Adult and community education

Adult and Community Education

Module Descriptor

The module aims to provide participants from a range of professional /academic backgrounds with the opportunity to explore adult and community education theory, policy and practice. It will examine the historical, theoretical, and philosophical underpinnings of adult and community education and will also provide the practitioner with the knowledge and skills to develop, deliver and evaluate an adult/community education programme. It seeks to enable students to engage critically and reflexively with their role as (future) adult and community educators.

Learning Outcomes for Students

On completion of this module students will be able to:

· Analyse the development of adult and community education and the key policy issues which support it.

· Engage critically and examine the concept of the adult learner.

· Appraise key theories which inform current adult and community education approaches.

· Develop an adult/community education programme and deliver and evaluate an adult and community education session.

· Analyse emerging issues and trends in adult and community education.

Assessment

Assessment will be based on an annotated bibliography and a project. The project will also include a presentation.

· 40% - Annotated Bibliography addressing key philosophies and theories of adult education. Questions will be provided during module.

· 60% - Project (3000 words) comprising the design of an adult/community education programme plus the delivery and evaluation of an adult/community education session. Presentations will take place during class time and dates will be assigned early in module.

Please note that word count for essays include references. Please use Harvard referencing style. Format: Size 12 font, Times New Roman, double spacing, justified.

Assignments

There are two parts to the assessment for this module:

Assignment	Weighting
Annotated bibliography	40%
Teaching plan, practice and reflection	60%

Researching your assignment

While the internet is a wonderful tool for research and I strongly encourage you to use it, you should approach internet sources as critically as you would any other source. In particular, internet searches should not displace consultation with the reading list available on Blackboard. Readings from this list have been specifically chosen for their relevance and are all available in the library. Too often students include random articles in their assignments which are only tenuously linked to the module/assignment/student’s own discipline, rather than consulting first with suggested readings or availing of the significant learning resource on their doorstep here in the college. Please go to the library! There is a big section on adult learning.

Assignment 1: Annotated Bibliography (40%)

Please write an annotated bibliography on one of the following essay titles. You can include an introduction to your annotated bibliography to help you to focus. You should indicate in each entry the relevance of the source to the essay title.

a. Critically evaluate the teaching and learning theories which influence your teaching philosophy as an adult/community educator.

or

b. Analyse how an understanding of equality can inform your practice as an adult/community educator.

or

c. Critically analyse the impact of neoliberalism on adult/community educational policy and practice.

What is an annotated bibliography?

The University of Toronto defines an annotated bibliography as follows:

‘An annotated bibliography gives an account of the research that has been done on a given topic. Like any bibliography, an annotated bibliography is an alphabetical list of research sources. In addition to bibliographic data, an annotated bibliography provides a concise summary of each source and some assessment of its value or relevance’ (New College Writing Centre, n.d.).

The reason you have been assigned this task is to help you to build your skills in sourcing credible and relevant academic work and to build your capacity to identify argument and to read critically.

In brief, you should:

· Select the relevant source

· Cite it as you would in a reference list/bibliography

· Identify its main arguments

· Assess the relevance of the source for the essay title you have chosen

· Evaluate the source (e.g. what does it contribute to the topic at hand, what might its limitations be?)

The sources that you identify should be relevant to the essay titles provided.

Note: you do not have to write an essay .

Knott (2004) has suggested the following questions as means of helping you in evaluating academic sources:

· Are you interested in the way the source frames its research question or in the way it goes about answering that question (its method)?

· Does the source make new connections or open up new ways of seeing a problem?

· How effective is the method of investigation?

· Are you interested in the way the source uses a theoretical framework or a key concept? Why do you find this use valuable? Is it problematic in some ways?

· Does the source gather and analyze a particular body of evidence that you want to use? How good is the evidence? (e.g. the historical development of a body of legislation)

To see Knott’s work, please consult with the following link:

http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/images/stories/Documents/annotated-bibliography.pdf

Please consult with the rubric to see what sorts of competencies are being assessed.

