I am the Civic Learning Graduate Assistant for JMU's Office of Judicial Affairs. My responsibilities include being a Civic Learning Coordinator (meeting with students, assigning mentors or community service sites and then following up with students as they complete their requirements), co-facilitating a values class, supervising two student workers, planning the Civic Learning staff meetings and all other duties as assigned. I started this position the first week of school this semester so I am being trained as I perform my job duties.

My training used modeling (social cognitive theory), role play, and positive reinforcement according to Skinner. I attended mentor training before I was trained on how to use the civic learning database. During my database training my supervisor activated prior knowledge by referring to what was discussed in the mentor training. I am encouraged to self-regulate my learning by reviewing the facilitation guides when I have free time at work. Developing personal learning goals are suggested as well.

CIP theories were also used during my training; the goal of my training is for all of the information I learned to be stored in long-term memory. It is hoped that I will achieve automaticity- that I will eventually automatically go through all of the steps involved in using the database without consciously thinking about what to do next. My supervisor helped me rehearse by quizzing me on the steps I would do next after I observed an intake. To help encode the process my supervisor literally walked me thorough all of the steps and not only showed me in the database but had me walk to the different areas that each step physically takes place. Dual coding took place as well since I watched and heard the process explained to me. I practiced by observing the process, talking with my supervisor about the process, and role playing.