Project Objectives
Training adult learners to use direct learning techniques;
Incorporating the theory of adult learning;
Evaluating the efficacy of knowledge acquisition and skills training in participants.
In order to promote active learning among adults and motivate them for excelling in the subject, a teacher must focus on the individual characteristics of learners. Teaching them to use specific techniques and base the key teaching strategy on the theory of adult learning is essential. The teacher must spell the significance of the information out.
Workshop Training Outcomes
- Students are capable of identifying key morphological, syntactic and lexical differences between English and Arabic;
- Students adopt self-directed learning;
- Students learn to interact with texts under the teachers’ andragogy based guidance;
- Learners acquire new skills faster due to the understanding of meta-cognition processes.
Andragogy is one of the key theories that allow focusing on adult learners. It helps identify the individual characteristics of learners prior to interacting with them. Moreover, andragogy contributes to developing meta-cognition among adult learners.
Enhancing Data Acquisition
- Learners use their prior knowledge;
- Students employ individual learning styles;
- Learners receive incentives to raise their engagement;
- Students’ needs are analyzed to manage the performance gap;
- Learners’ goals are defined clearly;
- Learning occurs during the contextual analysis.
Background knowledge is essential in teaching adult learners, as it informs the teacher’s strategies. As soon as the learners’ approaches towards knowledge acquisition are identified, the teacher will have to integrate a flexible system of incentives into the lesson framework.
Assessment Process
- Interviews, focus groups and surveys should be used to derive data;
- The principles of teachback analysis must be incorporated into the assessment;
- Allocation (subvastus/parapatellar);
- Follow-up/discontinued intervention;
- Analysis (interpretation of the key results).
The teacher needs feedback from adult learners in order to identify the issues that the latter may possibly have and locate the further course of learning. Therefore, the incorporation of surveys and questionnaires is imperative.
Workshop Sessions: Template
- Learning through observations;
- Task-oriented instructional methods development;
- Incorporation of e-learning aids;
- Integration of different types of resources;
- Design of an evaluation form.
Adult learners need to acquire information through observations. While repetition of information is also necessary for developing habitual actions in learners, a conscious analysis of the data provided is also necessary. E-learning aids and other resources will help the teacher encourage adult learners, while the further progress can be evaluated with the help of a survey.
Conclusion
- Teaching adults must be based on previous experience thereof;
- Learners must be motivated properly;
- Learners’ characteristics (both individual and general) are to be taken into account;
- Assessment and its evaluation must inform the teacher on the further strategies to integrate.
As the study shows, prior knowledge is crucial for teaching adults. Additionally, a teacher must pay special attention to the individual characteristics of learners. Moreover, a teacher must control the process of information and skills acquisition by gathering feedback retrieved from surveys and questionnaires.
