Teaching Adult Learners with mild learning disabilities (PART 1)


Author: Odhinn Kohout

Illustration: Odhinn Kohout

 

We will begin by focusing on the Cognitive Process and see the connection and importance of learning, retention, and absorption in a critical incident of life/death. For the purposes of this course, only two of the terms on this chart will be examined as they are crucial to the topic of LDs (Learning Disabilities) for Military/Police personnel.

These terms are credited to Abraham Maslow (Author and American professor of psychology) and although not as well known as his “Needs Hierarchy” theories, I feel they are a catalyst to explaining an Officer’s actions in a time of crisis. This chart will also offer you as an Instructor some assistance in connecting the material which you are teaching in law enforcement and ensuring that your students with an LD are able to comprehend this, as their lives, or those of their partners may depend on it.

Unconscious competence is the ability to access information or a pre- learned skill-set without extensive cognitive processes. An example of this in the civilian world would be tying a shoe. In your Agencies training this may run the gambit of drawing a firearm to defensive tactics.

Unconscious incompetence would be the brain NOT being able to recall any relevant information at the time of critical incident (I do not know, what I do not know) and by default, cause the body to enter a state of elevated heat-rate (sympathetic nervous system) and fear caused by this autonomic response.

Your previous training as Instructors have prepared you for stress inoculated training as it related to an Officer’s performance.

Question: 1. How does this relate to your current methods of teaching?

                   2. Can you recall a time on the job when you could not remember your training at a crucial moment?

Take a few minutes and make some brief notes in answering these questions.

You already know the responsibility you have to your students as their Instructor. To young recruits you take on the dual role of being a mentor and someone who sets the tone for day of learning. By understanding the importance of the unconscious competence/ incompetence relationship you will see the necessity of why all your students need to understand what it is you are teaching them. Unlike other jobs, front line responders need to have the ability to think under stress and react appropriately.

This first flowchart was created to show the totality of your teaching methodologies. You cannot skip this step and proceed to actual strategies for your students with an LD if you do not understand it. This is not from an academic standpoint but one of practical application so that your role is not understated in your mind. The end goal should be not to have your students “think” that they know your program but to see measureable results proving this, as you observe them reproducing and practicing the curriculum under YOUR supervision.