Module 5 - Adult Literacy Classroom
Delivery Modes
One-on-One
One-on-one instruction puts the instructor at the learner’s elbow, with the instructor’s attention wholly focused on meeting the individual learner’s needs and supporting his/her learning. For many adult literacy learners, this is the ideal instructional situation. Unfortunately, funding and time constraints limit how often this type of instruction can be provided. In addition, this situation is not mirrored outside the learning environment. Students have families, live in communities, and function as parts of workplace teams. As literacy is a social process, instruction delivered solely one-on-one is less likely to develop and strengthen the valuable team and social skills necessary for the modern workplace and community.¹ Research has found one-on-one instruction equally effective in assisting students to achieve, and perhaps more effective in assisting students to achieve goals, while group activities seem to increase student retention within an adult education program.²
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“I always plan for some individual self-paced work time for students – especially in math where folks often need practice in very specific skills. When they are working, I walk around the room, glance over shoulders to see how they are doing, and make sure they know I’m there, available for questions. Sometimes folks aren’t comfortable asking for help.” |
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“My tutor is real patient. She helps me over the hard places and doesn’t let me get away with just saying “I don’t know.” Everyone here is so patient and helpful, it’s great.” |
Take a moment to consider the pros and cons of one-on-one instruction and its implications for instruction of adult literacy learners.
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On your worksheet, record your initial thoughts about delivering instruction one-on-one. |
Almost any adult learning situation incorporates short periods of informal one-on-one instruction as the instructor responds to requests for assistance during larger group lessons or a student’s independent study time. Longer periods of one-on-one instruction like tutoring, however, should be formally planned, with a variety of activities designed to review existing knowledge, introduce new skills, and provide plenty of practice to integrate new understanding with current knowledge. Students should be given time to build fluency and be encouraged to apply learning to real-life situations. A good tool to guide one-on-one instruction is the Direct Instruction Model.
Listed below is a real-life adult education scenario. While you are reading, consider the needs of the learners in this learning situation. How might the instructor incorporate effective instructional practices into her one-on-one teaching?
Real-Life Scenario – Mirnah’s Drop-in Students:
Mirnah is an instructor assigned to an open learning lab at a local community center. She oversees students who come in to use the computers for study and to access the Internet. She also provides tutoring for those studying to improve their literacy skills or obtain their GED. She feels she does a lot of instruction by the seat of her pants. She often knows very little about her learners, who drop in and then may not return for weeks at a time. She’d like to feel more on top of what students need and more structured in her delivery of assistance and instruction.
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On your worksheet, record your thoughts on the needs of the learners and the concerns of the instructor. |
Click the + sign in the box to the right to see ideas from other Adult Education Instructors. | [?] |
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When I tutor students one-on-one, I have a lesson plan – just like I would for a larger class. I keep it flexible – you always have to be flexible – but just because you are working one-on-one doesn’t mean instruction doesn’t have to be planned.
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As a volunteer tutor with no formal background in education, I sometimes have difficulty accessing student records or assessment information. I tutor at odd hours – when the student and I are both available - and the office where records are kept is not always open. I make a habit of dropping by at least once a week to review records and see if there are any changes or any new assessment information. If possible, I try to meet with an instructor to ask questions or gain insight into teaching difficulties I’ve encountered.
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I’m careful to see that students don’t become too dependent on my individual help – among other things, I’d be run ragged in class. I often get asked, “Is this right?” or, “I’m stuck. What do I do now?” I respond with “Do you think it looks right? How would you check?” or “What would you do if I wasn’t here and you had to move on?”
In reviewing these ideas, did you find any similar to your own? Did any of them strike you as particularly interesting? Did they provide any new insights for your instruction of adult literacy learners?
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On your worksheet make note of any tips, insights, or new ideas gained from the instructors’ suggestions. |
In Summary:
- One-on-one instruction, while a common and popular delivery mode in adult education, does have some drawbacks. It often requires time and monetary resources which are in short supply. It does not reflect real-life situations in which to build valuable communication and team skills. It can foster an over-dependence on instructor support in the learning process.
- Instructors should be sure to plan for one-on-one instructional time in all situations.
- One-on-one instructional time should be structured to foster students’ “learning to learn,” becoming their own learning facilitator.
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On your worksheet, record any final notes or thoughts, specific ideas you want to remember, plans for further study, etc. |
Click "Next" below or a specific topic on the outline to the left to continue.
References:
1 Imel, Susan. (1992). Small Groups in Adult Literacy and Basic Education. ERIC Digest, No. 130.
2 Siedow, Mary. (2005). One-on-one Tutoring. In Focus on Basics, 7C. Cambridge, MA: The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy.