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Let’s Learn More! Learning Styles of Adults...94 Using Material to Generate Interest in the Village...95 Promoting the Reading Habit in the Community...96 Using Clip Art...97 Making Supplies on Our Own...98 Use of Computers..99 Cataloguing Learning Material...100 Getting More Learning Material...101 Collaborating with Other Community Workers and Learning Centres...102 Getting More Support from District Office...103 Mobile Library-- bringing books to people...104

Learning Styles of Adults Children, adults and adolescents have different learning styles. Even different adults have different learning styles. Keeping that in mind, what adult learners prefer and what encourages them to learn can greatly help facilitators to prepare appropriate materials and to plan the teaching-learning process.

ADULTS LEARN WHEN: (1)Respect and recognition is given to their experiences. (2)Learning is related to their real-life problems. (3)Given a chance to think and compare with their own practices and experiences. (4)They get recognition of their success. (5)They get support from other adult learners. (6)They get scope for communicating their learning to others. (7)Materials are relevant, attractive, and useful.

Learners discuss how to maintain their community well Learners are happy to learn since the subject of learning is relevant to their day-to-day life and learning activity is held near a well, a real object related to the topic. Moreover, the facilitator shows her respect for the experience of the learners. Deep understanding of adult learning style can lead teaching-learning to success.

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Handbook for Adult Learning Materials Development at Community Level

Chapter 3 Let’s Learn More!

Using Ma terial to Gener ate Material Genera Inter est in the Villa ge illag Interest Learning materials are not only useful in the learning centres. We can also think about how to use the developed materials outside the centres, for example, materials on women’s human rights can be used on International Women’s Day. We can also use materials along with a number of activities to generate interest in learning, local issues and needs in the community. The following are some examples of materials/activities to generate villagers’ interest and to create a good learning environment. (1) Emblems or slogans prepared by learners about the literacy programme can be drawn on the walls of learners’ houses, on the ground or in public places. Some like to draw or write on vehicles. Posters and banners can be prepared as well.

(2) A procession (or rally) can be organised with the help of cultural groups, school children, organised groups or other motivated villagers. We can sing songs, play drums or other musical instruments, carry festoons and banners as we move through the village. Such a procession will activate the sleepy and indifferent people of the village. (3) Role plays or drama prepared in the learning centre can be played out by learners or cultural groups. (4) We can organise a public reading in the evening at a place where villagers normally get together. Advanced learners can be assigned to read a material on a weekly basis. Or, a traditional storyteller or an actor from the local theatre group can read aloud from the book.

A performance to promote social support to send girls to school.

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Promoting the Reading Habit in the Community Reading is one of the ways of sustaining literacy skills, gaining useful information, as well as good leisure. A person who reads can learn new ideas and knowledge. There are many ways to encourage people to read more and visit the library in the learning centre.

(3) Mobile Library If there is no library in the community, a mobile library may be arranged. Contact district or provincial libraries or NGOs to request them to arrange regular visits of a mobile library in a van or other form of transportation.

(1) Public Reading Sessions A story suitable and interesting for the villagers can be read aloud from a book. We should avoid stories with negative messages or stories that could hurt someone’s feelings. (4) Book Exhibition If there is no bookstore nearby, we can invite a private or government publisher to arrange a short-term exhibition and sale of books. The District Education Officer may be able to help us to contact the publishers.

(2) New Books/Magazines/Newspapers Adding or changing books, magazines and newspapers in the library can keep people’s interest in visiting and reading. We can display new books or make an announcement using a poster, community bulletin, or radio to encourage people to visit the library.

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(5) Internet Access The Internet world has a wealth of information and it is growing very fast. If the district/provincial education office has computers and Internet access, we can browse and print more materials that interest villagers.

Handbook for Adult Learning Materials Development at Community Level

Chapter 3 Let’s Learn More!

Using Clip Ar Artt Relevant illustrations can deliver effective messages and information to learners. When we develop materials, a major obstacle may be getting nice drawings and illustrations if we cannot find a talented person in the community.

Literacy Clip Art published by ACCU has over 900 illustrations useful for Non-Formal Education activities. It is available in hard copy (booklet) and in digital form (CDROM). From the clip art, we can easily select illustrations and make a variety of materials.

What is useful is a collection of illustrations and photographs cut out from magazines and newspapers. Keep them organised separate in envelops labeled with different themes: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)

Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Income Generation Environment and Science Women’s Empowerment Education Civic Consciousness Culture and Value Others

The Literacy Clip Art in Book format (top) and CD-ROM (bottom)

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Making Supplies on Our Own Stationery supplied in the learning centre may not be sufficient for developing learning materials. How to make chalk and writing paper with locally available materials is introduced here. Chalk making Materials: 1. Whitish stones from river or cliff (often used to make cement) 2. Water 3. Hammer 4. Gruel of rice, or any sticky stuff like glue 5. Bamboo stick for frame

(3) Cut bamboo stalk in two halves and pour the mixed sticky mud into the stick. Tie it up with any string. Thinner bamboo stalk is better for tying.

