Learning to Learn: A Skill for Work and Life 26 th – 30 th January 2014 Marseille Session 2 Monday 2:00 – 5:00 Tutor: Jim Bradley

Learning to Learn: A Skill for Work and Life Analysing the role of the adult educator in enabling adults and young people, to return to learn Although those of us who work in adult education will have our own definition of what adult education actually is there is no common acceptance of what constitutes ‘adult education’. In fact, we are now making more use of the phrase ‘adult learning’ and, in Scotland, it is the title that we use instead of adult education. Task: Before we start then we need to define what we mean by adult education.

Learning to Learn: A Skill for Work and Life Key Competences for Adult Educators There are a number of versions of what we feel are the key competences for adult educators: A1) being a fully autonomous lifelong learner. A2): being a communicator, team player and networker. A3): being responsible for the further development of adult learning. A4): being an expert in one’s subject A5): being able to deploy different learning methods, styles and techniques in working with adults. A6): being a motivator. A7): being able to deal with heterogeneity and groups Dutch Institute Research voor Beleid. Competence development of the adult educators - developing quality within the area of adult learning It is important that the adult educator is capable of: including and using adult learners’ life- and work experiences respecting adult learners as adults and creating an equal relation creating a learning environment where everybody learn from each other working with groups of heterogeneous learners and using learners’ diversity as a resource using experience- and dialogue based teaching methods recognize and relate to adult learners’ barriers for learning understanding the situation at the labour market using validation for prior learning being flexible towards different settings for the learning activities being able to develop teaching materials targeted at adult learners Some more personal characteristics are also seen as important; authenticity, hardiness, enthusiasm, assertiveness, suitable communication style Competence development of the adult educators Reykjavik jan

Learning to Learn: A Skill for Work and Life Key Competences for Adult Educators Do we require different or additional competences when delivering Learning to Learn programme? And, if so, what are these competences?

Learning to Learn: A Skill for Work and Life Learner centred approach to learning and teaching Maryellen Wiemar’s Five Characteristics of Learner- centred Teaching:- Learner-centred teaching engages students in the hard, messy work of learning Learner-centred teaching includes explicit skill instruction Learner-centred teaching encourages students to reflect on what they are learning and how they are learning it Learner-centred teaching motivates students by giving them some control over learning processes. Learner-centred teaching encourages collaboration

Learning to Learn: A Skill for Work and Life What is Student Centred Learning? University of West minster (2004) In terms of teaching strategies, these are based on the following main tenets: The teacher works with students to determine the learning strategies. These strategies are self-paced and designed to meet the needs of individual students. The student is given direct access to multiple sources of information (e.g. books, online databases, community members) and helped to solve a problem/task by making principled and informed use of these resources. Learner Centred Teaching – Ferris State University, US Learner centred teaching means subjecting every teaching activity (method, assignment or assessment) to the test of a single question: “Given the context of my students, course and classroom, will this teaching action optimize my students’ opportunity to learn?” Task Yvonne Hillier, University of Brighton, UK says on learner centred learning: So does learner centred simply mean focusing your teaching on what learners want? What do we truly mean by ‘learner centred’? In your group define what a ‘learner centred approach’ means to you

Learning to Learn: A Skill for Work and Life Making use of the learners’ previous learning, and life, experiences. Task: As a group who have this experience of working with low qualified adults and young people what impact will previous learning experiences have on their current learning? Each group should list 5 issues that they think can arise on a Learning to Learn course due to learners’ previous learning (and/or life) experiences.

Learning to Learn: A Skill for Work and Life Summary of key points of the session