LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
EXPANDED COURSE OUTLINE
ACADEMNY INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION COURSE
- COURSE INTRODUCTION
This training block introduces the instructional goals and objectives of the AICC. At the conclusion of this block, the learner will recall the goals and objectives of the AICC, and be able to relate those goals and objectives to subsequent instruction in the course.
- Course Introduction
- Why are you here?
- Why Change?
- ID instructors (Instructor bio’s and how they relate to credibility)
- Final Presentation Friday (no surprises)
- Agenda for the day
- Core Competencies
- Introductions
- Roles and Responsibilities of the Instructor
- Legal Issues and Safety Protocols
- Adult Learning Concepts
- OFFICER SAFETY, OFFICER SAFETY, OFFICER SAFEY
- Officer Safety is always the goal!
- Peeking Behind the Curtain
- How do you get the students involved
- List of good and bad Examples of Training (Learning Activity)
- Openings are critical
D. Student Introductions:
- Draw your partner in picture – no words
- 3 minutes each for interview 7 minutes to draw picture
- 1-2 Minute to present your partner
- Debrief Drawing Exercise
- Removes anxiety from self-intro of other person, not alone
- Students pay more attention (listening skills)
- Out of the box thinking
- Expand on drawing skills
- Shared interest with others (networking)
- Instructor learns hoppy/interest for future presentation throughout the course
- Exposes students/instructor knowledge/experience in the course
- Students practice public speaking
E. Instructor Core Competencies
- Basic Course Instructional System
- Roles and Responsibilities of Law Enforcement Training Instructors
- Adult Learning Concepts
- Lesson Planning
- Presentation Skills
- Facilitation Skills
- Use of Learning Resources and Training Aids
- Evaluation Techniques
- Legal Issues
- Safety Protocols
- Written, oral and/or Demonstration Assessment (competency verification checklist required for AICC)
Leaning Activity: Individual groups will discuss Instructor Core Competencies and address issues regarding student expectations and concerns.
- ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE INSTRUCTOR
At the conclusion of this training block, the learner will understand the qualities and responsibilities of an instructor teaching POST–Certified Courses in the Basic Academy.
A. Instructor qualities
1. Possess subject matter expertise
2. Have respect for others, and demonstrate such respect in their duties
3. Be considerate of others
4. Be enthusiastic about leading the student’s learning experience
5. Be willing to facilitate student learning with varied approaches
B. Instructor responsibilities
1. Model desired behavior and performance
2. Facilitate the learner-centered training environment
3. Remain current in their subject matter and the techniques of teaching and facilitating adult learners
4. Ensure the training environment is psychologically and physically safe for the student’s learning experience and to mitigate the impact of any inappropriate actions or behaviors by students or staff.
5. Remain focused on the ultimate goal of training, which is to transfer knowledge, skills and abilities to students in a manner that will be retained, replicated and used in the real-world environment
C. Faculty/Staff Code of Conduct
- Strives to ensure that students are academically and professionally
prepared:
a. Fielding Training Program
b. Policing Career
c. Ongoing Professional Development
- Adherence to a training location’s applicable protocols, policy, and
procedures
3. Recognizes training as a position of public trust
a. Promote civic virtues, such as, but not limited to
1). Integrity
2). Responsibility
3). Loyalty
4). Respect for the law
D. Ethics of instruction
1. A collection of standards by which instructors are guided within their
profession, such as, but not limited to:
a. Present from an informed and balanced viewpoint
b. Design curriculum that aligns with the POST Testing and Training
Specifications (TTS)
c. Accommodate the diverse learning needs of students
d. Model appropriate behaviors, words, and references
e. Recognize that students are autonomous and entitled to their own
thoughts
f. Facilitate the learning environment in a manner that challenges but
does not manipulate
Learning Activity: Case Study: Dead Poets Society
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- Class discussion on new perspectives in teaching, risk taking and teacher modeling.
