Jaimes - Adult Learners

Diversity Scenario

In a very diverse, class I believe that it is very important that the instructor work hard to get to know the students as individuals and talk to them about what they expect to get out of the class. I think in this situation it would be a great idea for the students to participate in a discussion board so everyone can collaborate and the teacher can get to know everyone in this way. It would make it easy for the students and the teacher to be able to communicate. It may also be a good idea for the teacher to have each student write a letter of their expectations of the class individually as well so the student will not feel as if they are being put on the spot and may feel more comfortable; maybe something like a weekly journal.

      Also, when working with a diverse class, after learning everyone's personality and learning styles, it is very important to try and implement different techniques to fit to everyone's individual learning styles.

Practical Scenario

I can relate to the student described in this scenario. There have been many times when I was enrolled in a class and the material presented in the class had nothing in common with my life or my future career. It made me feel frustrated and made me feel as if the class was of no use to me, so why should I care? This happens a lot with many students. I believe that the instructor should get to know the students and what career they are planning on going into, then present reading material relevant to what the students are actually going to school for. Maybe each day, have a new reading assignment on a future career of one of the student's from the class. Try and diversify the learning experience for everyone, while still keeping it interesting.

Experienced Scenario

The first thing that comes to mind with an experienced learner is my tutees. Most of my students are experienced learners and have strong skills in one or two main areas. My ideas were the same as the instructor, LaToya Davis, in this scenario. If another student is strong in one area, let them demonstrate it to the class or to another student and vise-versa. This usually helps students help themselves and to help students remember the material a little better. Once a student has taught a certain thing, have the other students to demonstrate it back. If you "teach back" something you have learned, you will usually remember it better.

Self-Directed Scenario

A student can learn by reading alone, but will learn much better if they have hands on activities. People often feel much more comfortable after practicing a task rather than reading about it. I can relate to this with my nursing classes. I like having the reading material, but in addition, it is vital to do hands on activities that pertain to the reading material so I will be comfortable with it when I get into the workforce. I mean, would you want someone working on you if they had never had any hands-on experience? Maybe someone is studying to be a mechanic; would you want them touching your car if they had never had any hands-on experience? Students learn better when they actually get to do what the reading explains.

Non-Traditional Scenario

Adult learners have many different at home situations. It is very important not to judge or jump to conclusions about the students. The best way to help out adult learners is to help them set out a plan that works around their work, or home schedules. It is essential to help the adult learner review material that has been presented in the past and not limit them access to these materials. What is the point of taking away valuable learning resources? You go to school to learn about the material, not to learn how to take a test.

Reflection of Adult Learners

Something that I would like to be able to do to better meet the needs of my students would be to learn more about their learning styles. Sometimes it is difficult to figure out their learning styles because they are not sure themselves of how they learn better. What I can do to overcome these obstacles is to teach the material in different ways until the student begins to understand it. I would then ask the student if they understood the material better when I instructed it to them in a particular way; eg: reading it to them aloud, hands-on, visual presentations, etc.