Return to Inservice Resource Library
Adult Volunteers as Learners
Characteristics of Adult Learners
 |
Adults have a broad base of experience upon which to draw and share with others. |
|
Adults have many other things going on in their lives: Family, job, community and social responsibilities. |
|
Many adults face barriers to learning such as unlearning, unrealistic goals, poor self-image, and diminished vision and hearing. |
|
Adults may not risk failure in learning situations. |
|
Adults want information to be relevant to their needs and immediately applicable. |
|
Adults respond better when the material is presented through a variety of teaching methods and when information is understood through different sensory experiences. |
How Do People Learn?
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
Planning Education for Adult Volunteers
|
Always plan several types of learning methods for every educational session. |
|
Choose methods that will accomplish the necessary learning and be effective for adult learners. |
|
Choose methods that adults will enjoy. |
|
Use methods that help learners apply concepts so they are stimulated to integrate knowledge and ideas into their behavior. |
|
Initially, choose methods you are comfortable using. Then, experiment with other teaching strategies soon. |
Dealing
With Learner Questions
You Don’t Have To Have All The Answers!
|
Relax |
|
Listen to what is really being asked |
|
Pass the question back to the learner “What do you think?” |
|
Invite all learners to make suggestions |
|
Offer to find the answer and contact the individual or group. |
Adults Are Problem Solvers
“Despite the existence of divergent teaching styles, a significantly large portion of the adult education literature supports the collaborative mode as the most effective and appropriate style for teaching adults…the interest of adults in learning is heightened when they deal with problems directly concerning them and having immediate application. Further, adults have within themselves the capacity to solve their own problems.”
Gary J. Conti
Adult Education Quarterly
Vol 35, #4, Summer, 1985, p.221.