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Adapting INASP training materials

The importance of adapting materials

If we compare the positive and negative experiences we have had of learning as an adult we can see that, as adults, we learn best if we:

  • know why we need to learn about a particular topic
  • know how it will help us to attain our goals or objectives
  • are actively involved in our learning experience, e.g. through discussions, hands on exercises and self directed learning
  • can connect our learning to our life experiences
  • know that what we are learning is relevant to our work or responsibilities

These characteristics indicate that it is important that the materials being used in any training event use an appropriate format, are relevant and reflect the context of our day-to-day experience.

Clearly then, the training materials used within INASP's training programmes can only ever be seen as a basic set of resources which will need to be adapted to suit the many different circumstances in which they are used.

This adaptation of resources is a crucial part of the workshop facilitator and co-facilitator role.

Ideas for adapting training materials

There are many ways in which the relevance and context of the materials can be improved, e.g.

  • Replacing generic examples with ones that directly relate to a particular institution or country
  • Including locally relevant case studies
  • Adding locally relevant comments during the presentations (e.g. during a session on copyright one facilitator told us about a local songwriter who had written a song known throughout the country but who lived in poverty due to breaches of his copyrights)
  • Inviting local subject-matter experts to cover a particular topic (e.g. would someone within the institution be willing to share their particular expertise or experience of one of the workshop topics)
  • Replacing generic links to locally relevant materials (e.g. local newspapers, local-language search engines)
  • Ask participants to suggest examples or illustrations of points from their experiences