Teaching Adult Learners - Case Study Example

Teaching Adult Learners Roy Killen (2006) emphasized teaching strategy focuses on maximizing the current hour to bring knowledge to the students. The research focuses on the teachers’ teaching strategy. The research focuses on the two types of teaching strategy. More specifically, the research is done based on the conveyed reading materials with emphasis on health literacy that encourages active participation in creating and maintaining a living environment that is healthy. The research focuses on considering ways to improve health literacy among adult learners.

The student –centered teaching strategy is the more appropriate strategy because the lessons are spaced to fit the learning capacity and speed of the students, both young learners and adults. 1. Discussion on whether the traditional pedagogic approach to teaching is appropriate for adult learners. Donald Orlich (2009) reiterated the traditional pedagogic approach to teaching no longer very appropriate for the adult learners. The use of visual aids, especially power point presentations will increase the adult learners’ attention span.

Likewise, the traditional pedagogic approach to teaching is appropriate for adult learners. Under the traditional method, the classroom teaching is teacher-based. The teacher teaches the lessons to the class based on a scheduled lesson plan. For example, the teacher teaches addition for 2 meetings. After this, the teacher teaches subtraction for the next two hours. The teacher the grades the students base on how much the students have learned within the fixed time period. The teacher regards the students as knowledge holes that must be filled to the brim with scheduled information.

In short, the traditional teaching methodology is geared towards the teacher teaching to the student what the teachers want to teach. 2. Identify teaching principles that are useful for adult learners Kathleen Gaberson (2010) theorized the student –based teaching principle are useful for the adult learners. The teacher focuses on one a topic for the class. The teacher does not move on to the next topic until the majority of the class understands the lessons vividly. The teacher keeps on asking questions to determine if more than the average students know that lessons.

The teacher moves on to the next topic only after the teacher gets feedbacks that the majority of the students have learned and mastered the current topic discussed. For example, the teacher teaches division for the first two sessions. The teacher gives a test to determine if the students can answer the division questions. The teacher gives more examples on division if the test results indicates a majority of the students are still at a lost in terms of division of numbers. The teacher then gives another test to determine if the students have mastered division.

The teacher can now move on to the next math topic if the majority of the students know how to divide two-digit, three-digit, and other number situations. The teacher can make the lessons more difficult or complex if the majority of the students have mastered the simple division tests. The teacher can even give rewards to the student having the highest scores in the subject. The reward method will encourage the students to strive harder and spend more time to study the lessons for the day. 3.

Develop/adapt a design for an effective education plan. Donna Walker (2002) opined the plan will be for adult learners who have low health literacy. The education plan should include: subjects to be taught, length of time, and references. The effective educational plan to increase health literacy is to let the students bring health books to class. The students will either buy or borrow the books. The teacher reads the lessons to the class. The teacher asks if the students have any questions or if they need explanation on certain sentences, paragraphs, or topics during the health literacy class.

For example, the students are taught the different fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, and other products that fall under each Vitamin classification. The students are taught the different Vitamin names and the corresponding food and other product classifications that will supply the human body’s vitamin needs. The students are given a test at the end of the class to determine if the students have learned the lessons for the day. A low test score will prod the teacher to repeat the lessons and give more clarification examples to clarify any vagueness in the health literacy class.

The teacher does not move on to the next health literacy topic, disease, etc. until a majority of the students have mastered the current lesson, vitamin and the foods that supply such vitamins. 4. What do you see as the primary differences between teaching adults and young learners? Roy Killen (2007) theorized there are primary differences between teaching the adults and young learners. First, the young learners are more focused on the lessons compared to the adult learners. Second, the young learners learn the topics faster than the adult learners.

Third, the young learners are focused on the topic at hand compared to the adult learners; the adult learners have other things to think of beside the classroom topics such as the baby at home, what to buy at the grocery, the current job responsibilities, finding work, and others. Based on the above discussion, the health literacy teaching strategy should focuses on maximizing the current class hour to increase the students’ health literacy. There are two types of teaching strategy. The traditional teaching strategy is teacher-based; the teacher dictates how long the teacher delves on a topic for the day.

On the other hand, the currently popular teaching strategy is the student-centered strategy. The teachers moves one’s lessons’ pace based on the speed of the majority of the students. The lessons convey the reading materials with emphasis on health literacy that encourages active participation in creating and maintaining a living environment that is healthy. Indeed, the student –centered teaching strategy is the more appropriate strategy because the lessons are spaced to fit the learning capacity and speed of the students, both young learners and adults.

REFERENCES Gaberson, K. (2010). Clincial Teaching Strategy. New York: J Wiley & Sons Press. Killen, R. (2006). Effective Teaching Strategies. New York: J Wiley Sons Press. Killen, R. (2007). Teaching Strategies for Outcomes-based Education. Mahwah : Wesley Pres. Orlich, D. (2009). Teaching Strategies . New York: J Wiley & Sons Press. Walker, D. (2002). Designing Teachig Strategies. New York : Austen Press.