Adult learners arrive to class with a wealth of positive experience which can be harnessed to generate interesting and dynamic debate. However, tutors need to be aware that adults can also arrive with anxieties which, if not managed correctly, can impair the learning process. These anxieties may be the legacy of their prior experience of education or of an extended absence from an educational environment. Examples of anxieties that might arise include:

· Fear of failure
· Concern about being the oldest member of the group
· Fear of being made look foolish
· Fear of the new technological environment and the implications this has for their study, i.e., producing assignments, accessing the library, etc.,
· Concern about their ability to contribute and make intelligent/worthwhile inputs in classroom discussion
· Consideration about physical impairments e.g., fading eyesight, hearing, etc., which impacts on their participation in class
· Doubts about coping strategies - juggling family, career and social commitments with demands of studying
· Distrust about their own abilities and about how valid or worthwhile their experience is in relation to the topic at hand
· Questions about their study skills, i.e., note taking, reading - when to stop as they become more immersed in a subject
· Fear of assessment and confusion about what is expected, particularly exams
· Worry about the distinctions between academic writing and informal writing, referencing, quoting, etc.,
· Concerns about external influences, e.g., a need to require a skill for employment purposes

Overcoming Learner Anxieties

Prior to students commencing courses, pre-enrolment information and advice can help allay initial fears. The Adult Education Centre works to provide complete information to students through the provision of a comprehensive course brochure, enrolment and registration support, and ongoing updates about changes in our services or facilities. We aim to provide a friendly encouraging environment where students feel welcome, while also ensuring a professional service so that students know their interests are reliably managed. Support for adult learners can also be provided through a learning environment that is inclusive and participative. While the climate should be non-threatening and non-judgemental, it also needs to be challenging. Achieving this balance requires a tutor to be friendly and encouraging while simultaneously creating an expectation that students have a responsibility for their own learning.

Learning Environment

Suggestions for creating a learning environment that fosters a sense of support for, and partnership with, adults include the following:

· Create an informal environment by sitting in a circle. Move away from the concept of teacher at the front talking at rows of students and break any connections with traditional classroom routine
· Use time in the first session for introductions and ice-breakers
· Involve students from the first session in course planning, e.g., use a questionnaire to find which topics are of most interest
· Spend time discussing the course outline and student expectations and follow this up with a written outline of the complete syllabus
· Negotiate ground rules, e.g., how classroom logistics are to managed, breaks, etc., the group's own responsibility for managing the group dynamic
· Incorporate group work. Small group activities foster the development of positive peer relationships among learners, which frequently have a much greater influence on learning than tutor-learner relationships. Informal, spontaneous groups can be used for short-term activities such as brainstorming while more formal ongoing groups can be arranged around activities such as group projects/presentations
· Employ a liberal use of humour to create a more informal relaxed environment
· Develop peer support systems amongst the group, e.g., e-mail chains/study groups, so that learners have an immediate point of contact when feeling under pressure
· Use problem solving, goal-oriented exercises
· Relate theory to practice
· Draw on student experience to inform classroom debate
· Ensure discussions are evenly balanced with equal participation from all members. Don't allow any one member/group dominate as this can intimidate others
· Explain assessment exercises thoroughly. This is examined in more detail in the Presenting Assessments section
· Avoid language which assumes an understanding of cultural references that might not be common to all the group
· Acknowledge that all learning styles are valid and that individual differences bring perspective to a group
· Adopt varied teaching methodologies which incorporate these varying learning styles. 


 Source: UCD Adult Education Centre