III. LEGAL ISSUES AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS
At the conclusion of this training block, the learner will understand and recognize the regulations and procedures to mitigate exposure to civil liability in an academy setting. Additionally, At the conclusion of this training block, the learner will also understand safety protocols, including maintaining a safety consciousness, recognizing and mitigating risks and adhering to safety guidelines.
A. . Legal Issues
1. There are various legal issues that can be encountered such as, but not limited to:
- Copyright issues
- Release of student information
- Disability Accommodations
- Negligent training
- Negligent retention
B. Safety Responsibilities
- POST Regulation 1052 (a) (6)
a. Rules of safety and conduct
b. Individualized student injury response protocol
c. Student psychological safety
- POST Regulation 1052 (a) (7)
a. Obligated to follow lesson plan, hourly distribution and safety rules submitted to POST
IV. CONCEPTS OF ADULT LEARNING
At the conclusion of this block, learners will identify methods by which adults learn and internalize ideas and concepts, assess differences between teacher-centered and learner-centered training environments, and understand facilitation and how it differs from traditional teaching styles.
A. Adult learning
1. Pedagogy vs. Andragogy
a. Pedagogy – focus is on the child/adolescent learner; learner is dependent, training is subject-matter and content focused, readiness to learn based on physical, mental and social development and lesson planning, testing and evaluation of success is managed by the instructor
b. Andragogy – Adult learners are more independent and self-directed, training readiness is based on need, relevance and immediate application. Lesson design sequenced in terms of need and is problem focused.
B. Learner-centered instruction
1. Move from traditional teacher-centered instructional methodologies to those that are learner-centered
2. Move from memorization and rote test-taking to the acquisition of knowledge and skills and demonstrated competence consistent with higher-order concepts within learning taxonomies
3. Creating an environment that allows students to “fail forward” and process new knowledge in a manner that intrinsically enhances retention and use beyond the Basic Course or other in-service training
4. Move away from viewing the learner as a “blank slate” into one where the learner has life experiences which can be used as a foundation for further growth and development
C. Learning Modalities
- Auditory
- Learns by listing, asking and talking
- Visual
- Learns by observing or reading
- Kinesthetic
- Learns through movement
- Tactile
- Learns through touching and/or handling
Learning Activity: Learning Style Assessment (S.E. Pues)
D. Learning, Understanding, and Intelligence
1. Taxonomies of Learning (Bloom’s, Anderson/Krathwohl and Dave’s)
a. Cognitive (intellectual skills, recall, recognition, thinking patterns)
b. Affective (feelings, emotions, character, conscience)
c. Psychomotor (motor skills, imitation, practice, habit)
2. Revisiting Malcolm Knowles and Adult Learning Concepts in a Multi-generational Training Landscape
a. The Knowles Adult Learning concepts
b. The need to know, self-concept, experience, readiness to learn, orientation to learning, and motivation
c. The training environment faced by today’s trainers include a variety of generations (Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, Matures).
d. The application of adult learning concepts in a multi-generational learning environment are a needed skill for today’s trainers since the differing generations have different, needs, expectations, experiences, and motivation.
Learning Activity: Case Study: “Men in Black” (Testing Scene)
1. Relevance
2. Context
3. Expectation
V. LESSON PLANNING AND INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEM DESIGN
At the conclusion of this training block, the student will demonstrate an understanding of lesson planning and appropriate Instructional Systems Design (ISD) as a foundation for the delivery and evaluation of training - facilitated in a manner consistent with standards and the learning needs of the student. The course should present at least one ISD methodology and one or more formats for lesson planning.
