1. Barriers to Adult Learning
PROJECT
By: Patti Blight, Sarah Cancelliere, Danielle Gunton, Avril Reid, Kerry Weir
DUE DATE
JANUARY 16 2013 COURSE
BEC910CE- ADULT EDUCATION

2. What are some common
barriers experienced by adult
learners when they choose to
return to school or
participate in workplace
training?

3. 1. Attitudinal Barriers
2. Time and Financial Barriers
3. Education Barriers
4. Geographical Barriers
5. Learning Disabilities

4. So what can we do as educators
to help our students overcome
these barriers and take control
of their own learning?

5. ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS
YOU CAN’T
TEACH AN OLD
DOG NEW
TRICKS…OR
CAN YOU?

6. THE CASE
• Anita is over 50
• She has been in her job for 20 years
• Her job is being outsourced
• She can not afford to retire
• She needs to develop new skills
• She needs to go back to school

7. THE BARRIER
“Many adults have experienced so
much criticism, failure, and
discouragement in their youth that their
self-confidence and sense of worth are
damaged. In a new learning
environment, adults often are anxious,
fear failure, and dread rejection by their
peer group (Kennedy, 2003).”

9. ALLEVIATING THE FEARS
Provide a safe and welcoming
environment
Have students interact and discuss prior
experiences
Have students explain their goals
Provide students with detailed course
outline and expectations

10. THE EDUCATOR
“Part of being an effective educator
involves understanding how adults
learn best (Lieb,1991)”.

11. APPLYING KNOWLES
KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES EDUCATOR’S ROLE
Be a facilitator:
1. Adults are internally
motivated and self- Understand how adults
directed learn and allow
students to participate
in the direction of the
class
Recognize and
accommodate different
learning styles

12. APPLYING KNOWLES
KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES EDUCATOR’S ROLE
2. Adults bring life Acknowledge value of
experiences and previous experience
knowledge to learning
experiences

13. APPLYING KNOWLES
EDUCATOR’S ROLE
KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES
Show direct link
3. Adults are goal oriented between course
material and student’s
goals
Use real case studies
to examine theory

14. APPLYING KNOWLES
KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES EDUCATOR’S ROLE
4. Adults are relevancy Provide assignment
oriented options that reflect
student interests
Provide students with
reflective questions to
assess connection to
goals

15. APPLYING KNOWLES
KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES EDUCATOR’S ROLE
5. Adults are practical Encourage active
participation allowing
students to
experiment and
develop self efficacy
Provide feedback on
a regular basis

16. APPLYING KNOWLES
KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES EDUCATOR’S ROLE
6. Adult learners like to be Acknowledge past
respected experience
Treat adult learner as
an equal
Promote an
environment for
expression of ideas

17. TIMING AND FINANCIAL BARRIERS

18. Most adults have their hands full.
Between work, family and home
responsibilities, we can feel like we can
go a little crazy.
Is there really enough time in the day
and extra money to spend on growing
ourselves intellectually?

19. THE CASE
• Sandra is 40 years oldShe’s a wife and mother of
three childrenShe’s been a Medical Lab Assistant for
18 yearsShe feels she cannot progress further in her
career
• She and her husband are worried about future
tuition costs for their childrenShe needs to expand
her career by developing new skillsShe wants to go
back to school

20. THE BARRIER
“How will I juggle family, work and school?
There are only so many hours in a day…
Women, by characteristic, experience a
greater amount of guilt about her student
role if she feels it interrupts her
responsibility for maintaining her role within
the family. Consequently, if she feels too
much strain during this time, she will
ultimately give up school to make things
easier.” (Shields, 1994)

21. THE FEARS Cost of
extra
e of day child ca
Tim re
ot su itable during c
ourse
n
shift work hours
for
Co
Lac cou st o
k of
to c time rse f
omm ma an
it to ter d
cou ia ls
rse

22. ALLEVIATING THE FEARS
Sandra Can...
1. Discuss with her family how further education
will improve her career and self.
2. Ask her family to compromise. Example: Older
children can help with lunch preparation and
basic house keeping tasks Form a realistic
household budget to accommodate the added
costs of schooling.
Form a realistic household budget to
accommodate the added costs of schooling.
• Form a realistic household budget to
accommodate the added costs of schooling.

