Communicating the How A program level perspective

Communicating the How

A program level perspective

2005 Health Literacy…More than Words on Paper

Focus

Effective adult learning methods Adult Learning Theory Learning styles Concrete strategies


Introduction

Adult Learning Principles

Choice Theory


Adult Learning Principles

Involve adults in planning and implementing activities. “Education is most effective when it is…directed by learners themselves” Auerbach (1992)

Use materials based on learner’s lives and experience.


Adult Learning Principles (con’t)

Create an environment that encourages and supports learning (trust, mutual respect, self-esteem enhancing, safe, nonjudgmental, etc.)

Facilitate self-direction in learners so they can become proactive rather than reactive.


Relationships

Glasser (1998, 2000) asserts that without relationships, learning cannot easily take place.


Choice Theory

According to Choice Theory (Glasser, 1998), learning is a by-product of:

need-satisfying relationships a positive environment freely chosen, and useful activities


Building RelationshipsConnecting behaviours

– Listening

– Supporting

– Encouraging

– Respecting

– Trusting

– Accepting

– Always negotiating disagreements

Disconnecting behavioursDisconnecting behaviours

-Criticizing-Criticizing

-Blaming-Blaming

-Complaining-Complaining

-Nagging-Nagging

-Threatening-Threatening

-Punishing-Punishing

-Bribing-Bribing


Considering learning styles

“Adults learn most productively when the facilitating mode matches their … preferred learning behaviours and styles.”

(MacKeracher, 1998, p. 239)


Learning Styles

Auditory: learns through verbal instructions from others or self

Visual: learns by seeing; watching

Kinesthetic/Tactile: Learns by doing; direct involvement


Learning Task: Making healthy decisions

1.Talk to the person next to you about one healthy change you have made in your life.

Why did you make this change?

Where and how did you learn about it?

2. Share your answers with your small group and find what your answers have in common

3. Choose someone to report your ‘common answers’ to the big group


Health and Literacy and Barriers

We reached ‘hard to reach’ families because we:

Went to where they were Created a safe, positive environment

(learner-centered approach) Were responsive to barriers

(transportation, childcare and others that came up)


MethodsWe employed a population health

approach: Put resources (money, time & effort)

into healthy eating and relationship building

Modeled healthy lifestyles Kept class size small


Peer Learning

Empowerment: We gave learners an active part in

developing their own learning content We let go of our own agenda We respected their informed decisions We established ourselves as learners


Adapting to skill level

Reading – read to, with or independently, putting written material on tape for listening

Writing – dictation to independent


Peer Leadership-Empowerment Model (Hohn, 2004, p. 6)

Adult health teams of 5 – 10 people who work with a facilitator, teachers, community health organizations and health practitioners.

Using teamwork and creative methods like drama, art and music, these teams used a peer learning approach to do a variety of activities, such as:


Researching health information Teaching others about health Making and distributing health brochures Participating in or running health fairs Arranging for medical screening services at

the program site Documenting and taking action around

community health issues


Empowerment Scale

Practitioner Centered Learner Centered

Treatment info Prevention info

Single modal Multi-modal

Intervention (illness) Empowerment (wellness)


Case Study: Helping learning happen

Work in the small group at your table.

1. Choose an individual or group profile to work from (provided). Use the information you have received today to brainstorm how you could help that person(or group) learn what they want to learn.

2. Choose someone to report back to the big group.


Adult Learning Theory

Inductive work: an activity that connects learners with what they already know and with their unique context

Input: an activity that invites them to examine new content (concepts, skills or attitudes)


Implementation: an activity that allows learners to do something directly with that new content, somehow implementing it

Integration: an activity that integrates this new learning into their lives


Adult Learning Theory Wrap Up

Methods Learning Styles Adapting to Skills Level Using the Four I’s

Nutrition Break


Learning Task: How can health literacy be integrated into our daily work?

1. Talk to the person next to you. Describe one way you want to use today’s information in your daily work.

2. Discuss how can you make this a reality?

3. Share this with your small group

Questions and Final Comments

Thank you


IALS (International Adult Literacy Survey)

Level 1

– 22% of Canadians have serious difficulty dealing with printed materials and likely identify themselves as someone who has difficulties reading


Level 2– 24 – 26% of Canadians can only deal with

material that is simple and clearly laid out, and material in which the tasks are not too complex. They read, but not well.

Documents

Communicating the How A program level perspective