A. Instructional Systems Design
1. Course developers and planners in academic and public safety teaching may use “ADDIE” or a comparable structure to fully design, plan and execute training:
a. Analyze
b. Design
c. Develop
d. Implement
e. Evaluate
B. The Instructor’s Lesson Plan
1. There are a number of models and formats one may use for the lesson plan. The importance of the plan is to enhance the structure of delivery, identify time constraints, and allow for replication by others and to validate the teaching of learning objectives. Relevant considerations are to:
a. Use a structure for planning to ensure consistent outcomes
b. Clarify the desired learning outcomes sought
c. Focus the design of instruction on targeted content relevant to the
subject intended
d. Analyze options for training delivery
e. Identify appropriate learning activities to reinforce and deepen learner retention of ideas, skills or concepts
f. Determine acceptable evidence of learning
g. Plan learning activities and instruction
h. Create lesson plan using one of several acceptable options
1). Outcome-Based Lesson Planning
a). Established goals of training
b). Understandings needed by instructor and students
c). Essential questions to focus goals and guide actions
d). Knowledge and skills to be acquired through
instruction
e). Assessment of success
f). Action plan for instruction
2). Time-sequenced lesson plan
a). Scripted lesson plan using time sequences to note
progress
b). Includes narrative description of actions and
activities by instructor and students
c). Tied to learning objectives, resources and outcomes
desired
3). Other acceptable model or structure
Learning Activity: IGLA Review. Participants select an activity relevant
To one of their learning domains. The activity is discussed and applied to their teaching.
C. Prerequisites for Learners
1. Experience or other established criteria for attendance
2. Completion of assigned articles, chapters, workbooks or other related
resources
3. Research on the Internet
D. Facility
1. Possible limitations of physical layout of training environment
2. Ability to move tables or chairs to form learning groups
3. Adequate AV support for video/CD/DVD and the Internet
4. Noise or other possible distractions
E. Testing
1. Understand relation of learning objectives to POST competency
and P.O.S.T. Training and Testing Specifications (TTS)
2. Understand POST standards for testing and remediation
VI. PRESENTATION AND FACILITATION SKILLS
At the conclusion of this training block, the learner will understand the variety of skills available for their use as instructors and demonstrate the use of appropriate presentation skills in a simulated or actual classroom environment.
A. Presence
1. Appearance, including attire
2. Personable, approachable and receptive
3. Respect for learners and others in the learning environment
B. Appropriate language and word choice
1. Use simple syntax
2. Emphasize vocabulary related content
3. Use of concrete and abstract language
C. Power of Emotion
1. Are “War Stories” ever appropriate?
2. Connection between emotion and memory
3. How do you add emotion to your facilitation/presentation skills?
D. Nonverbal skills
1. Paralanguage
a. The use of non-verbal communication to convey further meaning
1). Voice
2). Gestures
3). Facial expressions
2. Proxemics
a. The use of space and how it causes effective interpersonal
communication
1). Physical
2). Personal
E. Observation skills
1. Ongoing evaluation of learner behavior
2. Adapting instruction
3. Level of comprehension
4. Awareness of learner concerns
F. Classroom management skills
1. Minimize interruptions
2. Mitigate disruptive student behavior
3. Build a positive learning environment
4. Breaks at appropriate intervals
G. Delivery strategies include:
1. The selection and use of instructional delivery formats and strategies
2. An understanding the process of class management through instructional style
3. Using one or more interactive approaches to education and training to engage students.
4. Creating Momentum in Class
5. Using a Variety of Activities
H. . Problem Solving Strategies
1. Problem-Based Learning Exercises
2. Case Study Exercises
3. Other student-centered, instructor facilitated strategies to emphasize the development of problem-solving capacity in student
I. Facilitation
1. Facilitation defined- “To make easy”
2. Facilitation is oriented to process; is not “presentation” or “teaching”
3. Techniques and skills of effective facilitation
a. Listening actively
b. Paraphrasing
c. Communicating expectations
d. Using appropriate questioning technique
e. Using planned responses
f. Eliciting participation from less outgoing members of class
g. Managing interaction and resolving conflicts and disruptions
h. Creating a learning environment where it is safe and appropriate to
“fail forward” while learning and applying concepts and ideas.
i. Providing feedback and summary of course or block of instruction.
j. Use structure to enhance critical thinking by learners
Learning Activity: The Statue” Emphasizes the importance of nonverbal feedback
Learning Activity: Students use nonverbal techniques in group presentations.
