Teaching the “tell me what to do” generations

RRLC Pizza Session October 20, 2008Suzanne Bell

What this Lecture will cover

Adult learners – how and why they’re different

A few words about the brain, learning, and aging

Implications of the above on teaching

Most useful teaching methods

Comments on teaching styles – bringing all the above together

Case Study and Discussion

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Learning Objectives

Share what I learned from the literature, the “theory”

Why teaching adults is different

Help you approach your planning for adult classes differently

Provide some specific suggestions, ideas, teaching methods to use

Offer an opportunity to share your experiences: see how practice compares to theory

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“Andragogy”vs. Pedagogy: experience plays a primary role

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Other differences

Older people get, the more diverse they are, based on…

Age, gender, ethnicity, language, culture, disabilities, socioeconomic factors, geography, education, past experience

Motivation for learning: very “life-centered” – want to learn to solve particular problems they face in life.

Desire to be self-directed (so much for “tell me what to do”!)

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Stuff About the BrainHow do you “learn”? What makes for lasting memories?

What happens as you age?

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The Brain

Neurons fire + emotional chemicals neural networks and synapses = learning

Information, sensations enter via the senses

Brain is a “pattern-finding organ”

Activate my cortex and I’ll remember!

Aging and the brain – not all bad news… although “use it or lose it” is true.

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