Teaching Adults - PowerPoint presentation

An effective trainer is an orchestrator who ensures that participants feel welcome and are treated as equals and with respect. Superior trainers know their subject matter and materials well, which aids in their delivery of dynamic, responsive and organic presentation. Consumer Action's "Teaching Adults" PowerPoint slides, designed for use by community organizations as a train-the-trainer tool, can be downloaded for free from the "Download" section below. The slides include tips such as:

• For optimal learning, class size should be small (fewer than 30 students).
• Be conscientious about participant’s comfort. At the beginning of class, greet and welcome participants to establish a rapport. Give participants time to introduce themselves. Keep the atmosphere relaxed and informal. Make the MoneyWi$e training fun!
• Draw on students’ life experiences and your own, since adults learn best when teaching is built upon what students already know. Ideally, participants will be able to use their new found knowledge immediately to their improve their lives.
• Keep your students engaged. Allow time for participants to ask questions to make sure the information is understood. Take time to break into small interactive groups so students can review and apply what they have just learned. Group learning situations greatly improves the chances of student comprehension. Encourage students to discuss and share answers. Since most people have short attention spans, try to keep lectures no longer than 30 minutes, stop for questions and answers, and follow up with a learning activity.
• It’s important to diversify teaching approaches and learning styles when presenting to adults. The goal is for students to retain the information and use what they have learned to benefit their lives. We all learn differently, but numerous studies suggest that though reading or seeing information (visual learning), adults retain 5%-10% of the information presented. Through listening (auditory learning), they retain more than though visual learning, 20%-25%. Students retain the most information though psychomotor learning such as performing an activity. The retention rate through learning by doing is 70%-75%. These findings should encourage all trainers to include relevant activities in their workshops to raise the level student success.

For more information about the services provided by Consumer Action's outreach department, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 415-777-9648 and ask for "outreach."

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Teaching Adults - PowerPoint presentation   (teaching_adults.ppt)