaluation described above
is in place, our group recommends results be used to inform program improvements. For
example, if a learning objective is not being achieved for a portion of the participants, BBBSOV
should revisit that section of the training and consider revisions. Further, results of the training
evaluation should be shared with key stakeholders such as program staff, volunteer mentors, the
The BBBSOV volunteer training is a small group, face-to-face format offered in the
evenings or (less frequently) on weekends. BBBSOV staff facilitate the training on a rotating
basis, though it should be noted that the Executive Director often elects to facilitate the training
due to personal preference. Trainings typically take place one to two times per month and are
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attended by between two and twenty new volunteers. The format, scheduling, and staffing of the
training program is operating effectively based on the frequency of new volunteer enrollments.
One recommendation that our group has relates to being proactive with regard to the
BBBSOV would be wise to consider a distance learning format. We do agree that the training is
most suitable for synchronous delivery due to the ability to answer questions in real-time and
incorporate additional instructional techniques such as role playing. However, with software
such as Zoom growing in prevalence, it is reasonable for BBBSOV to begin developing a virtual
Preparing Budgets and Marketing Plans and Coordinating Facilities and On-Site Events
After an analysis of Caffarella’s (2002) best practices and based on feedback from
BBBSOV, our group determined that the final two components are less relevant to this particular
training program. That is, of course, if we are able to separate the volunteer training from the
establish and follow budgets for almost any initiative. The training, however, seems to be an
exception to this rule. Because the training sessions are held at the BBBSOV conference room,
there are no costs and minimal planning associated with planning facilities. Staff do facilitate the
training during non-typical work hours, but they are instructed to utilize flex-time throughout the
rest of the week to compensate for the additional hours. While some printing costs are incurred
by the organization, these are immaterial in relation to the overall operating budget. Similarly,
while BBBSOV engages in a comprehensive marketing plan for the mentoring program as a
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whole, no such marketing targets the volunteer training because this is a required component of
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PROCESS
With four people coming from several different backgrounds, our group did face a bit of
difficulty trying to get all of our ideas together into one cohesive paper and theme. When we
initially set out to begin this project, we thought that we would do a comparison of each of the 12
Steps of Caffarella’s Interactive Model (2002) from training programs from several different
training environments: corporate, scholastic, and non-profit. However, over the course of our
meeting we concluded that this could be unwieldy and potentially repetitive if there was
significant overlap between the processes used by these different approaches. We discussed our
different backgrounds and adult education planning experience to see where we might have
underlying commonalities. We held bi-weekly Zoom meetings to discuss the overall program
plan and dissect how we each interpreted the steps of Caffarella’s model and how they fit into
One of our initial options we ruled out was doing a multimedia study on how different
avenues of training utilize different programs and to try and determine if successful
commonalities among training programs exists. We think this could have been a very interesting
study, however once we started getting into the nuts and bolts of compiling information it was
nearing a dissertation-length study rather than a program design plan so ultimately it was
discarded. In a different environment and potentially including field studies, we think this could
lead to very interesting research about how very different approaches to training can have a
common core of what works successfully for them. Ultimately, we decided it was not the right fit
After further discussion we decided that the best approach was to focus on evaluating an
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determine areas where they excel, where there is opportunity to change, and recommendations
our group determined could lead to BBBSOV having a more successful and effective training
program.
One of the largest challenges facing program planning for BBBSOV is the nature of the
program itself. Because most of the participants in these training programs are volunteers, it
poses more of a challenge in determining the timing of the trainings, number of participants,
number of staff needed, etc. as these things will depend on the supply of volunteers to the
program. This area of Caffarella’s model in “selecting formats, schedules and staff needs”
definitely created the largest area of concern. One solution we considered to this is that while
there is not a specified budget for marketing for the training as that is already done for the
volunteer program, there could be more of an emphasis placed on marketing and recruiting to
targeted volunteer groups to help to create a more consistent pool of volunteer candidates. For
example, we discussed holding open houses or fundraising events that could be tied towards
running in a marathon race. While that event can be open to all to participate, it is marketing
towards individuals who care about overall health and wellbeing; a quality desirable in a mentor.
