The Craft Of Adult Basic Education Teaching

Become an effective adult educator by approaching teaching systematically As the author describes at the beginning of Creating Courses for Adults, "The big idea of this book is that education for adults has to be designed." Whether in basic skills training, English language classes, professional development workshops, personal interest courses, or formal degree programs, good teaching tends to conceal all the planning and decisions which had to be made in order to present participants with a seamless and coherent process for learning. The author posits that nobody is a completely intuitive teacher and that everybody has to make a series of choices as they put courses together. The decisions they make are important and far-reaching, and deserve to be considered carefully. Starting with the three core factors which must be taken into account when creating courses, Creating Courses for Adults walks readers through a manageable process for addressing the key decisions which must be made in order to design effective learning. Instructor factors are what the teacher brings to the teaching and learning process, such as experience and preferences. Learner factors are the influences that students bring with them, including their past experiences and expectations for the class. Context factors include the educational setting, whether in-person or online, as well as the subject matter. Readers of Creating Courses for Adults will learn a systematic approach to lesson and course design based on research into the ways adults learn and the best ways to reach them, along with pointers and tips for teaching adults in any setting.

This book synthesizes both the theoretical and practical perspectives of experienced practitioners of the craft of adult education. The book contains 14 chapters. "The New World of Continuing Education" (Alan Thomas) clarifies common terms in historical context. "We Have with Us Yesterday: Teaching Lessons from the Past" (Michael Welton) presents the achievements of some pioneers in Canadian adult education. "Valuing What We Do as Practitioners" (James Draper) describes and compares five philosophical stances and their link to adult education. "Women as Learners" (Dorothy Mackeracher) provides commentary from feminist research to illuminate and enhance the teaching of adults. "The Health Educator: Nurturing the Learning Link" (Thelma Barer-Stein, Carmen Connolly) provides a brief introduction to adult education principles within the framework of Barer-Stein's Five Step Learning Process. "Holistic Learning & Teaching: 'Would You Play a One-String Guitar?'" (Virginia Griffin) explores how the capacities of the human mind may be applied in any learning situation. "Application of Learning Theory to the Instruction of Adults" (Donald Brundage et al.) provides more views of the differing ways that people learn as well as a look at some differences between teaching children and adults. "Culture in the Classroom" (Barer-Stein) explores the meaning and place of "culture" and "ethnicity" in the teaching-learning situation. "Planning for Learning: A Model for Creative Decision-Making" (Reg Herman) offers practical ways to place the adult's needs and learning experiences into the planning and evaluating of programs. "Program Evaluation for Adults" (Lynn Davie) explores the what, how, and by whom of evaluative processes. "Compared to What? Comparison Studies as an Added Dimension for Adult Learning" (J. Roby Kidd) explains the meaning and implications of comparisons. "Adult Distance Learning: Challenges for Contemporary Practice" (Elizabeth Burge) outlines statistics and lists the challenges of balancing science and craft while thinking holistically. "The Future of Adult Learning" (Allen Tough) describes changes in process now and their future implications. Finally, "Advice and Empathy: Teachers Talking with Teachers about Adult Education" (Draper) presents insights from part-time teachers of adults. Appendixes include a listing of names and addresses of selected international associations in adult education. Contains 140 Canadian references. (YLB)