IALEFI Control Number 10-13
ADULT LEARNING CONCEPTS FOR AN EFFECTIVE FIREARMS
INSTRUCTOR
By Ian McKnight
Rangemaster/Firearms Instructor
Morro Bay Police Department
12 July, 2010
In order to be an effective law enforcement firearms instructor, one must understand and utilize a
number of different training techniques to ensure that the information being disseminated is
understood and retained by the officers to whom it is being presented.
For decades, educators from all over the world have struggled to understand the differences
between adult learners and child learners. It has been proven time and time again that adults
learn and retain information differently that do younger adults and children. In addition to the
nuances in adult learning concepts, those concepts should be broken down one step further.
Male and female adults learn differently as well. The instructor must understand that male
students tend to need less detailed breakdown of information than the females and the lesson
plan needs to address these differences. For example, most male students need only be told to
line up the front sight, rear sight and the target zone. They can easily visualize the concept and
understand that this alignment is necessary and will result in accurate shot placement on the
target zone.
For the most part, female officers have different spatial reference skills than the male officers.
Female officers need to be given detailed instruction as to the relationship between their eyes,
the front and rear sights, trigger, and the target zone. They also require a complete explanation
as to why the projectile will strike the target at the same point on which the front sight is
positioned. All lesson plans should include detailed explanations of each step and / or task and
the reasons for them in order to be sure that the females attending the class understand the
information completely.
A completely ineffective instructor is one who assumes that every male and female participating
in the training has all the knowledge, skills or pre-requisites to successfully understand and retain
the information that the instructor is presenting. In all cases, the instructor will need to have the
knowledge, skills and abilities to present the material in a number of different ways in order to be
able to reach the vast majority of their audience. The instructor must also have the ability and
flexibility to adjust the presentations to take into account the differences in education, experience
(backgrounds) and gender of the students.
Adult learning concepts have evolved over time and are designed to involve the student in all
aspects of the learning experience. By thoroughly involving the student in the learning process,
they will learn the material more easily and retain more of the information for a longer period. It is
generally accepted that the following points need to be addressed in order for the subject matter
to be fully absorbed by adult learners. The familiar acronym, RIDEM can help remember the
principles. Is the training relevant? Are the students involved in the process? Do the students
discover something new (the Aha!! factor)? Do the students experience the subject matter
through hands on exercises or table top exercises? Does the instructor model (demonstrate) the
desired and expected behavior? All these principles are imperative for the firearms instructor to
impart to their students during the course of the presentation in order to establish the desired
outcome.
While some lecture material is necessary in order to initially engage the student(s) in the subject
matter, adults do not learn, ie: understand and retain the material, through auditory channels
alone. In the adult learning world, there are three basic learning types.
 Auditory learning is accomplished by hearing the material such as during a lecture.
 Visual learners require some sort of demonstration in order to properly grasp the subject
matter.
IALEFI Control Number 10-13

The third type of learners will acquire and retain information kinesthetically. Kinesthetic
learners need a “hands-on” approach. In other words, they learn by physically conducting
the exercise or drill.
Keeping these facts in mind, an effective instructor will employ a training methodology which will
include a brief description of the skill being taught, a demonstration of selected skill, and finally an
exercise in which the students can practice the skill. A simple yet highly effective method to
insure the students have grasped the instructional material is to use the FOUR Ts of Method of
Teaching. The concept is outlined as follows:
 Tell them what you are going to teach them (auditory)
 Teach them (visual and kinesthetic)
 Tell them what you taught them (auditory)
 Test them (kinesthetic)
When the instructor “tells” the students what they are going to be taught, the students have a
foundation on which the instructor can build and the students can focus their attention on the
subject matter. The “teaching” step reinforces the first step and adds more detail to the
information. A review of the material is then performed; “tell them what you taught them.” It is at
this point where the instructor should include demonstrations of the subject matter in order to
show the students what they just learned. The “test them” phase is utilized to reinforce and check
to see if the information was adequately retained by the student. Each step of this adult learning
methodology builds on the one prior.
In the realm of firearms instruction, adult learning concepts have great value. For a large number
of first time shooters, the thought of holding onto a piece of equipment that is loud and creates a
lot of violent, unexpected movement can be extremely dangerous and terrifying.
To properly and accurately operate a firearm, the students must master a number of increasingly
difficult manipulations. All of these manipulations will be required to gel and come together at the
end of the training session. It is the role of the instructor to insure that the student masters the
techniques required to be successful and build confidence. The process that the instructors use
to provide for the most success is commonly referred to by the acronym, EDPRR. The training
process will involve a detailed explanation of the technique and why it is relevant to the student
and their objective. As part of being an effective instructor, it is imperative that the instructor be
able to properly, safely, accurately and confidently demonstrate that which they are asking the
student to do. As the students become familiar with and gain confidence in their abilities, the
instructor will have the students repeatedly practice the technique until the desired skill level has
been reached. Each exercise will need to be followed by a review of the skill set just practiced.
The length of the review will greatly depend on how effective the instructor has been in presenting
the information in ways that are understood by all participants. In order for the skills to become
more second nature and the connections in the brain become more permanent, large numbers of
repetitions are required for the skills set to take root and become part of the brain’s subconscious.
The skills will most likely have to be repeated over a number of training / practice sessions.
Repetition is the most effective method for adults to learn.
It is the instructor’s responsibility to do their best to reach as many of the students as possible by
using the vast array of teaching techniques available. Instructors must also attempt to introduce
different weapon systems so the varying types of human anatomy can be properly
accommodated. In small agencies, this may be more easily accomplished by at least offering the
option for officers to purchase their own weapon systems to best suit the differing anatomies.
Follow this up by having a skilled instructor assist the officers in their quest to master the firearm.
A skillful instructor will understand that the basics, such as sight alignment, sight picture, trigger
control, grip, stance, follow through, and breathing are building blocks toward the goal of
mastering the individual’s firearm.
I often hear the comments that during a lethal confrontation, officers do not look at the sights; so
why do we insist on teaching the officers to focus on the front sight? As a seasoned firearms and
tactics instructor, my answer is always the same. We teach the basics so that in stressful
situations, the body and mind have information that is subconsciously accessed. If there is no
IALEFI Control Number 10-13
point of reference, the brain has no where to look for information on how to properly deal with the
situation. The officer will revert to his or her training, so it is imperative that the instructors have
the ability to impart relevant information and skills that the officers can use. Instructors must take
their time to dedicate themselves to remaining current in the subject matter they are presenting
and to maintain their skill levels in order to make their students as competent as they can be. If
the students fail to absorb and master the material and skills presented, the instructor has not
done their job thoroughly enough. In the area of firearms instruction, such incompetence could
potentially lead to jeopardizing the safety of the students and the public and impede the officers’
continued success. An effective instructor will demonstrate total commitment to the subject
matter. Commitment includes passion, enthusiasm, and up to date knowledge and skills, as well
as flexible training techniques so no officer is left wondering what it is they are supposed to learn.
(Special thanks to Vicki Farnam and Diane Nicholl and their collaborative effort in “Teaching
Women To Shoot, A Law Enforcement Instructor’s Guide” for giving me additional tools to
become a more effective firearms instructor for our department)