Having been conducting training for quite a few years, I had wondered if its worth the trouble to spend 6 months learning things I mostly already know just to get a piece of certification. Well, I'm glad I took the trouble, because I realised that there are quite a lot of things that I do not know, or have not considered about being a trainer.

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The journey began on 4 April 2019. I embark on the course Advanced Certificate for Training and Assessment (ACTA), conducted by Institute of Adult Learning (IAL), at Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI). My class consists of people from all walks of life, of all races, of all ages. Some are sent by their company, others came because they felt the need to acquire new skills. From strangers we bonded in the quest for a same goal. My trainers played a very important role, not just in imparting knowledge, but also in cementing the bond between fellow course-mates.

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We learnt about theories put forth by experts whose names I have trouble pronouncing. Here are some examples:​

• Blooms - Taxonomy Domains

• Cross – Barriers to Learning

• David Kolb – Experiential Learning

• Dunn & Dunn's VATK Learning Styles

• Gagné - Nine Events of Instruction

• Garry Mitchell - Adult Learning Principles

• Jack Mezirow - Transformational Learning

• Keller - ARCS Model

• Malcolm Knowles - Assumptions of Adult Learners

• Ormrod –Retention of Learning

• Silberman - 8 Qualities of an Active Learning Environment

• Stephen Brookfield - Critical Thinking

• Wlodkowski - Motivational Framework

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We learn about the WSQ framework and competency maps, which looked super complicated and totally daunting at first, until our trainer taught us how to decipher it.

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What do you think?

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