VII. USE OF LEARNING RESOURCES AND TRAINING AIDS
At the conclusion of this training block, the learner will understand the variety of instructional resources available and demonstrate proficiency in their use as a part of a lesson plan.
A. Appropriate selection and use of various resources.
1. Informational resources
2. Classroom resources
3. Resources at POST (Instructor’s Guide to Learning Activities, P.O.S.T. Learning Portal, P.O.S.T. Website)
B. Practical demonstration and use of various aids
1. Easel charts
2. PowerPoint
3. Handouts
C. Pros and cons of various media
1. Passive versus active media
2. Over-utilization of Power Point and similar media
a. Do not read from Power Point
b. Use primarily for visuals, quotes, core concepts, not a visual outline
c. Power Point is not the Presentation
D. Technical issues with Instructional Resources
1. Familiarize oneself with technology in classroom prior to class
2. Consider how students might use technology in learning experience
E. Copyright considerations for use of published material
1. Fair Use
2. Movies and video
3. Citation of written material
VIII. EVALUATION TECHNIQUES
At the conclusion of this training block, the learner will be able to describe the methods used in the Regular Basic Course to evaluate learning.
A. Preparation and presentation of testing
B. Scenario testing
C. POST Basic Course testing-mid-term and final
D. Remediation procedures
E. Role of academy coordinators and instructors regarding test procedures and test security.
IX. BASIC COURSE INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEM
At the conclusion of this training block, the learner should be able to describe orally or in writing the POST Regular Basic Course Instructional System and regulations regarding instructor development training.
A. POST Commission Authority
1. Penal Codes
a. 13500 P.C.
b. 23503 P.C.
c. 13510 P.C.
d. 13510 P.C.
2. POST Regulations
a. Reg. 1071 (Revised May 2005)
b. Reg. 1083 (Revised May 2005)
B. POST Academy Certification Process
1. Every three-years
a. Current TTS requirements are met
b. Current ECO’s on file
c. Current instructor resumes on file
d. AICC records are on file
C. Basic Course Management Guide
1. Guide for academy operations (Director/Coordinator)
2. Basic Course regulations
3. Best practices
D. Basic training mission
1. Prepare students mentally, morally, emotionally and physically to successfully complete a field training program or related advanced training program subsequent to graduation from the Regular Basic Course.
2. Ensure students demonstrate the core competencies to successfully complete the RBC
3. Development of problem solving skills
E. Academy policy development
1. Alignment to POST regulations
2. Alignment to agency regulations
3. Alignment to college regulations
4. Safety - General Guidance from POST
5. Academy requirements
F. The Learning Domain system
1. Learning need
2. Learning objectives
3. Educational Objectives
4. Minimum hourly requirements
5. Learning activities, both required and optional
6. Testing (written, scenario and exercise)
7. Training and testing specifications
G. Delivery formats
1. One part instructional sequence (intensive and extended)
2. Modular Basic Academy Training (I –III)
H. The Instructor’s Guide to Learning Activities (IGLA) and use as a resource to the basic curriculum.
1. Provides a library of learning activities that offer structure for facilitators
to engaged students in practicing the skills and knowledge they will later be required to use as peace officers and public safety dispatchers
2. Contains activities for every Basic Academy Learning Domain interwoven
with concepts from other learning domains along with cornerstone concepts of leadership, ethics, and community policing.
3. Supported by learning objectives that are anchored in Bloom’s
Taxonomy
4. Consistent with the principles and concepts of critical thinking
X. POST ACADEMY WORKBOOK SERIES
At the conclusion of this training block, the student will demonstrate an understanding of the POST academy workbook series. Students will realize that primary instructional material is not based on the Student Workbooks. The workbooks are intended only as a student study guide. POST Regulations require that the POST TTS must be the primary source of lesson planning and instructional material. The POST TTS outlines all of the course content that must be delivered (PAM – D-1-3 and §1052(e)). Therefore, instructional material is to be facilitated consistent with the POST TTS coupled with the learning needs of the student.
