2016 Annual Conference

This session illustrates use of embedded formative assessment in a professional development program for human services practitioners. Examples of training activities designed as assessments of how practitioners’ engage, construct and transform their practice perspectives are reviewed and use of this information to improve training design and trainer practices is discussed.

Adult education researchers and professors, adult educators; training directors and trainers in human services; adult educators of low and lower wage workers; continuing education program directors improving learning, training design and trainer practices.

Changing or improving professional practice in human services can be a difficult outcome to achieve especially when adult learners are resistant to training on new program standards or skeptical of the latest evidence-based practices. This session describes the use of embedded formative assessments in the context of a 25-hour, noncredit, continuing education training program on youth engagement for low and median wage residential child and youth care workers. Instructional activities used as embedded formative assessment are presented. How these assessments were interpreted and what they revealed about where practitioners were in their learning is discussed. Special focus is given to evidence of participant beliefs, frames of reference and types of knowing that had direct implications for improving learning, training design and trainer practices. Challenges to implementing formative assessments in human services training is discussed. Connections between embedded formative assessment and constructivist principles of adult and transformative learning in human services training and workforce development programs are highlighted.