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CLASS 11:
"Teaching" Diverse Adult Learners 

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Objectives:
At the end of this lesson you should be able to:

  • Define diversity and culture.
  • Understand how diversity and culture affect the teaching-learning process.
  • Reflect and analyze on the different aspects of diversity (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability) to create inclusive learning environments.

In this lesson, we will explore the many aspects of diversity and how to utilize this understanding in the teaching and learning of adults.

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Instructional Activities:
small red globe Let's start by reviewing the trends and issues of race and gender in adult education in this brief fact sheet by Imel.
small red globe Guy examines culture as context for adult education in this 1999 article from New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education.
small red globe Ziegahn considers culture in the selection of teaching approaches for adults in this 2001 ERIC Digest article.
small red globe Wlodkowski and Ginsberg explain the realtionships between culture and the motivation to learn from Diversity and Motivation: Culturally Responsive Teaching (1995).  This reading  can be found in the Class 11 folder in WebCT Vista.  This may take some time to download due to the size of the file.
small red globe Race is an important but unspoken issue in the teaching-learning transaction.  Johnson-Bailey examines this issue in this 2002 article from New Directions in Adult and Continuing Education.
small red globe Hispanics are a rapidly growing population not only in the United States but particularly in North Carolina.  Therefore, they are an important group to learn about.  Griggs and Dunn address Hispanic -Americans cultural values, learning styles, and their implications for teaching in this ERIC Digest article.
small red globe Gender is also another important diversity issue.  Women in particular are an underserved population in agriculture not only internationally but also in the United States.  This 2008 Journal of Rural Studies article addresses educational programming for women farmers in Pennsylvania.
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How does age affect the teaching-learning process?  Duay and Bryan examine what seniors want in a learning experience in this 2008 article from Educational Gerontology.  I think you will find their results familar to you.
small red globe Have you considered the effects of a disability on learners and how it has shaped their learning experiences?  Ross-Gordon examines the sociocultural contexts of learning among adults with disabilities along with implications for the practice of adult education.
small red globe So, now what can you do to create inclusive adult learning environments?  Read Imel's discussion on this topic from ERIC Digest (1995).
Assignments: Discussion:

Continue to work on your final assignments for the course.  Don't let them sneak up on you!  Only three more weeks to go!

After completing the instructional activities, go to WebCT Vista to make your discussion board posting. And respond to at least one peer's posting.
 
Additional Resources:
Items in this section are supplemental.  Included may be other points of interest or different approaches related to the topic.
Below are several articles from the Journal of Extension that should help you apply the concepts of diversity to a real-world, agriculutral and extension education context:
 


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