Process:

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(1) Crush whitish stones into small pieces and make them into soil (Use hammer or log). Limestone is very good for making chalk.

(4) Place bamboo outside in a shadow and left it dry.

(2) Mix water and rice gruel or any sticky stuff with the soil to make it half sticky mud.

(5)

Handbook for Adult Learning Materials Development at Community Level

Our chalk is ready for writing.

Chapter 3 Let’s Learn More!

Use of Computer s Computers By using computers, we can develop attractive learning materials easily. Let’s see what we can do with computers. (1) Develop learning materials a. We can make printed material by using word processing and desktop publishing (DTP) software. b. We can use digital camera to store the pictures in computer and edit size/ colour using image software. c. Sound, music, video clips, graphics and pictures stored in digital forms can be used for producing multimedia materials. (2) Process numerical and graphic data a. Learners’ profile b. List of literacy materials c. Geographic data and other information around your community

Facilitators receive computer training at the District Office

(3) Teaching-learning purposes a. Instructional b. Tutorial (one-to-one) c. Drill & exercise d. Problem-solving e. Simulation

(4) Distance learning and communication a. It can be used for connecting learners from different places by establishing online network system such as internet, bulletin board, website, etc. b. There are many distance learning websites from which learners can learn about interesting topics.

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Cataloguing Learning Material Cataloguing materials helps to effectively organise materials and share information. Simple database of learning material can be set up using cards.

(Step 1) Organise materials in the learning centre by category of subject. The materials produced in the community should also be included. (Step 2) Write information about each material on separate card. Keep these cards in a box. On the material, write the same serial number and name of learning centre. (Step 3) well.

Format Written/Printed materials Folk media

Audio-visuals

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Organise the cards by format as

Subject Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Income Generation Environment and Science Women’s Empowerment Education Civic Consciousness Culture and Value Others

sample of catalogue cards

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Chapter 3 Let’s Learn More!

Getting Mor e Lear ning Ma terial More Learning Material Most government extension agencies and NGOs provide posters, leaflets and booklets free of cost or at small charge. These materials could be collected directly from these offices or could be found in a village leader’s house, primary schools, local government institutions or community institutions.

Some ways to get new titles of books are as donations from rich community members and exchange with other libraries. The newly obtained or developed learning materials can be shared with other learning centres at the time of meetings of facilitators. The card catalogue prepared can be presented.

After developing a curricular unit, we can check if there are any materials that are available from relevant offices or library.

Local Wisdom

NGOs

Community Groups

Government Offices

CLC Religious Institutions

Family

Schools and Training Centres

Private Sector

Different sources of learning material around the CLC

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Collaborating with Other Community Workers and Learning Centres For material development, application and evaluation we require cooperation with others. As facilitators we should work jointly with other community workers in the community and nearby villages.

Good collaboration can help us to: · Borrow necessary equipment for material development, for making copies of the materials and also for giving material demonstrations at the centre. · Work together during the material development and evaluation stage. · Jointly organize short-term vocational training. · Jointly organize cultural programmes, rally, book exhibition etc. · Exchange information, material and resource persons. · Share cost of material production and utilization.

Three brains are better than one brain. Facilitators working together to prepare a campaign poster on tree planting.

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Chapter 3 Let’s Learn More!

Getting More Support from District Office District offices of education, agriculture, and health can support the learning centre in various ways, such as: (1) Provision of information of learning resources in the district areas, (2) Provision of materials developed by district office and other agencies, (3) Provision of necessary input for local material development, i.e. technical skill training and supplies, (4) Provision of transportation facility to access remote areas, (5) Provide government statistics, (6) Provision of personnel/expertise, (7) Provision of equipment, (8) Provision of finance, (9) Serve as a bridge among centres and other organizations, and (10)Disseminate information on the district’s CLCs nation-wide and publicise successful cases. We can obtain the above support by creating a good relationship with the district offices. We should inform responsible district personnel what we already have done and what more we need, by discussing in a district or sub-district meeting or submitting written requests. After getting any support, it is good practice to regularly report progress and achievement to the district office as soon as possible.

Meeting room

Library

Audio-visual equipment

Facilities available in district office

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Mobile Libr ar y -- bringing books to people Librar ary people.. People living in remote areas are most disadvantaged in their access to reading materials with no library nor book shop. To promote reading habits, we may arrange a mobile library - a truck or van carrying newspapers, magazines and variety of interesting books for all ages to reach remote areas or communities without libraries

Milk van delivering material

If no vehicle is available, we may think of other innovative forms of delivering materials: Idea 1: Working with existing delivery routes of other products. In India, materials were distributed by a milk van that delivers milk to different communities. Idea 2: In Laos, box libraries were circulated among the learning centres.

Box library

Idea 3: In Bangladesh, a mobile library van with TV and VHS player travels to different communities.

Mobile library

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