23. ALLEVIATING THE FEARS
Sandra Can...
4. Develop time management strategies.
Organize with a point/task by point/task on a
calendar to understand her own abilities and
how to adjust her life to accommodate others.
Example: Put on calendar dates of school,
work, and family events. Put due dates for
bills, school assignments, etc.

24. THE EDUCATOR
“Much of the excitement of learning is in
the evolving, unpredictable and unanticipated
learning that inevitably occurs. Realizing that
the richest resource in the classroom are the
members present, helped teachers of adults
to relax and enjoy themselves too. Such
congruence between belief and practice
enhanced all.”
(Barer-Stein and Draper, 1993).

25. APPLYING MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE
1. Physiological Need. Ensure the classroom
Refers to the basic environment is
bodily requirements comfortable,
needed to survive Equipment and
resources must be in
working order
Offer short breaks
throughout the lesson.

26. APPLYING MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE
2. Safety Need. Set clear expectations for the
Refers to the course
desire to be
safe from Provide a personal
physical or introduction to help students
emotional injury feel at ease
These strategies will help the
educator seem more
approachable when student
issues arise

27. APPLYING MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE
3. Social Need. Creating an “ice breaker”
Refers to the lesson:
need for love, Form the students into small
belonging, and groups and allow them to
acceptance from introduce themselves
others Have students talk about
their strengths, weaknesses,
and state their expectations
for the course

28. APPLYING MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE
4. Esteem Need. Constantly provide positive
Refers to the need and negative feedback to
to be seen by students. (Also known as
others, as well as “Constructive Criticism”)
themselves, as a Be flexible and
person of worth understanding of the hectic
and importance schedules of students
Guide them to success
within the course

29. APPLYING MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE
5. Self-Actualization Provide consistent
Need. Refers to the evaluations:
desire to reach one’s Congratulate students on
own potential and level something they
of succession accomplished on a task
or assignment
Encourage students with
specific guidelines on
how to move beyond
their comfort levels.

30. ACADEMIC BARRIERS

31. THE CASE
• Maude is 40 years old
• She is a high performer in her job at a
factory
• She would like to advance in the
company
• Her employer has recommended
courses in business administration in
order to advance
• Her literacy and computer skills are low

32. THE BARRIER
“While adult learners who have some
academic skills can find learning
opportunities to refresh these skills, those
who have very poor literacy skills or who
have difficulty communicating in the
language of instruction may not be able to
gain easy access to related programs.”
(MacKeracher, Suart, Potter 2006)

33. THE FEARS
n
t gai How w
an’ any ill I ge
f I c e to t he s u t
at i nc Will ppor t
Wh pta that I
need?
acce am? others
pr ogr laugh at
me?
What if I can’t keep
up with students Wh
who have more ca at if
academic skills? n’t I ju
do st
i t?

34. THE EDUCATOR
“Designing educational institutions and
learning opportunities to serve the adult
learners who encounter the most barriers to
participation – learners with low incomes, low
literacy skills, foreign credentials, and learning,
sensory and mobility disabilities –creates a
learning environment that equitably serves all
learners.”
(MacKeracher, Suart, Potter, 2006)

35. Overcoming the Barrier
1. Provide instruction in a variety of formats
2. Support learners in gaining basic skills and
access to academic programs
3. Use mixed group learning where students of
different skills learn together
4. Recognize previous learning and
experience
5. High achievement can come from high
expectation

36. APPLYING KELLER
EDUCATOR STRATEGY
1. Keep learners’ Use a variety of teaching
attention methodsEncourage curiosity
through problem solving and
team researchInclude active
participation

37. APPLYING KELLER
EDUCATOR STRATEGY
2. Show relevance Build on students’ previous
experienceProvide the
objective outcome (what’s in it
for me?)Allow learners choice
in how they learn

38. APPLYING KELLER
EDUCATOR STRATEGY
3. Build learners’ Provide feedback and support
confidence to learnersAllow learners to
see the link between effort and
success – build each
successAllow the learners to
feel a sense of control over
learning and success

39. APPLYING KELLER
EDUCATOR STRATEGY
4. Aim for learner Allow students to
satisfaction demonstrate newly acquired
skills and knowledgeProvide
reinforcement to promote
desired behavioursKeep
tasks challenging

40. Helping Exceptional
students Overcome
Barriers

41. THE CASE
• Viktor is 28 years old
• He wants to progress in his career
• He has an auditory processing
disorder (APD)
• He will need accommodations
when he goes back to school

