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COURSE INFORMATION
Course Description
Adult
Learning: From Theory to Practice is an online course intended for tutors
in the Canadian adult literacy community. The course may be used by individuals
in a stand alone, self-paced format, and/or by groups in various formats, both
online and offline.
The course focuses
on a teaching-learning continuum, one end of which is directed learning and at
the other, facilitated learning. The main point raised and discussed throughout
the course is that adult learning is highly individualistic and fluid. As such
it requires that tutors be very flexible and utilize a range of teaching
approaches and methods in order to enhance learning.
The first module
of the course looks at current adult learning theory, while the second module
relates this theory to the practice of adult education. It also covers a
variety of factors that influence adult teaching and learning. A third and
final module provides tutors with some thoughts on and tools for dealing with
the myriad of factors that influence adult teaching and learning. "Tips for
Tutors" have been included throughout the course. It should be recognized that
the intent of the course is to stimulate adult literacy tutors to reflect
critically on the notion of a teaching-learning continuum and should not be
viewed as a "how-to" course. An excellent resource for more practical
information is Peter Renner's "The Art of Teaching Adults."
(See
http://www.peter-renner.com/books.htm#art)
Each module
concludes with a multiple choice quiz. These will assist you to assess your
grasp of the foundational information contained in each module (i.e., as
discussed in the first section of Module 1, to acquire the basic material and
process it to a moderate degree). In the online version of the course, the
quizzes are interactive in order to provide you with immediate feedback for
each question. In the PDF version, the answers are listed in Annex
A.
There are also
sections entitled "Points to Ponder" scattered throughout each module. These
are designed to stimulate critical thinking or deeper level processing of the
material (as discussed in the first section of Module 1). There are no right or
wrong answers for these; rather, they are issues each individual educator must
decide upon for him/herself. Each point is accompanied by a discussion piece to
assist you in discussing/reflecting on it. In the PDF version these may be
found in Annex B, while in the online version a link is provided. Additional
activities for each point have also been provided.
While
plain language has been used wherever possible in the course,
the terms commonly used by adult educators are included in order
to convey the full meaning of these adult learning concepts.
However, a “Glossary of Terms” has been provided in
both the online and PDF versions of the course to assist users
with the language. Terms that are included in the glossary are
bolded in the PDF and underlined in the online version.
Finally, a comprehensive list of
resources, both text and available on the World Wide Web, has been provided for
each of the major concepts in the course.
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Use of
Course Material
The material in
this course is freely available to any individuals and/or groups wishing to use
it for "not-for-profit" certification, professional development and/or general
interest purposes. Users are encouraged to adjust the material as required to
suit their particular learning situation. For example, in that the field
differs from location to location, groups may wish to include a module relating
specifically to adult learning and literacy in their particular region. Some
groups may wish to include additional material such as foundations of adult
education, adult development, and so on. Or, some users may need to reduce the
material somewhat for a professional development session or introductory
workshop. Whatever the case, please feel free to adjust the material as needed,
as long as it is "not-for-profit."
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Recommendations for Use
The course may be
used by either individuals in a stand alone, self-paced format, and/or by
groups fully online or in a hybrid format as discussed below.
Use by
Individual Tutors:
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As a
Stand-Alone, Self Paced Format - In its most basic form, the course may be
used by individual tutors in a stand-alone, self-paced format. The course
offers the convenience of "anywhere, anytime" training in that learners can
login to the course site from anywhere and at any time of the day or night. As
such, it is suitable for tutors when attending face-to-face training is
difficult in terms of time and/or distance (e.g., in hard-to-reach rural and
Northern areas; with schedules that make face-to-face training hard to fit in).
In that the course is "stand-alone," learners may take as much time as they
wish to complete the course. It is recommended, however, that learners not
break for an extended period while taking the course as it is difficult to
sustain motivation.
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Build in
Interactivity - Learning is most effective when there is a degree of
interaction with others in that it aids in more deeply processing information
and keeping motivation high. As such, it is recommended that wherever possible,
individual learners build in a degree of interactivity. Some suggestions for
doing so include:
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Partner
with Another Tutor - arrange to work on the course the same time as another
tutor you know is, so that you can discuss the material as you go along
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Arrange
for a Mentor - ask a more experienced tutor to guide/support/assess your
course work
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Join an
online discussion forum - Check with your regional adult literacy office to
find out if there are any online forums for adult literacy tutors in your
province or region.
Use by Groups:
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Course
Prerequisites
There are no
specific prerequisites for individuals wishing to work through the course in
its stand-alone, self paced format. It is recommended, however, that you have:
- good access to
a computer and the Internet
- a moderate
level of comfort in using a computer and the Internet
- some
experience with tutoring in an adult literacy role and/or teaching in general
- a degree of
support/guidance from a colleague
User groups may
assign specific prerequisites to suit their particular situation.
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in collaboration with Adult Learning