The In-Service Illusion: Why Participation Isn’t Progress or Impact
In-service. In-service training, in-service learning, in-service programs. As an employee of an organization, we are all familiar with in-service–the professional development we receive to build our skills, knowledge, or performance for a company–while employed with that company. Too often, there is little attention paid to engagement, shared meaning-making, or relevant application. As a result, systems are created that track participation, not learning or growth.
As a manager, you are likely being assigned and assigning training; you may even be leading it or designing it. So, how can you create an experience where adults are part of the learning, not just subject to it.
How do you develop an experience that isn’t about employees in-service to the organization but is about you being in-service to them?
The paradox of adult learning is that the more we try to control it, the less learning actually happens. Yet in many organizations, adult learning is treated like a checklist: assign the training, track completion, collect feedback, rinse, repeat. Most of the time, according to Thomas Guskey (2002), we are evaluating professional learning at a level 1 (participant reactions to the learning) or maybe level 2 (participants met the objectives/outcomes assigned in the discrete professional learning) at best. It is assumed that because the learners are adults, they should be able to self-direct, self-motivate, and self-apply new information. But this approach reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of what it actually means to learn as an adult.
Malcolm Knowles (CITATION), known for his work in adult learning theory, recognized that adult learners are motivated by autonomy, relevance, and experience. His core principles highlighted that adults need to know why they are learning something, must see the relevance to their own work, and benefit from problem-centered, peer learning rather than passive consumption of information.
However, many organizations have adopted one of two models: one-size-fits-all workshops or self-directed online modules. On the one hand, there is a belief that people are more engaged in-person; on the other, there is a belief that employees will appreciate the flexibility. But in practice, both of these models often result in disengaged employees showing up to in-person sessions already skeptical of the time investment or checking boxes in online platforms. This isn’t just ineffective - it’s demoralizing.
Adult learning involves a more complex approach than choosing one model or the other. There are benefits and challenges with both approaches, and it takes understanding both, along with understanding your employees and their needs to create a truly impactful experience (Gorman, 2024; van der Stap, et al, 2024; Olivet, et al, 2016). (CITATION)
Instead, try these 5 steps to shift the dynamic and create professional learning experiences that are in-service to your teams and others:
Start with Why–Together: Instead of launching a new training with slides and mandates, invite your team to explore why the learning matters. Frame the initiative in terms of team goals and opportunities. Create space for questions and honest feedback.
Blend with Intention: If using a self-directed component (e.g. an online module), pair it with a live team discussion or application session. Don’t treat online and in-person as separate experiences; they should merge with each other.
Build in Reflection and Application: Use journals, peer debriefs, or guided questions to help your team reflect AND provide you feedback. Adults need time to connect learning to what they already know and do, and you need time to consider what’s working for them and what’s not.
Redefine Accountability: Instead of checking completion, ask: What did you take away from this experience? What’s one thing you’ll try? What do you still need support with? Learning is not an event. Make it part of your ongoing one-on-one and team meetings.
Integrate It–Follow Up, Acknowledge, Support, Give Feedback: The integration of the learning into the work habits of your team is critical. Come back to the new learning from the training again and again. Model its implementation in your own work. Acknowledge when you see a team member implementing the practice. Provide support, coaching and feedback to encourage adoption of the practices and ensure a more successful and sustainable implementation over time.
Visual pictures of the 5 steps to shift the dynamic and create professional learning experiences.
Managers have the unique opportunity and responsibility to shift how adult learning is experienced. Not by enforcing it more, but by designing it better. If we want real change, we must stop mistaking access for impact or compliance for commitment. Learning doesn’t happen because we assign it. It happens because we build conditions where adults can choose learning that is in-service of their goals.
This month, we are using poetry as a way to unlock your thinking regarding adult learning. As you read, think about the ways in which your current models of how adults learn serve you and your organization’s success.
A Poet’s Lens on Adult Learning
Light paints the sky,
Wakes oaks, clover, and the eyes.
It warms both bee and bear alike,
Guides the flight of the Shorebird
And paths through the Earth.
Yet, Night brings rest,
Restores mind, body, and the wild.
It protects the nocturnal,
Hosts stars, brilliant or dim,
And breathes dreams into being.
There’s a rhythm,
A dance
Between Light and Night,
Each balancing, bending, blending
In service to life.
Apply the Learning: A Case Study of Measuring Participation at Your Peril
At Hearthside Living, a long-term care facility serving over 80 residents, online in-service modules have become the standard for meeting annual training requirements. Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are expected to complete modules on topics ranging from infection control to resident dignity. Each module ends with a 10-question quiz, which requires a passing score of 80% to receive credit.
On paper, in-service completion rates are near perfect. However, when the Director of Nursing, Ms. Harris, reviewed CNA performance data and resident care reports, she noticed some areas of concern. Hand hygiene audits were inconsistent. Incident reports related to transfers were climbing. In post-shift debriefs, CNAs often expressed confusion about policy updates or admitted they weren’t sure what had changed from one training to the next.
Curious, Ms. Harris began asking questions. Several CNAs confided that they usually clicked through the modules quickly, not because they didn’t care but because the content felt repetitive and disconnected from their day-to-day work. “It’s the same stuff every year,” one CNA explained. “We just do it because we have to.”
Ms. Harris has always appreciated the efficiency of online modules. They allow CNAs to complete training during slower moments on the floor, require minimal scheduling, and ensure they are in compliance. But now, she is beginning to wonder: Was the ease of access masking a lack of impact?
She decided to revisit the latest modules herself and quickly understood the problem. The videos were generic, the examples didn’t reflect the unique realities of long-term care, and the language was often overly clinical. There was no space for discussion, reflection, or application—just slides, clicks, and quizzes.
Case Study Questions:
In what ways might the current approach to in-service training fall short of meeting the needs of adult learners in a long-term care setting?
How can Ms. Harris make future in-service training more meaningful and reflective of CNA realities?
What would you have done differently to prevent this scenario?
That’s it for us this month! See you next month!!!
Gorman, C. (2023, September 22). In-Person Training Vs Online Training. Cecilia Gorman. https://ceciliagorman.com/resources/in-person-training-vs-online-training
Guskey, T. R. (2002) Does It Make a Difference? Evaluating Professional Development. Educational Leadership, 59(6), 45-51. https://tguskey.com/wp-content/uploads/Professional-Learning-4-Evaluating-Professional-Development.pdf
Knowles, M. S. (1973). The adult learner: a neglected species (4th ed.). Gulf.
Olivet, J., Zerger, S., Greene, R. N., Kenney, R. R., & Herman, D. B. (2016). Online Versus Face-to-Face Training of Critical Time Intervention: A Matching Cluster Randomized Trial. American Journal of Distance Education, 30(4), 237–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2016.1232107
van, Theo, Stan van Ginkel, Rahimi, E., & Johan Versendaal. (2024). Towards teaching strategies addressing online learning in blended learning courses for adult-learners. Computers & Education, 219, 105103–105103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2024.105103