42. THE EXCEPTIONALITY
• An Auditory Processing Disorder affects language
acquisition
• Occurs when the brain is unable to separate meaningful
sounds from background noise.
• Exceptionality is classified as a Communication- Language
Impairment
• A person with an APD may have:
• Trouble following conversations
• Difficulties reading, writing, and learning technical language
• Organizational issues
(American Academy of Audiology, 2010)

43. THE BARRIERS
Students reported that learning barriers
stemmed from what they experienced as a
lack ofinstructor cooperation and school
resources to accomodate their individual
needs.
(Fuller et al. 2004)

44. THE FEARS rces
t re resou ort
on’t wan Ar e the to supp
Id s to ilable ?
peer ava me
my
What if
the roo pit y me
large an m is
d I can’
the inst t hear
ructor?
e in s tructor
Will th e me?
acco modat

45. A SOCIAL MODEL OF DISABILITY
Instead of focusing on a student’s
medical diagnosis, concentrate on
which learning barriers will prevent this
student from reaching his or her full
potential in the classroom.
(Fuller, Healey, Bradley, Hall, 2004)

46. APPLYING FULLER ET AL.
EDUCATOR Accommodation
1. Used varied Incorporate group work/discussion
instructional Enlist a scribe to take lecture notes
strategies Post lecture notes and media online
Used varied Provide written instructions for tasks
instructional Allow students some time to
strategies generate responses to the topic
before a discussion

47. APPLYING FULLER ET AL.
EDUCATOR Accommodation
2. Be ready to Contact relevant school office for
modify accommodation tips
assessments More time or fewer questions on
for individual exam
learner needs Use yellow paper instead of white
as it is easier to read (Bennet,
Dworer, Weber, 2008)
Allow student to complete tests
using a scribe or computer

48. APPLYING FULLER ET AL.
EDUCATOR Accommodation
3. Ensure the Seat student in centre of room
classroom Allow students to tape lectures
environment Let students choose a quiet
is conducive space for individual and group
to learning work
Encourage student to bring any
assistive devices, like a personal
FM system (American Academy
of Audiology, 2010)

49. References
American Academy of Audiology. (2010). Guidelines for the diagnosis,
treatment and management of children and adults with central auditory
processing disorder. Retrieved from:
http://www.audiology.org/resources/documentlibrary/Documents/CAPD%20Guidelin
Barer-Stein, T., and Draper, J.A. (Eds.). (1993). The craft of teaching
adults. Toronto, ON: Culture Concepts.
Bates, P., Aston, J. (2004). Overcoming barriers to adult basic skills in
sussex. Institute for Employment Studies. Retrieved from:
http://www.employment-studies.co.uk/pdflibrary/1552slsc.pdfBennet,
S., Dworet, D., Weber, K. (2008). Special education in ontario schools
(6th ed.). St David’s, ON: Highland Press.Fuller, M., Healey, M.,
Bradley, A., & Hall, T. (2004). Barriers to learning: a systematic study of
the experience of disabled students in one university. Studies In Higher
Education, 29(3), 303-318.

50. References
Huitt, W. (2007). Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Educational Psychology
Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from:
http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/conation/maslow.html.Keller,
J.M., & Suzuki, K. (1988). Use of the ARCS motivation model in
courseware design. In D. H. Jonassen (Ed.) Instructional Designs for
Microcomputer Courseware. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum.Kennedy, R.C. (2003). Applying principles of adult learning:
the key to more effective training programs, FBI Law Enforcement
Bulletin, 72(4), 1-5. Retrieved from: http://www.fbi.gov/stats-
services/publications/law-enforcement-bulletin/2003-pdfs/april03leb.pdf.
MacKeracher, D., Suart, T., Potter, J. (2006). A review of the state of
the field of adult learning: barriers to participation in adult learning.
Retrieved from: http://www.ccl-
cca.ca/pdfs/AdLKC/stateofthefieldreports/BarrierstoParticipation.pdf.

51. References
Queensland Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Collaborative. (2007).
adult learning theory and principles. Retrieved from:
http://www.qotfc.edu.au/resource/index.html?page=65375.
Shields, C.J. (1994). Back in school: a guide for adult learners.
Hawthorne, NJ: Career Press.
Siebert, A. (2000). Teaching students the way they learn: the
instructor's role In retaining adult learners and Increasing their chances
of success in college. Proceedings from The National Conference on
the Adult Learner. Retrieved from:
http://www.adultstudent.com/eds/articles/teaching.html.