A Framework for Learning

Integrity is one of the wildland fire leadership values. One of its principles is “know yourself and seek improvement.”

There does not always need to be two people in traditional roles assigned as teacher and student for learning to occur.

Self-directed learning is one way to create, resource, and provide opportunities for yourself and others to teach and to learn. Seek out opportunities to teach yourself and then share what you’ve learned with your team.

Much of the learning we have experienced growing up as children was in the classroom using the classic teacher-student model. However, adults learn differently than children. Firefighters are adults.

In the classic model, the teacher was at the center of instruction and considered to have all the answers, while students were merely the passive receptors of what the teacher delivered. Little thought was given to the experiences and knowledge that students brought to the learning environment, especially what adult learners had to offer.

Fortunately, over the past 50 years we have seen rapid growth in adult learning theory and the adoption of new techniques as described earlier for the training and education of wildland firefighters.