Learning from Mentors

A lot has been written about the type of learners in different industries. Most theories have different terminologies. The VARK model classifies learners as visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. The Learning Cycle model classifies learners as activists, reflectors, theorists and pragmatists. In this article, we will go with the Learning Cycle model.

The learning cycle advocates the use of multiple learning styles to truly acquire a skill or gain knowledge in a certain domain, and it is closely aligned with our experience in the IT training industry. In this article, we will stick to learners that closely align with the pragmatic style of learning.

According to the theory, pragmatists prefer examples, hints, and tips about how something would work. They appreciate real life examples coupled with theory and prefer to learn from someone who is an expert in a particular domain. In other words, they prefer to learn from mentors – someone who has walked the path before them and has proven experience and accomplishments. Pragmatic learners, in some iterations of the learning cycle theory, are also described as people who prefer to learn by doing, i.e. instead of sitting through a lecture about driving, they would much rather get behind the wheel and start learning by starting the engine.

Now take that and think of it in the context of IT professionals. When it comes to learning new skills, IT professionals are some of the most dedicated lifelong leaners out there. They are constantly looking for new updates, new releases, and the new skills needed to tap into the latest technologies. They have to be lifelong learners as their professional survival depends upon it. And that is why IT skills training made for 73% of all online training consumed by organizations in the US in 2018. And this does not include all the informal training consumed by IT professionals through podcasts, YouTube streams, and IT communities and discussion boards.

So what makes podcasts, video streams, and online IT communities so popular amongst IT professionals?

It’s the human element, and the fact that you are learning from experts. All of these modes of knowledge transfer have one thing in common: they are interactive and the person you are interacting with is a subject matter expert. So when you go to a discussion board to ask a question about blockchain technology, you are actually looking for an answer from someone who knows more than you, and when they provide an answer to your question, they inadvertently become your mentor.

Similarly, in a live stream, podcast, or a webinar, you can always raise your hand and ask questions, and the person conducting the session can answer your question in real time. The same goes for learning from a subject matter expert at your school or the organization where you work. It is tried and tested knowledge, coming from someone who has hands-on experience, being delivered directly to you with real world examples. And that’s what makes it so appealing to pragmatists.

Can other types of learners benefit from mentors?

According to the learning cycle theory, learning through only one modality is highly inefficient. That is why the theory propagates a cycle of learning, where you interact with ideas, theoretical concepts, practical implementation of those concepts in a controlled environment and so on. The learning cycle model starts with observation, continues on to conceptualization and experimentation, and goes to concrete experience, from where the cycle starts all over again. This means activists, reflectors, theorists and pragmatists all have to go through the same cycle when learning new skills. However, their preferences in the kind of mentor are different.

Activists prefer mentors that provide them with a controlled environment to learn by doing and take as many risks as possible.

Reflectors prefer mentors that are patient and take their time in assessing a problem before tackling it.

Theorists prefer mentors that can engage with them in academic debates.

What are the qualities of an ideal mentor?

With different types of learners preferring different types of mentors, it becomes increasingly difficult to train professionals in a corporate environment. At a school, college, or university, you have multiple teachers sometimes for the same subject, and given the choice, students naturally go with the kind of teacher/mentor whose closer to their learning style. When planning IT skills training for a group of IT professionals in your organization, you will not have the same luxury.

In most cases, corporate training sessions lack engagement because the training itself is treated like a one-size-fits-all product. That being said, some training sessions are a roaring success thanks to the instructor connecting with all the learners. So what makes some instructors better than the others? They have the following qualities:

• They have the right educational degrees, certifications, and experience, getting them instant credibility with the pragmatists
• They have superior domain knowledge and are able to answer any question thrown their way, earning them the respect of theorists
• They are patient and willing to take the time to get their message across to the reflectors
• They provide activists (and everyone else in the class) a controlled environment (virtual lab) to get hands-on experience with the software/hardware in question

Furthermore, great mentors always have great communication skills. There simply cannot be any knowledge transfer without effective communication. Great mentors connect with their proteges at an emotional level and inspire them to achieve their goals and beyond. Furthermore, they understand that there are different types of learners in the world and there are different ways to get through to them.

Where to find mentors for all types of learners?

When planning a training session for your team, you need to find a solution that can personalize learning for each individual according to their learning preferences. Since most (if not all) IT skills training is delivered online, you need to consider the human as well as the machine factor in this scenario. It is pretty standard to provide the learners courseware and put them in a class, but real personalization is achieved on two fronts:

• The learning material should be in the form of videos, pdfs, inforgraphics, text documents, i.e. in multiple formats so learners have a variety of options to choose from
• The mentor should be someone who caters to all four types of learners, which means they should be certified, have hands-on experience with what they are teaching, have in-depth knowledge, and guide people through projects and virtual labs.

In short, you need QuickStart’s workforce readiness platform and instructors to transform your team.

Thank you for reading the article and making it to the end. This is the part where I plug ExpertConnect. ExpertConnect is a community of like-minded IT professionals on a quest for self-improvement and lifelong learning. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, check it out, ask a question, get answers, author a course, teach a class and more.