Learning Task #1 - Researching Relevant Professional Development "Investigating a Professional Development Conference" By Susan Jarosak

I attended the 13th Annual International Self-Directed Learning Symposium in Scottsdale, Arizona February 25-29. I chose this professional conference because a colleague and I submitted a proposal to present a session and it was accepted. Our session, "Leadership for Who? - A Self-Directed Leadership Development Program," was one of thirty sessions presented. The purpose of our session was to describe a leadership development program that was created and implemented by Extension support staff.

The purpose of the conference is to provide a forum for theoreticians and practitioners to discuss current developments in the study and application of self-directed learning. The conference design emphasizes group exploration of problems, issues and concepts. The program included a keynote address and several opportunities for small and large group sessions.

My experience being a presenter was quite good. Since this was the first time I have been a presenter at a non-Extension-affiliated conference; I learned a great deal. It helped to be excited about the subject and to know that other professionals would be interested in our unique program. The session went well and it left me with a great feeling that affirmed my knowledge on the subject. One audience member, who was very critical about our program, said it was designed very well. A lively discussion continued even after our time was up which I did not experience again at any other session.

In addition to presenting, I attended the key note presentation, two general sessions, and spoke with participants, including a few from other countries.

The key note address, entitled, "What We Think We Know About Self-Directed Learning," provided a summary of the diverse definitions and thinking on this topic including the latest research trends. I spoke with several participants at this opening session and most expressed their excitement about being in the company of so many well-known theoreticians. All participants seemed to be well versed in the "SDL" language and were anxious to discuss their work with others. The international participants I spoke to were especially interested in sharing their ideas.

I gathered input about the conference from participants via informal conversations. I began the conversations with these two questions: 1. Why did you decide to attend this conference? 2. What do you hope to learn?

Since most participants attended the conference to present a session, most of the dialogue was about each other's work. For example, several people I talked to had done research about self-directed learning readiness in young and adult students. They wanted to discuss their findings and get feedback from others who were doing similar work. My interviewees were either working in the employee development area or education. Many were doctoral candidates at well-known Universities.

As stated earlier, most participants were there to talk about their work and to learn from others. They appreciated the informality of the conference and the opportunity to interact with many "authored" people.

Each session had a designated "reactor" who facilitated/generated the discussion and also reacted to the data presented. This was a useful arrangement, as some attendees tended to talk a lot and did not give others (especially international participants) a chance to say anything.

The first session I attended, "Readiness for self-directed learning among college students in Greece and the U.S." almost put me to sleep. The presenter was not well organized and presented data that did not make sense. He had not actually collected the data himself; but had compiled it. Even so, participants were patient and asked good questions. They gave the presenter support for his work and suggestions for making the data more useable.

I was the reactor for the second session which was an interesting experience. The session was about a women's leadership development program, though very different from the one I had helped create in Extension. I found the presenter's style to be unprofessional (she used too many idioms and slang that the foreign participants could not follow), but her topic generated a good conversation. It was interesting to compare the two leadership programs and validate the good work we did in Minnesota. The participants' reactions to the presentation were again supportive with helpful suggestions for making the program more effective.

My participation at this professional development conference, and the reflection I've done about the experience, was very worthwhile to me. It was a great opportunity to be with other practitioners and give and receive input on each other's work. The only negative was that it was heavy on theory, research, and statistics and light on practical hands-on experiences. If I attend this conference again, I would try to attend more sessions that featured real, hands-on experiences working with people in self-directed learning situations rather than presentations on learning theories and research.

-- Anonymous, March 08, 1999

Answers

This sounds like a very interesting conference. I would love to know the name of the person giving the keynote address...or did that person give you a handout with a reference list? That might be a very useful thing to share with the cohort group. Did he/she talk about self- directed learning with only adults or children and youth too? I have some info about this with children if that is useful to anyone looking into this....I think its interesting that there was a strong movement, of sorts, in the 1930s, in the 1960s and early 70s, and now.

Glad your experience being a presenter was good. Im sure your group learned a lot from you. Im curious about the audience member who was very critical of your program. Did you agree with any of the points made? At any rate, lively discussion is great for getting new ideas and confirming previous decisions that you know are right!

-- Anonymous, March 12, 1999