Passing Ptlls Assessments (Lifelong Learning Sector Series) Essay

Passing PTLLS Assessments (Lifelong Learning Sector Series) Ann Gravells. Preparing Teach Lifelong Learning Sector: The New Award Inclusive Learning assignment.

Inclusive Learning: How to incorporate it into a classroom of adult learners

"Inclusive learning is about involving all of your students, treating them equally and fairly, without indirectly or directly excluding anyone" (Gravells 2012: 56). For an instructor of adults, the principles of inclusive learning are particularly important. Even an instructor of elementary school-aged children is aware of the fact that children may come into the classroom with different levels of preparation and learning orientations. However, a class of adults will be even more diverse. Not only will there be students who are visual as opposed to verbal learners or students with learning differences, but there will be a mixed bag in terms of levels of preparation. Some students may not have been subjected to the rigors of a classroom environment for many years while others may only have a few years' gap since their graduation. Some students may be changing careers and feel confident about their status as learners while others may have been bruised badly by the educational system and contemplate entering this next phase of their life with fear and trepidation. It is the teacher's daunting responsibility to convey the material to all students in a friendly, accessible, and effective manner.

One of the first steps in constructing an inclusive learning environment is to 'know thyself' -- know the composition of the classroom. The teacher should give some initial assignments designed to assess the skill levels and abilities of the students, which will give her a better idea of what deficits need to be addressed and also what strengths the adult learners may bring to the environment. Having students submit a brief essay or respond to a brief questionnaire about the reasons they are taking the class, their previous level of experience, and their strengths and challenges would also be advised. Every class is different, and an inclusive teacher will understand the need to be mindful of the unique nature of each student.A class of adult learners, for example, may need a longer review period than younger learners. They may expect less hand-holding and need fewer reminders about keeping up on assignments on one hand, but on the other hand may have more life commitments from family and school that interfere with aspects of their schooling. However, while the teacher may allow such data to inform the syllabus and approach, it is also important to note not to make too many stereotypes based upon initial data, and over the course of the semester the teacher will need to continually reformulate and reassess study plans based upon ongoing feedback.

At its purest essence, "a truly inclusive learning environment should: reflect the diversity of those present in the learning activity itself in the curriculum and pedagogical/andragogical style; attend to the wider and immediate institutional contexts in which the participants work and live; and in some way reflect the changing needs of an increasingly diverse society. Because learners 'do not live in a vacuum', addressing institutional and societal levels is important, but the most significant level is the selection of appropriate materials and methods that address the characteristics of learning group members" (Imel 1995). For example, when teaching a classroom full of nursing students, the adult instructor may wish to discuss different cultural perspectives upon 'health' rather than assuming all students share the instructor's assumptions. Even if the instructor is communicating a particular ideology or practice and attempting to bring students to see the world from this mindset, the instructor acknowledges that all students come from different places. The inclusive instructor views this as a strength, not a weakness, and will view classroom diversity as an asset, as students must deal with diverse patients in the profession later on.

This does not mean that the instructor needs to fall into the trap of extreme relativism, and ignore the need to teach….....