Notes for mentor or facilitator
This session will cover:
The key features of inclusive teaching & learning
Why it is important to create an inclusive teaching and learning environment
Why it is important to provide opportunities for learners to develop their English, Maths, ICT skills and their awareness of addressing equality & diversity
Ways to engage and motivate learners
Keeping learners safe (emotional wellbeing)
Ways to establish ground rules with learners
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Notes for facilitator or mentor
Ways to create an inclusive learning environment when delivering training for West Berkshire Wellbeing:
Differentiate activities to address individual differences e.g. group work or pair work or individual
Understand your learners & their learning styles
Be approachable – enable learners to feel comfortable to disclose concerns about their learning experience
Involving all learners – using their names and speaking to them personally in each session
Recognising and valuing individual contributions and achievements.
Using resources and materials which positively promote equality & diversity.
Notes for facilitator or mentor
Differentiate your learning activities and teaching.
This flow chart gives you some ideas.
Notes for facilitator or mentor
Learning styles or preferences or learning profile
Understanding learners’ learning styles is a key factor in ensuring inclusive training. There are around 13 most influential and most often use models of learning styles. .
Honey and Mumford (1992) developed the work of Kolb (1964). They propose that adult learners are a mixture of four styles:
activist, pragmatist, theorist and reflector,
preferring to learn in one of 4 particular ways:
Opportunities within the training to think deeply about what they are learning, paired discussions, time out from the group, coaching sessions. (Reflectors)
Having time to read material ahead of the training session, group discussions on theories behind the learning, trainer presenting statistics or models. (Theorists)
Like having lots of hands-on activities in the training room, brainstorming, competitions, quizzes. (Activists)
Having a trainer demonstrate a new skill, the opportunity to take part in role play or a groups discussion of case studies. (Pragmatists )
Further reading suggestion:
https://www.le.ac.uk/users/rjm1/etutor/resources/learningtheories/honeymumford.html
Notes for facilitator or mentor
If you are a trainer, there will be opportunities to help improve the maths, English and digital skills of your learners at some point during a workshop or course. Ways to do this include embedding the skills as part of the topic of the training session, rather than treating them as separate subjects.
These skills are also known as Functional skills.
Improvements in these functional skills will help your learners improve their personal and professional skills, enabling them to function more confidently and effectively in the workplace.
Notes for facilitator or mentor
Ways to engage and motivate learners – top 10 tips
Ensure you give a professional impression to your learners e.g. arrive early, check presentations and handouts for typos.
Act confidently and be self-assured (even if you feel nervous or anxious)
Use an appropriate ice-breaker to help you and your learners to get to know each other.
Treat your learners as individual people. Use their names whenever possible.
Find out what your learners know already and their experiences, related to the subject or topic.
Agree ground rules (discuss further later in the session)
Consider using a starter activity
Use a variety of different teaching, learning and assessment activities.
Be prepared to repeat and recap the learning.
When giving feedback, start with something positive, If you need to negative feedback, ensure it is constructive e.g. “you might like to think about doing it differently next time …”
Notes for facilitator or mentor
What are ground rules or group guidelines?
Ground rules are boundaries and rules to facilitate within which learners and trainers can safely learn and work.
The importance of ground rules/group guidelines
Ground rules are useful in facilitating a supportive, inclusive and safe training experience.
Ground rules encourage an effective training environment and reduce disruption.
Some ground rules may be non-negotiable eg for health and safety reasons or the nature of the training eg Mental Health First Aid courses.
Ways to establish ground rules/group guidelines
Should usually be discussed and negotiated with your learners rather than forced upon them. This will encourage learners to follow them.
It is best to agree the ground rules early on in a workshop or in the furst session of a course, perhaps after an ice-breaker.
Group discussion between the trainer and learners.
Individual learners write down their suggestions for ground rules, discuss and feedback in small groups using flipcharts. .
Suggest that learners reflect on other training that they have attended and identify what made learning difficult..
Ways to maintain ground rules
Keep the ground rules visible throughout the training session.
Refer to the ground rules at the start of a session, for latecomers and if a rule is broken.
Lead by example – follow the ground rules as the trainer!
Notes for Mentor or Facilitator
Recap the session
The key features of inclusive teaching & learning
Why it is important to create an inclusive teaching and learning environment
Why it is important to provide opportunities for learners to develop their English, Maths, ICT skills and their awareness of addressing equality & diversity
Ways to engage and motivate learners
Ways to establish ground rules with learners
Further information
Anne Gravells book – The Award in Education & Training.
Copies are available from West Berkshire Wellbeing wellbeing@westberks.gov.uk