Barriers to learning
- 1. Barriers to Adult Learning PROJECT By: Patti Blight, Sarah Cancelliere, Danielle Gunton, Avril Reid, Kerry Weir DUE DATE JANUARY 16 2013 COURSE BEC910CE- ADULT EDUCATION
- 2. What are some common barriers experienced by adult learners when they choose to return to school or participate in workplace training?
- 3. ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS YOU CAN’T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS…OR CAN YOU?
- 4. THE CASE • Anita is over 50 • She has been in her job for 20 years • Her job is being outsourced • She can not afford to retire • She needs to develop new skills • She needs to go back to school
- 5. THE BARRIER “Many adults have experienced so much criticism, failure, and discouragement in their youth that their self-confidence and sense of worth are damaged. In a new learning environment, adults often are anxious, fear failure, and dread rejection by their peer group (Kennedy, 2003).”
- 7. ALLEVIATING THE FEARS Provide a safe and welcoming environment Have students interact and discuss prior experiences Have students explain their goals Provide students with detailed course outline and expectations
- 8. THE EDUCATOR “Part of being an effective educator involves understanding how adults learn best (Lieb,1991)”.
- 9. APPLYING KNOWLES KNOWLES’ EDUCATOR’S ROLE PRINCIPLES Be a facilitator: 1. Adults are internally Understand how adults motivated and self- learn and allow students directed to participate in the direction of the class Recognize and accommodate different learning styles
- 10. APPLYING KNOWLES KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES EDUCATOR’S ROLE 2. Adults bring life Acknowledge value of experiences and previous experience knowledge to learning experiences
- 11. APPLYING KNOWLES EDUCATOR’S ROLE KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES Show direct link between course material 3. Adults are goal and student’s goals oriented Use real case studies to examine theory
- 12. APPLYING KNOWLES KNOWLES’ EDUCATOR’S ROLE PRINCIPLES Provide assignment options that reflect 4. Adults are relevancy student interests oriented Provide students with reflective questions to assess connection to goals
- 13. APPLYING KNOWLES EDUCATOR’S KNOWLES’ ROLE PRINCIPLES Encourage active 5. Adults are practical participation allowing students to experiment and develop self efficacy Provide feedback on a regular basis
- 14. APPLYING KNOWLES KNOWLES’ EDUCATOR’S ROLE PRINCIPLES Acknowledge past 6. Adult learners like to be experience respected Treat adult learner as an equal Promote an environment for expression of ideas
- 15. TIMING AND FINANCIAL BARRIERS
- 16. Most adults have their hands full. Between work, family and home responsibilities, we can feel like we can go a little crazy. Is there really enough time in the day and extra money to spend on growing ourselves intellectually?
- 17. THE CASE •Sandra is 40 years oldShe’s a wife and mother of three childrenShe’s been a Medical Lab Assistant for 18 yearsShe feels she cannot progress further in her career •She and her husband are worried about future tuition costs for their childrenShe needs to expand her career by developing new skillsShe wants to go back to school
- 18. THE BARRIER “How will I juggle family, work and school? There are only so many hours in a day… Women, by characteristic, experience a greater amount of guilt about her student role if she feels it interrupts her responsibility for maintaining her role within the family. Consequently, if she feels too much strain during this time, she will ultimately give up school to make things easier.” (Shields, 1994)
- 19. THE FEARS Cost of me o f d ay extra Ti child ca t sui table re durin g no course h shift work o ur s for Cos Lack cou t of of ti rse to c me ma and omm ter to c it ials ours e
- 20. ALLEVIATING THE FEARS Sandra Can... 1. Discuss with her family how further education will improve her career and self. 2. Ask her family to compromise. Example: Older children can help with lunch preparation and basic house keeping tasks Form a realistic household budget to accommodate the added costs of schooling. Form a realistic household budget to accommodate the added costs of schooling. • Form a realistic household budget to accommodate the added costs of schooling.