A. The Instructor’s Lesson Plan will be (primarily) developed from the POST TTS, but can incorporate concepts from the Student Workbook and related sources to ensure instruction is consistent with the learning objectives and testing standards established for the basic course.
B. The student workbook is recommended for pre-course study guide work by students and as an instructional aide in the learning environment.
C. Testing
1. Understand relationship between student workbooks, POST TTS, and testing standards.
2. Understand POST and academy standards for test remediation
XI. WRITTEN, ORAL AND/OR DEMONSTRATION ASSESSMENT (COMPTENCY VERIFICATION CHECKLIST)
At the conclusion of this training block, the student will be able to demonstrate proficiency in the use of appropriate presentation skills and related competencies by delivering a segment of training to the class or sub-group of the class in a manner consistent with Adult Learning, Instructional Systems Design, lesson planning and through the use of appropriate delivery strategies.
A. The instructional segment should be drawn from actual or intended teaching in the academy or in-service training environment
B. Minimum requirements for the demonstration of competency are:
1. The student will develop instructional goals and anticipated outcomes for their training block
2. The segment will allow the student to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject being taught, their creativity in developing and presenting content to adult learners
3. The instructional segment will actively involve the learner in the teaching environment
C. This demonstration of proficiency fulfills “Competency Verification component of POST Regulation 1083 regarding the training of instructors in the POST Academy Instructor Certificate Course (AICC). For those instructors, the “Competency Verification” form will be completed by the course instructor once the demonstration of competency has been presented in a satisfactory manner.
XII. REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF CLASS
A. Conclusion of Course
1. Opportunity for review
2. Referral to continued sources of learning (IDI, Extranet, POST Learning Portal.
3. Voluntary submission of course evaluations on the POST website
B. Course Verification
1. Course certificates
2. POST Competency Verification Checklist
POST ACADEMY INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION COURSE
OVERVIEW
The foundation of this course is to ensure compliance with POST 1082 regulations, the Academy Instructor Certificate program (AICP) and the training requirements of Academy Basic Course instructors. This course has been generalized to reflect the fact that academy and in-service instructors may attend the same training sessions for different purposes. The Academy Instructor Certification Course (AICC) is based on principles of student-centered adult learning and sound instructional systems design. The purpose of this course is to ensure that peace officers are prepared for the rigors of the policing profession.
The AICC (and those courses intended to meet equivalency criteria articulated in Academy Instructor Certificate Program and POST Regulation) is intended to equip instructors with the skills, competencies and knowledge necessary to deliver training for recruits and peace officers in a manner that emphasizes the retention and application of knowledge consistent with the goals and mission of policing. Finally, the AICC satisfies the goal of preparing Basic Course instructors with the tools necessary to instruct within the Basic Course Instructional System.
Basic Course Instructor Needs and Mandates
As a result of significant changes approved by the POST Commission in 2005, the Basic Course is moving its teaching methodology to that which:
- Places the responsibility for learning on the student,
- Modifies and expands the instructor’s role to that of facilitator of an adult learning environment,
- Provides students with a variety of teaching methodologies and opportunities to acquire knowledge and demonstrate competencies necessary for success in field training and beyond.
The core competencies acquired in this course, therefore, will require instructors to demonstrate their ability to lead an educational and training environment consistent with these goals.
Instructional Goals for Basic Course Instructors
A primary goal of the Academy Instructor Certificate Course (AICC) is to comply with the requirements of the minimum standards for Regular Basic Course (RBC) instructors detailed in POST Regulations 1071, 1082(d) and 1083, including:
A. The requirement for all RBC instructors appointed on or after March 1, 2008 to complete an AICC or Academy Instructor Development Course (AIDC) no later than March 1, 2011 prior to instructing any component of a RBC.