Grading Rubric: Annotated Bibliography

	70+	60-69	55-59	50-54	40-49	Fail
Criteria and weight-ing
Quality of sources 10%	All sources cited can be considered reliable and/or trustworthy.	Most sources cited can be considered reliable and/or trustworthy.	Some sources can be considered reliable and/or trustworthy.	Few sources cited can be considered reliable and/or trustworthy.	Limited reliable and/or trustworthy sources cited.	No reliable and/or trustworthy sources cited
Relevance of sources to essay title 5%	All sources centrally relevant	Most sources are relevant	Some sources are relevant	Few sources relevant	Limited relevant sources	No relevant sources
Citation 5%	Student cites the sources fully and correctly in a recognised format	Student cites the sources in a recognised format. Minor errors.	Student cites the sources in a recognised format. Errors/omissions evident.	Student cites the sources in a recognised format but is inconsistent. Significant errors/omissions evident.	Inconsistent referencing with significant errors/omissions.	Citation missing/wrong format used/etc.
Summary 25%	Clear, concise including main points and arguments that support conclusions	Clear and concise summary	Relevant content but some elements of the reading missing.	Some relevant content but misses major elements of the readings.	Summary based solely on the abstract, limited evidence of having read work in its entirety. Misses major elements of the readings.	Limited grasp of source content.
Evaluation 35%	Clear and insightful explanation of source’s strengths and weaknesses	Clear and insightful explanation of source’s strengths and weaknesses	Offers assessment of source’s value with some explanation	Offers some assessment of source’s value but with limited explanation	Some limited evaluation offered.	Limited or no evaluation
Quality and clarity of written presentation 20%	Excellent	Very good	Good/above average	Fair/adequate	Pass	Needs significant work

Assignment 2 (60%): Developing your own teaching practice

Word Count: 3,500 +/- 10% each way

(Approximately 500 per teaching plan)

Assignment 2 component	Weighting
Teaching plan for 4 classes	40%
Teaching session	40%
Reflection and Evaluation	20% (10% each)
Total	100% (of assignment 2 – weighted at 60% of overall module grade)

a) Teaching Plan

Develop a plan for four classes or workshops (45-60 minutes per session). This should include the following:

· Target group and context (e.g. community education context, Level 5, 6, 7 etc.)

· Learning goals/outcomes for the whole programme.

· Learning goals/outcomes for each class/workshop.

· Outline of each activity/section of the session (e.g. ice-breaker, introductory activity, inputs by teacher, other activities, evaluation) including materials needed for each activity.

· How you will assess your participants

· Your learning outcomes should reflect Bloom’s Taxonomy and your activities/content should be constructively aligned with the proposed learning outcomes, (if you are more in a Freirean tradition, the focus on learning outcomes may not be so strong).

b) Teaching session

You are required to deliver a teaching session which will be drawn from one of classes included in your teaching plan. The length of this teaching session will be confirmed in class.

c) Reflection (500 words)

Write a short reflective piece evaluating your own teaching practice and your experiences (consider challenges, barriers, etc.) in developing the programme.

d) Proposed evaluation of programme (500 words)

Justify the proposed evaluation that you feel is most appropriate to your adult and community education programme and identify why and what learning can be taken from this specific approach towards changing and improving your facilitation practice.

ADULT AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION MODULE

TEACHING PLAN GRADING RUBRIC

	Weight-ing	70+	60-69	50-59	40-49	Fail
Criteria		Excellent	very good	Good	Fair	Doesn’t meet criteria
Class objectives/learning outcomes - Clarity and achievability of learning outcomes for overall programme - Clarity and achievability of learning outcomes for individual sessions	20	Excellent	very good	Good	Fair	Doesn’t meet criteria
Materials - Clear statement of materials needed	10	Excellent	very good	Good	Fair	Doesn’t meet criteria
Class activities - Activities aligned with learning outcomes - Activities suitable for participant cohort - Activities foster active learning - Activities respond to diverse learning needs - Diversity of approaches used	40	Excellent	very good	Good	Fair	Doesn’t meet criteria
Evaluation - Clear evaluation of teaching programme - Appropriate to needs of participants	15	Excellent	very good	Good	Fair	Doesn’t meet criteria
Assessment - Aligned with learning outcomes and course content	15	Excellent	very good	Good	Fair	Doesn’t meet criteria