- 21. ALLEVIATING THE FEARS Sandra Can... 4. Develop time management strategies. Organize with a point/task by point/task on a calendar to understand her own abilities and how to adjust her life to accommodate others. Example: Put on calendar dates of school, work, and family events. Put due dates for bills, school assignments, etc.
- 22. THE EDUCATOR “Much of the excitement of learning is in the evolving, unpredictable and unanticipated learning that inevitably occurs. Realizing that the richest resource in the classroom are the members present, helped teachers of adults to relax and enjoy themselves too. Such congruence between belief and practice enhanced all.” (Barer- Stein and Draper, 1993).
- 23. Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE 1. Physiological Need. Ensure the classroom Refers to the basic environment is bodily requirements comfortable, needed to survive Equipment and resources must be in working order Offer short breaks throughout the lesson.
- 24. Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE 2. Safety Need. Set clear expectations for the Refers to the course desire to be safe from Provide a personal introduction physical or to help students feel at ease emotional injury These strategies will help the educator seem more approachable when student issues arise
- 25. Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE 3. Social Need. Creating an “ice breaker” lesson: Refers to the Form the students into small need for love, groups and allow them to belonging, and introduce themselves acceptance from Have students talk about their others strengths, weaknesses, and state their expectations for the course
- 26. Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE 4. Esteem Need. Constantly provide positive Refers to the need and negative feedback to to be seen by students. (Also known as others, as well as “Constructive Criticism”) themselves, as a Be flexible and understanding person of worth of the hectic schedules of and importance students Guide them to success within the course
- 27. Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE 5. Self- Provide consistent Actualization Need. evaluations: Refers to the Congratulate students on desire to reach something they accomplished one’s own on a task or assignment potential and level Encourage students with of succession specific guidelines on how to move beyond their comfort levels.
- 28. Helping Exceptional students Overcome Barriers
- 29. THE CASE • Viktor is 28 years old • He wants to progress in his career • He has a central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) • He has trouble distinguishing speech from background noise • He has mild difficulties reading and writing • He wants to go back to school
- 30. THE BARRIERS Students reported that learning barriers stemmed from what they experienced as a lack ofinstructor cooperation and school resources to accomodate their individual needs. (Fuller et al. 2004)
- 31. THE FEARS rces re resou ort ant e the to supp I do n’t w o Ar ers t avai lable ? m y pe e me What if ity m the roo p large an m is d I can’ the inst t hear ructor? e in s t ructor W ill th e me? acco modat
- 32. ALLEVIATING THE FEARS Used varied instructional strategies Be ready to modify assignments for individual learner needs Ask the student to suggest accommodations that have worked in the past Treat students fairly and equitably
- 33. WHAT IS FAIR? “The definition of fairness has little to do with treating people in an identical manner. Fairness means that everyone gets what he or she needs.” (Lavoie, 1989)
- 34. THE ROLE OF THE EDUCATOR Instead of focusing on a student’s medical diagnosis, concentrate on what learning barriers will prevent the student from reaching his or her full potential in the classroom. (Fuller et al. 2004)
- 35. ENVIRONMENTAL BARRIERS Barrier EDUCATOR STRATEGY Classroom is Seat student in centre of room large and full of Allow students to tape lectures students. Let students choose a quiet Background space for individual and group noises interfere work with Viktor’s Encourage student to bring any learning assistive devices, like a personal FM system (American Academy of Audiology, 2010)
- 36. INSTRUCTIONAL BARRIERS Barrier EDUCATOR STRATEGY Instructor uses Incorporate group work/discussion lecture format Enlist a scribe to take lecture notes for all lessons. Post lecture notes and media online Viktor has Provide written instructions for difficulties tasks taking notes and Allow students some time to retaining lecture generate responses to the topic information before a discussion
- 37. ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES Barrier EDUCATOR STRATEGY Instructor has Contact relevant school office for never heard of a accommodation suggestions CAPD and does More time or fewer questions on not know how to exam accomodate Print exam on yellow paper instead Viktor for his of white as it is easier to read exam (Bennet, Dworer, Weber, 2008) Allow student to answer exam questions using a computer or scribe