13. Learners’ preferences in the learning process

Adult learners come to education with an already formed concept how they want to learn and at what pace they are willing to learn. For instance they may not be used to working in pairs or in groups or they may not like to do many writing activities.

At the beginning of a course it is wise to consider their learning preferences and try to incorporate the positive ones in the delivery of the course without sacrificing the aims or the objectives of the course or the pedagogical methodology.

Since not all learners’ preferences are useful in helping them reach their goals, a teacher can persuade them about the benefits of pair-work, for instance, by setting a small task so that they feel the benefit. Gradually the teacher can incorporate more student-centred tasks to serve the goals of the course but in all cases the preferences of the learners which do not halt the progress of the class must be valued and respected. This strategy will enhance the relationship between the class and the teacher.

14. Diversity of learners

A teacher/trainer of a multi-cultural group should take into account the various differences of the learners to instruct them in an effective way. These differences in culture, ethnicity, race, language, religion, socio-economic status, which can influence learning in various ways, must be taken into account before a course starts.

The role of the teacher is to first value their differences but encourage them to function as a team in an appropriate learning environment with strong common goals. In this way their differences will not be on the surface and will not affect their learning process negatively.

15. Standards and assessment

In a learning environment where challenging standards have been set, the learners have the feeling of security since this can motivate them pursue their goals. Assessment systems have also proved to trigger rather than constraining progress as they function as a framework that helps the learners monitor their own progress. Absence of assessment, however, or a rather relaxed way of learning has proved to affect the learners negatively as they have no measure of assessing themselves and setting new goals. Ongoing assessment of the learners ensures their understanding of the teaching material and provides information to both the teachers and the learners about the right course of the sessions, the degree to which the new knowledge has been acquired, and the achievement of their goals.

Conclusion

All the above factors play their role in the teaching and learning process. As one easily understands the profile of the teacher is very demanding to be able to combine good teaching with good rapport; just like the conductor who has to coordinate a multi-cultural orchestra for an excellent result.