TEACHING PRACTICE GRADING RUBRIC

Criteria	Weighting	1st	2nd	3rd	Pass	Fail
Communication Skills/ Clarity	30%	Demonstrates a superior ability to communicate with the class, and the presenter/teacher is clearly and easily understood.	Demonstrates an above average ability to communicate with the class, and the presenter/teacher is clearly and easily understood.	Demonstrates an adequate/average ability to communicate with the class, and the presenter/teacher is understood.	Demonstrates a below average ability to communicate with the class, and the presenter/teacher is not easily understood.	Demonstrates a very poor ability to communicate with the class, and the presenter/teacher is not easily understood
Methods of teaching	50%	Demonstrates a superior ability to use creative and effective teaching methods during the class which respond to the needs of students and foster active learning.	Demonstrates an above average ability to use creative and effective teaching methods during the class which respond to the needs of students and foster active learning.	Demonstrates an adequate/average ability to use creative and effective teaching methods during the class which respond to the needs of students and foster active learning.	Demonstrates a below average ability to use creative and effective teaching methods during the class which respond to the needs of students and foster active learning.	Demonstrates a very poor ability to use creative and effective teaching methods during the class which respond to the needs of students and foster active learning.
Evidence of Preparation	10%	Demonstrates a superior ability to organise and execute the class	Demonstrates anabove average ability to organise and execute the lesson.	Demonstrates an adequate/ average ability to organise and execute the lesson.	Demonstrates a below average ability to organise and execute the lesson	Demonstrates a very poor ability to organise and execute the lesson.
Poise/ Confidence	5%	Demonstrates an extremely poised and confidencedemeanourwhile presenting theclass.	Demonstrates an above average display of poise and confidence demeanour while presenting theclass	Demonstrates an average display of poise and confidence demeanour while presenting theclass.	Demonstrates a below average display of poise and confidence demeanour while presentingthe class.	Demonstrates a very poor display of poise and confidence demeanour while presentingthe class.
Sequence/ flow	5%	The logical progression of the lesson topics is demonstrated with superior mastery. The lesson easily flows well from topic to topic.	The logical progression of the lesson topics is demonstrated with above average mastery. The lesson easily flows well from topic to topic	The logical progression of the lesson topics is demonstrated with average/adequate competency. The lesson adequately flows from topic to topic.	The logical progression of the lesson topics is demonstrated with below average competency. The lesson does not adequately flow from topic to topic.	The logical progression of thelesson isdemonstrated with poor competency. The lesson does not adequately flow from topic to topic.

REFLECTION GRADING RUBRIC

	Weighting	70+	60-69	50-59	40-55	Fail
Depth of Reflection	60	Response demonstrates an in-depth reflection on practice. Viewpoints and interpretations are insightful and well supported. Clear, detailed examples are provided, as applicable.	Response demonstrates a reasonably in-depth reflection on practice. Viewpoints and interpretations are supported. Appropriate examples are provided, as applicable.	Response demonstrates a general reflection on practice. Viewpoints and interpretations are supported. Appropriate examples are provided, as applicable.	Response demonstrates a minimal reflection on practice. Viewpoints and interpretations are unsupported or supported with flawed arguments. Examples, when applicable, are not provided or are irrelevant to the assignment.	Response demonstrates a lack of reflection on practice. Viewpoints and interpretations are missing, inappropriate, and/or unsupported. Examples, when applicable, are not provided.
Writing and structure	10	Writing is clear, concise, and well organised with excellent sentence/paragraph construction. Thoughts are expressed in a coherent and logical manner.	Writing is mostly clear, concise, and well organized with good sentence/paragraph construction. Thoughts are expressed in a coherent and logical manner.	Writing is reasonably clear, concise, and well organized with good sentence/paragraph construction. Thoughts are expressed in a coherent and logical manner.	Writing is unclear and/or disorganized. Thoughts are not expressed in a logical manner.	Writing is unclear and disorganized. Thoughts ramble and make little sense. There are numerous spelling, grammar, or syntax errors throughout the response.
Evidence and Practice	30

Essential Reading

Bailey N. (2009), ‘Integrating development education into adult education using active citizenship as a focus’ Dublin: Aontas.

Baker, J., Lynch, K., Cantillion, S. & Walsh, J. (2009) Equality from Theory to Action, (2nd edition), Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Beck, D. & Purcell, R. (2010) Popular Education Practice for Youth and Community Development Work, Exeter: Learning Matters.

Brookfield, S.D. (2005) Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Caffarella, R.S. (2002).  Planning programs for adult learners. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Connolly, B. (2003) ‘Community Education: Listening to the Voices’ in The Adult Learner, Dublin: Aontas.

