The characteristics of an adult learner are described in relation to the planning of effective instruction, and instructional strategies for the ABS student are examined. An extremely important aspect of teaching ABS students is the selection of materials that are understandable, visible, interesting and pertinent. Curriculum Guide to find published materials that match skills being taught. Also, many specific examples of functional and published materials are given. This video provides information on strategies found to be most effective in planning workshops for instructors in Adult Basic Skills programs.
Guidance is given for providing successful professional development training.
The practical suggestions make this video particularly valuable. A second part of this video shows scenes from the 1995 Summer Institute sponsored by this program. The shared qualities of effective ABS instructors are examined to assist the viewer with personal evaluation and improvement. Techniques for building rapport with the student are identified and illustrated, and techniques for building and maintaining an environment that is comfortable and non-threatening are described. The need for ABS students to learn to do critical and creative thinking is used to introduce the concept of active learning.