Week 8: Barriers to Learning with Limited Technology Skills and Access
LOC 8: Recognize barriers that affect adult learners and give examples of learner-centred activities that support adults with limited technology skills and limited technology access to achieve their learning goals
Learning Objectives
By the end of this week, participants will be able to:
- 8.1 – Read about barriers and recognize them within the adult learning theories
- 8.2 – Find solutions to the barriers that exist in some day-to-day learning
- 8.3 – Review and analyze three case studies
- 8.4 – Provide examples of learner-centred activities
- 8.5 – Reflect and relate to their own teaching practice by creating/reflecting on their own case study scenario in their own classroom
Materials Needed This Week
Here is a list of materials you will need while completing this week:
- Writing utensils
- Highlighters
- Ruler
- Sticky Notes
- Dictionary/Glossary booklet
- Handwritten Wisdom Journal
- Blank paper
- Computer/laptop
Key Terms
Add these key terms to your personal dictionary/glossary booklet. These important key terms will be used throughout module 2, week 8. If there is no link attached to the definition, be assured that the term will be defined throughout the week. We encourage you to further investigate the definitions in order to expand your knowledge.
Questions to Consider
1. Why is it important to interpret learning theories when thinking about barriers to learning?
2. What are some of the key barriers to adult learning?
3. What motivates you to learn? Is it reflected in your writing?
Review
Consult the following resources and interpret the necessary information with your preferred method of note-taking.
Activity
Before continuing, take a moment to reflect on these questions:
Motivation involves the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that activate behaviour. In everyday usage, the term “motivation” is frequently used to describe why a person does something. It is the driving force behind human actions. As teachers and learners, we continuously analyze why we teach or what we want our students to learn every time we prepare a lesson.
During this week, familiarize yourself with a variety of motivational strategies that will give you further insight into why we teach the things we teach and why we learn the things that we want to learn.
IDeL TIP sheet: Motivational Framework for Culturally Responsive Teaching by Wlodkowski & Ginsberg (PDF)
Video: Levels of Motivation (Wlodkowski) (2:18)
Click here for a video transcript in .docx format: Video Transcript
EDU510: Making Connections to “The Game” (article)
Click the following link to download the PDF to consult a framework for a culturally responsive teaching article.
A Framework for Culturally Responsive Teaching by Raymond J. Wlodkowski and Margery B. Ginsberg (PDF)
Activity
After reviewing the resources above, reflect on these questions.
Identify
Consult the following resources below to locate the important information on this week’s topic.
Supporting Adult Learning: Enablers, Barriers, and Services (PDF)
Keep Adult Learners Engaged Through Scenario-Based Learning (blog)
ARCs Motivation and Distance Learning: Description of ARCs Model (Pressbook Chapter)
Teaching Technique 24 Case Studies (videos)
Encouraging Students to Read for Understanding (article)
Click the following link to download the PDF to consult the case studies in the classroom article.
Case studies in the classroom by Mike Clancy and Marcia C Linn (PDF)
Develop
Research and create your own definitions for each of the following terms in your personal dictionary/glossary:
- Major Motivational Condition
- Motivational Purpose
- Motivational Strategy
Activity
In order to develop a level of comprehension of motivation, learn to differentiate the different elements that belong to extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation.
Apply
- What’s the scenario problem?
- How would you proceed to resolve the problem?
Case Study 1:
A student is simply not understanding the new content that you have taught at the beginning of the week. You have asked them to do further research over the course of the week from home. The student continually asks questions, however, in a negative tone and simply blurts out that the information is useless. It is now Friday, and you are about to move forward with a mini assessment that will consist of group work and will be due on Monday. Students in the classroom have expressed to you and other students that they simply do not wish to work with that student. What can you do to further extend the student’s understanding of the material? How can you motivate this student to be less negative toward learning the content and as well as working with others? How can you encourage other students to work with this individual?
Case Study 2:
As a teacher of an Adult Education program, you have just animated an in-class lesson on how to stay motivated as an adult learner by using humour, however, not one person laughed at any of your culturally sensitive jokes. You are now asking the class for verbal feedback on this lesson and again, not one person is saying a word. How can you engage your learners to a) stay motivated and b) give feedback in your class?
If you choose, you can use the PDF template provided to fill out or print off as a feedback form in your class.
Student Lesson Feedback Form (PDF)
Take Away Toolbox
Reflect
Handwritten Wisdom Journal
A Wisdom Writing Journal is a way to notarize your learning journey throughout the weeks during all the modules in this course. It will also permit you to demonstrate that no technology is required to focus on reflective practice. There is a variety of writing journal tools that you can choose from that require technology, however, throughout this course, it is important that you experience and model a no-technology required method in order to relate to those students that have limited or no access to technology.
Take advantage of jotting down your thoughts, frustrations, joys, aha moments, and new information acquired as the result of your hard work. Critical reflection time required at the end of each week will be a culminating result of YOUR own personal Learning Narrative.
Using your own personal writing journal, write an entry for this week’s prompts:
- Can you relate to some of the barriers that exist for you or for your adult learners with limited technology skills or limited technology access?
- How does this make you feel about your existing practice? What are some of the strategies that you use to motivate you students
- Can you see the value of needing to know where your students are coming from before you choose an instructional strategy?
- Based on the information that you have learned this week, how would you review, identify, develop, apply, and reflect?
Note: Be sure to justify each of your answers or comments.
Optional Resources
These resources are not required to be viewed; however, they give further information on this week’s topics:
