| ign="center"> | | | | 2. Interest, not content, drives learning. |
| | | | Students who never succeeded in school don't find |
| The demand for adult education is growing, with 39 | | | | classroom materials inherently interesting. Innovative |
| million American adults lacking a high school diploma. | | | | adult education programs like the GED Academy prep |
| Innovative GED experts at the GED Academy have | | | | program use storytelling techniques, among others, |
| identified four crucial elements to success for adult | | | | to capture learners' interest. The lessons follow a |
| education students. | | | | virtual GED classroom, peopled with characters that |
| As the number of adult Americans without a high | | | | include a class clown, a single mother, and an |
| school degree nears 40 million, adult education is | | | | ex-convict. Following the story of virtual students' |
| becoming a critical issue in the United States. GED | | | | lives creates interest and motivation, and it helps |
| education programs are sponsored by communities, | | | | answer the question: how is this information |
| non-profit organizations, and school districts across | | | | important to me? |
| the country. Teaching undereducated adults is | | | | 3. The learner needs immediate feedback. |
| extremely challenging. Most adults who didn't | | | | Immediate feedback on adult learners' progress |
| graduate high school never learned good study | | | | creates a sense of accomplishment, since students |
| habits, never felt motivated to learn and never did | | | | can see their incremental improvement. It also shows |
| well in a traditional classroom environment. | | | | students when they need to repeat material. Many |
| Research shows that most adults with a low level of | | | | adult education students can't assess their own |
| education are encumbered with poor self-esteem, | | | | learning. Immediate feedback helps build |
| frustration, feelings of helplessness, and dependency | | | | self-awareness of the learning process. |
| on others. It's particularly important for adult learners | | | | 4. Success is the great motivator. |
| to succeed in their experiences with the GED. | | | | Every part of the learning experience is an |
| Success at this stage shows students that it's | | | | opportunity for success. Students who have |
| possible to succeed. The GED Academy identifies | | | | experienced failure and frustration need to recognize |
| four crucial factors for success for adult learners. | | | | each little success along the way. Through a |
| 1. The learner must be able to set the pace. | | | | combination of storytelling, humor, exposing the |
| Adult learners begin their GED preparation at various | | | | learning processes of fellow students, and providing |
| stages. They have gaps in their education that are | | | | immediate feedback, learning programs like the GED |
| difficult to predict and unique for each individual. | | | | Academy prep program attempt to build a |
| Students should be able to skip materials they're | | | | foundation of success for learners. Whatever |
| familiar with and review new material as many times | | | | methodology you're using, give students a flexible |
| as needed. Adult education must be customized to | | | | study plan tailored to their needs, keep them |
| students' needs. Spending hours on material that | | | | interested, and give them immediate feedback. |
| adults already know destroys motivation, and going | | | | Really, these are the keys to the fourth element: |
| too quickly over unknown material leads to | | | | success. Make sure they see their successes. |
| frustration. | | | | |