Consequently, this constraint affected several of the recommendations made for steps in the
program due to the inevitable volunteer pool composition and so our recommendations were
made with the assumption of BBBSOV optimizing the way they attract and retain volunteers to
their program.
Overall, we felt that BBBSOV presented a good challenge for evaluating their training
program and determining where opportunities for improvement existed. In part this is because of
areas that there have been inefficient procedures in place for several years that could be
improved with the new processes being implemented. The biggest wealth of information came
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from having two of our group members currently working in the non-profit arena and they
brought working knowledge of areas that they are familiar with due to observing first-hand
successes and failures. Because we all come from very different backgrounds in the training
world, having people who have a more in-depth personal knowledge of non-profit culture and
procedure helped tremendously with being able to better identify areas in which improvements
would be beneficial and if they would even be realistic from an administrative standpoint.
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REFLECTION
Yes, I think the course helped preparing me for more detailed and organized program
planning than I had done in the past and the Caffarella (2002) text helped provide a large amount
of resources for helping in the different stages of program planning. While I have planned
programs in the past, I think by breaking the process down to the 12 Step Interactive Model and
providing a variety of resources, it helps to keep the process organized and to be able to answer
questions that will be asked when presenting the program to leadership for approval. I feel like
this project helped to open my perspective to how program-planning in the non-profit sector
faces its’ own challenges from the nature of needing volunteers to be able to staff the programs
that are being planned to budget and facility constraints, etc. Having only worked in the
corporate sector I have not had the same experience so I think it was very interesting to explore
Through the course of the project I also learned more about myself and how to step out of
the leadership role I tend to take in group projects. I like to take the lead and to direct projects,
however in this project because I was unfamiliar with the non-profit process for developing
training programs so I needed to step back and allow someone else to take the lead as both Joi
and Doug were more knowledgeable about non-profit programs than I am. This helped me to
continue develop my ability to collaborate with other and give them the opportunity to speak up
and help direct our learning rather than feeling I need to take the lead. This is something I have
been working on myself and I feel that this project helped me to continue to my growth to be
able to embrace the diverse knowledge of the group and let others take the lead when they have
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Typically I have always embraced and enjoyed Self-Directed Learning (SDL) as I believe
that more learning takes place through changes in thought processes, questioning your beliefs,
and developing learning based upon your experiences and skills. I think that this project helped
to reinforce my enthusiasm for SDL and for transformative learning as that is where I think true
learning takes place as I believe learning is more than memorizing facts and figures, but also
involves growing and changing as a person and growing knowledge. I think from this experience
I would like to also incorporate what I experienced of a student who normally takes the lead
needing to take a back seat to be able to learn from others who possess different knowledge than
them. I think in future group projects or group learning I could recreate this by having students
who are typically more outspoken or leaders paired up with students who are less likely to speak
their mind or take the lead. This will allow these students to learn from one another’s
experiences plus it will enable them to embrace the diversity that comes from working with
someone who has a different background and personality than you do. Overall, I really enjoyed
this project as well as the course and will continue to incorporate what I have learned in my
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REFERENCES
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ohio Valley (BBBSOV). (2017). Retrieved from
https://www.mentoringkids.org/
Caffarella, R.S. (2002). Planning programs for adult learners: A practical guide for educators,
DuBois, D. L., Holloway, B. E., Valentine, J. C., & Cooper, H. (2002). Effectiveness of
Grossman, J. B., & Rhodes, J. E. (2002). The test of time: Predictors and effects of duration in
219.
Kupersmidt, J. B., Stump, K. N., Stelter, R. L., & Rhodes, J. E. (2016). Mentoring program
645.
McQuillin, S. D., Straight, G. G., & Saeki, E. (2015). Program support and value of training in
MENTOR. (2015). Elements of effective practice for mentoring (4 ed.). Boston, MA.
th
Rhodes, J., & Lowe, S. R. (2008). Youth mentoring and resilience: Implications for practice.
Silberman, M. & Biech, L. (2015). Active training: A handbook of techniques, designs, case
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examples, and tips. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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