Building Competency in Diabetes Education THE ESSENTIALS

SELF-MANAGEMENT EDUCATION & SUPPORT: PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT| 11-15

Accommodative learner: • Learns by trial and error, problem solvers. • Applies facts to real life, experiments. • Responds to discussion and trial of options with limits (26).

This concept needs to be explored with the realization that there is rarely only one way we always experience learning. Rather the individual may have a preference but employing mixed methods of teaching in each program is recommended. Assessment within a population framework needs to accomplish similar outcomes, although the design and implementation method will differ. There are many ways to identify the most common issues, needs, barriers and resources of the population we are working with. These include: • Questionnaires • Focus groups • Community forms • Interviews • Surveys • Charts, documents • Conversations In order to be effective, population-style programs also need to accommodate the uniqueness of individuals within a common population or culture. Individualization can be accomplished with self-assessment surveys that have been developed and evaluated by appropriate representatives. Given the many potential variations in readiness to change, culture and/or learning styles etc., interventions must be flexible and able to fit with any individual’s unique needs (27). Figure 3 depicts a proposed relationship between the constructs of intention/readiness, confidence or self-efficacy and the type of intervention in the process of behaviour change (27-30). “One size does not fit all” applies equally to group program development and population-health interventions .