Motivation of lower educated people

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Motivation of lower educated people

• Working towards a more positive learning climate
  in Flanders

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Program

• Background
• Low literacy rates in Flanders
• Adult Basic Education
• Needs, motivations, barriers
• Strategies to improve the learning climate
• Projects

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Low literacy rates in Flanders

• No less than some 15 to 18 percent of Flemish
  adults (i.e. 700,000 to 850,000 )
• Specific groups
• semi-skilled and unskilled adults
• elder men
• women,
• the unemployed and employed persons with low
  literacy rates.

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Adult basic education

• 1990 29 centres
• appropriate to their level of expertise
• day and evening courses
• intensive to less intensive
• no charge
• open learning centres

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• curriculum
• Dutch as a mother tongue (NT1)
• Dutch as a second language (NT2)
• Literacy skills for Dutch as a second language
• Social studies (MO)
• Arithmetic and mathematics
• Information and communication technology (ICT)
• Advanced courses in French or English

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• Growth of adult basic education centres
• Increases every year
• 2003-2004 25.700 students
• NT1 and mathematics only 11,5 and a stagnating
  trend
• ICT NT2 waiting lists

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Needs and requirements

• Personally experience a shortcoming
• Participation without recognising their
  educational requirements
• Very concrete expectations
• Immigrants have higher expectations

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Motivations

• Economic motives
• Cognitive motives
• Motives related to social contact and social
  stimulation
• Personal, social and societal motives
• Forced participation

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Barriers

• Informational barriers
• Situational barriers
• Dispositional barriers
• Institutional barriers
• two most stimulating factors accessability
  availability of free course
• the importance of key biographic moments

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A more positive learning climate

• Situate the learning process in a positive
  atmosphere
• (former) participants are used to motivate people
  
• company employees are trained to recognise
  motivate colleagues

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• The course content must be adjusted to the
  requirements, questions and expectations of the
  participants
• The methods and the resources used must be
  adapted to the participants
• The instructors are able to get along well with
  special target groups

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Project Combined courses

• Objective Motivate people to participate in
  Dutch training programmes by combining Dutch and
  ICT.
• Description The lessons focus on learning to
  take notes, writing letters, searching for
  information, making invoices, formulating an
  opinion, becoming familiar with Windows, word
  processing and e-mail.

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• Success factor the computer as added component.
• Evaluation data a major success. For all
  courses, the maximum number of participants (12)
  was quickly attained. Extra courses were added.

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Project introduction to ICT in the community
centre

• Objective an entry-level course that literally
  brings learning closer to the people and
  potential participants.
• Description the City of Leuven makes laptops
  available that are used each week in 8
  neighbourhoods in the city.
• Intended target group people with lower levels
  of education who are not comfortable with formal
  educational offerings

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• Success factors Free course
• Obstacles organisational and technical efforts.
• Evaluation a high demand for this type of
  course. Participants are highly motivated.
  Dropping out is an exception.

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Project screening concept and computer on
loan

• Objective
• screen
• give the opportunity to follow courses for the
  duration of their employment project.
• reward the participants are loaned a computer
  until the end of the course. (is the convincing
  element)

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• Description
• Computer at home after 3 lessons mini-course on
  computer skills.
• 2 hours of homework per week on the computer.
  (educational CD ROMs)
• Opportunity to purchase the computer for a very
  reasonable price

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• Success factors
• Personal contact by the promoter where they are
  employed (has the greatest effect!)
• Attractive offering a PC to take home.
• Combination of Dutch/arithmetic PC
• Obstacles finances
• Evaluation data a considerable increase in
  Dutch-language participants

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Project Trap orientation project

• Objective
• Prepare young job seekers for employment by means
  of general and attitude training.
• The elimination of obstacles to a successful
  education.
• Orientation to a job goal within the framework of
  personal interest, qualities and motivation.

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• Description
• Two modules
• group exploration of occupations (7 weeks)
• personal exploration of occupations (5 weeks)
• New methods
• variation in projects and events
• the space is adapted to young people
• Target group
• Evaluation data Fewer participants drop out.