Lesson Idea Draft

It seems to be infinitely adaptable and is really very simple to use, providing the ground rules are clearly understood and enforced. One caveat needs issuing, however. I would never use this without first doing a teaching demonstra on of how the process works, in which I play the roles of facilitator, umpire, and storyteller. When I do this I carry three different baseball caps with me. I wear red when I’m the umpire, because I need to put a red light on to stop detec ves from being judgmental, bombarding the storyteller with ques ons, and offering advice. I wear a green one when I’m playing the role of storyteller, because I’ve received the green light to tell my story. And I wear an orange one when I’m in role as facilitator, to signify pausing to take ques ons about how the exercise should proceed, explaining next steps in the ac vity, laying out ini al ground rules, and so on. Cri cal Incident Ques onnaire (CIQ) responses from students have consistently reported that the teaching demonstra on is invaluable in helping students understand the intricacies of the process and aler ng them what to watch out for. It also, of course, is consistent with what students tell us about the importance of teachers’ modeling for them what cri cal thinking looks like. Summary Cri cal thinking is something most teachers would probably say they were trying to encourage in their students. An emphasis on this process crosses the liberal and radical tradi ons in the field of adult educa on, though which intellectual tradi on teachers work within frames exactly how they define this process. I have tried to outline how teachers can use their power to model cri cal thinking across disciplinary boundaries and to give examples of introductory and advanced ac vi es that seem to me to be adaptable to different topics and subjects. One of the things that is clear about cri cal thinking is that it is a social learning process. Consequently, dealing with emerging power dynamics in learning groups is going to be par cularly important for teachers trying to teach cri cally. In the next chapter I examine in more detail the place of discussion in adult educa on, and I describe how adult teachers can use discussion to engage students emo onally as well as cogni vely.

General Features of Adult Learners

Fred Milacci, Ph.D.

Gary Kuhne, Ph.D.

You are learning some important adult learning principles in the course. Your lessons in the Designed Instruc on Assignment (see the separate handout on that) should reflect an understanding of these ideas. Since teaching adults is somewhat different from teaching children and adolescents, the eventual effec veness of your instruc onal design will be related to applying these important principles and differences. In other words, you must take steps to establish an appropriate adult learning environment as a part of your lesson planning. Consider the following aspects of adults as learners in your efforts at crea ng the proper context.

1. Adults possess many life experiences that can be used in learning efforts! Adult experiences are extensive and varied, by the very virtue of having lived longer than younger learners. They have done more things, seen more outcomes, been affected by more of life, then tradi onal learners. These varied adult learning experiences can and should be used as an important resource for learning and training.

2. Adult learners are normally very mo vated learners! Adults are par cularly mo vated to learn what seems "immediately applicable and prac cal". They o en are taking courses with specific career goals in mind such as advancement or a change in field. Adults are not likely to desire content that is simply "filed away" for the distant future. Adults want content that is relevant to their next career step.

3. Adults' mul ple roles and responsibili es o en affect their learning! The student - learner role" is usually secondary. Such mul ple roles/responsibili es create compe ng demands on adults, concentra on struggles, and less energy at mes. Mul ple roles for our adult students mean we need to be flexible in our teaching efforts.

4. Adults are o en lacking in academic confidence! Many adults have had very nega ve "schooling" experiences during their youth. Such experiences o en create a sort of nega ve programming when it comes to learning. They did not do "well" in the tradi onal classroom, and they o en think they will not do well in the new classroom either. So don't try to make the room look like tradi onal early school rooms!

5. Adults are more heterogeneous than tradi onal learners! Such differences can be an asset and lead to a richer learning episode. Use such mul -age and mul -cultural

differences as a strength through forming small groups that integrate the different learners and encouraging coopera on and collabora on instead of compe on.

6. Adults are more mature and independent! Many (most) adults expect some level of personal involvement and responsibility in their educa on. Adult learners expect the availability of the instructors as resource people and desire peer rela onship with instructors. Instructors must, therefore, be available to interact with adult students.

7. Adults have a deep psychological need to take responsibility for and control over their own lives! Adults want to be perceived and treated by others as being capable of taking responsibility for themselves. They tend to resent it when this is not the case. Teaching situa ons must take this into account.

8. Some adults may be resistant to change and resist applying new learning! Most people resistant change for the sake of change because life has shown that not all change is for the be er. A er being disappointed a few mes, most adults tend to get cynical--want to know "why"! It is important to explain the ra onale for any change implied in your teaching and link new ideas to old ideas whenever possible.

9. Adult learners face progressive problems with physical impairments! The percentage of students struggling with such problems such as speed of learning, vision, hearing, and short-term memory increases with age. Design your programs to emphasize accuracy, not speed. Be sure to pay a en on to the environment (audio, ligh ng, distrac ons) and how you set up your materials. For example, do not use 10-font size with adult learners! Use 12 or 14.