Connolly, B. (2008) Adult Learning in Groups, Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Darder, A., Baltodano, M.P., Torres, R.D. (2008) The Critical Pedagogy Reader (2nd ed.) Abington: Routledge.

Freire, P. (1976) Education: the Practice of Freedom, Danbury, CT: Writers and Readers Ltd.

Freire, P. (1996) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, London: Penguin Books.

Giroux, H.A. (2011) On Critical Pedagogy, London: Continuum Books.

Jarvis, P. & Griffin, C. (2003) Adult and Continuing Education: Major themes in Education, Vol. 1, London: Routledge.

Jarvis, P. (2010) The Routledge International Handbook of Lifelong Learning, London: Routledge.

Jarvis., P. (2010) Adult Education and Lifelong Learning: Theory and Practice, (4th ed) London: Routledge.

Kirkwood, G. & Kirkwood, C. (2011) Living Adult Education: Freire in Scotland, Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

Knowles, M.S., Holton, E.F. & Swanson, R.A. (2011) The Adult Learner, (7th ed.) Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Lynch, K. & Baker, J. (2005) ‘Equality in Education: An Equality of Condition Perspective’ in Theory and Research in Education, 3 (2): 131-164

Merriam, S., Cafferella, R.S., Baumgartner, L.M. (2007) Learning in Adulthood, A Comprehensive Guide, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Mezirow, J. & Taylor, E.T. (eds) Transformative Learning in Practice: Insights from Community, Workplace, and Higher Education, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Nash, R. (2001) “Class, ‘Ability’ and Attainment: a Problem for the Sociology of Education”, British Journal of Sociology of Education, 22 (2), 189-202.

Packham, C. (2008) Active Citizenship and Community Learning, Exeter: Learning Matters.

Rogers, A. & Horrocks, N. (2007) Teaching Adults, Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Tett, L. & Fyfe, I. (2010) Community Education, Learning and Development (3rd ed), Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press.

Tett, L. (2006) Community Education, Lifelong Learning and Social Inclusion (2nd ed), Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press

Additional Reading

Ball, S.J. (2004) Class Strategies and the Education Market: The Middle Classes and Social Advantage. London: Routledge Falmer

Crantan, P. (2006) Understanding and Promoting Transformative Learning: A Guide for Educators of Adults (2nd ed), San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Feeley, M. (2009) ‘Living in Care and Without Love – The Impact of Affective Equalities on Learning Literacy’ in Lynch, K, Baker, J. & Lyons, M. Affective Equality: Love, Care and Injustice, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Gardner, H. (1983) Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, New York: Basic Books.

Gewirtz, S., Ball, S. J., & Bowe, R. (1995) Markets, Choice and Equity in Education, Buckingham: Open University Press.

Hargreaves, A. (2001) ‘Emotional Geographies of Teaching’, Teachers College Record 103, 1056-1080.

hooks, b. (1994) Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom, New York: Routledge.

Horton, M. & Freire, P. (1991) We Make this Road by Walking: Conversations on Education and Social Change, Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

Ilich, I. (1973) Deschooling Society, Harmondsworth: Penguin UK.

Mahony, P. and Zmroczek, C. (eds.) (1997) Class Matters: Working Class Women’s Perspectives on Education, London: Taylor and Francis.

McDonnell, P. (2003) ‘Educational Policy’, in S. Quin and B. Redmond, (eds.), Disability and Social Policy in Ireland, Dublin: University College, pp. 28-44.

Mezirow, J. (1991) Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Mezirow, J. and Associates (2000) Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in Progress. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Murphy, M. (2001). ‘The politics of adult education: State, economy and civil society’, International Journal of Lifelong Education, 20 (5), 345-360.

Shor, I. (1992) Empowering Education: Critical Teaching for Social Change, Chicago: Chicago University Press.

Smyth, J. (2011) Critical Pedagogy for Social Justice, London: Continuum Books.

Journals

· The Adult Learner (Aontas)

· Adults Learning (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education)

· Adult Education Quarterly (Sage)

· Community Development Journal (Oxford University Press)

· International Journal of Lifelong Education (Taylor and Francis)

· Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review (Centre for Global Education)

· Radical Pedagogy (Taylor and Francis)

· Studies in the Education of Adults (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education)

· Theory and Research in Education (Sage)

Web Resources

· Aontas

· Irish Development Education Association

· National Institute of Adult Continuing Education

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