B. Delivering an AICC that satisfies the minimum course requirements as specified in Regulation 1082 with the following eleven mandatory components included:
1. Basic Course Instructional System
2. Roles and Responsibilities of Law Enforcement Training
Instructors
3. Adult Learning Concepts
4. Lesson Planning
5. Presentation Skills
6. Facilitation Skills
7. Use of Learning Resources and Training Aids
8. Evaluation Techniques
9. Legal Issues
10. Safety Protocols
11. Written, oral and/or Demonstration Assessment (competency verification checklist required for AICC)
A Note Regarding In-Service Instructors
Presently there is no existing mandate for in-service instructors to complete the AICC or equivalent course. POST strongly encourages those trainers to engage in a training that enhances their skills and abilities deliver content in a manner that is consistent with student-centered adult learning.
Regulation 1082 requires course content dealing with the Basic Course Instructional System and academy-specific training responsibilities. The AICC’s academy-specific modules satisfy that requirement. It is not required for those intending to solely teach in-service training; however, non-academy instructor-trainees are encouraged to complete those modules in this training setting to ensure they have fulfilled the requirements of Regulation 1082 should they elect to instruct in an academy in the future.
INSTRUCTOR CORE COMPETENCIES
At the conclusion of training in the Academy Instructor Certificate Course, instructors will demonstrate the following minimum core competencies:
Knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of instructors in the Basic
Academy using the Regular Basic Course Instructional System including:
- Training mandates
- Training specifications
- Methods for delivering instruction
- Facilitation of the student-centered learning environment
- Procedures for testing, testing security, evaluation and remediation
Knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of law enforcement training instructors who train peace officers in a POST-certified course or comparable training that pertains to expertise, ethics, efficacy, and creating a safe student-centered learning environment.
The application of adult learning concepts and principles in an educational setting.
Effective lesson planning, including the integration and use of appropriate instructional methodologies and learning activities to reinforce instruction and to allow students to reflect and retain necessary knowledge
Presentation skills that include a variety of instructional techniques such as presence, time management, preparation, effective and appropriate language and the use of multiple-modality tools.
Facilitation skills that include a commitment to orchestrating training in a manner that will enhance the learner’s retention.
A variety of instructor and student learning resources and training aids such as PowerPoint, Instructor Guide to Learning Activities (IGLA), website resources, etc.
Evaluation that integrates course curriculum and lesson plan with POST Training and Testing Specifications to ensure appropriate evaluation and testing of learning. This competency also includes remediation opportunities consistent with POST and academy standards as well as test security procedures.
Legal Issues that recognize the importance of the Regular Basic Course training mission and the instructor’s roles and responsibilities, including:
- The Faculty/Staff code of conduct
- Rules, regulations and procedures to mitigate exposure to civil liability in an academy setting
Safety Protocols including maintaining a safety consciousness, recognizing and mitigating risks and adhering safety guidelines.
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POST ACADEMY INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION COURSE
EXPANDED COURSE OUTLINE
The purpose of Academy Instructor Certification Course (AICC) is to prepare instructors to train peace officers and recruits in active, rather than passive learning environment. The AICC instructor will lead a learning process where students will not only pass tests and memorize facts, but be able to retain and apply that knowledge once beyond the confines of the classroom. As a result of the POST Commission’s approval of significant changes to the Basic Course, instructors must be competent in not only the traditional lecture didactic dialogue and test preparation, but will be required to facilitate a learning environment that is student-centered and focused on the use of multiple styles of presenting concepts. POST has determined this teaching methodology is the most effective manner for all in-service certified training; therefore, the competencies of the academy instructor must also be present in any instructor for every course taught.
The AICC outline is presented in a 40-hour format. Previously, the AICC expanded course outline consisted of 24 hours of instruction, usually accompanied by 16 hours of student presentations to comply with the Academy Instructor Certificate Program (AICP) requirements. Emerging protocols* to condense formal student teaching allows the presenter to either expand instructional segments or shorten the course once all outcomes have been met. The full AICC, including a competency verification (student teaching) block, should not exceed 40 hours of total instructional time unless local requirements or preferences dictate lengthening the course.
* (Note- active learning presentations conducted by students in smaller concurrent groups may allow course presenters to use less time to complete the “teach-back” component of training)