Learning takes place throughout life – in different ways, in different contexts. It’s almost impossible to stop people learning, in some form or other, all the time.

The aim of this program is to introduce you to the ideas and practices of learning that are relevant to youth development work. The module focuses on the role of youth development workers as educators, or to put it another way, as ‘learning facilitators’.

The module explores different theories of learning and their influences. It identifies the different ways in which people learn and the factors that inhibit or facilitate learning. It also considers experiential learning as a method that is appropriate to youth development workers and examines appropriate strategies for face-to-face work with young people and adults.

Who Should Attend?

• Youth workers in government departments, corporates and NGOs.
• Young leaders.
• Student activities coordinators.
• School and University teachers.
• Professionals responsible for youth policy formulation and strategy development.

When you successfully complete this program, you should be able to:

• Give an overview of important psychological and philosophical principles relevant to ‘education for all’ and youth development work.
• Describe the characteristics of informal education and apply this knowledge to youth development work.
• Make use of the techniques of informal and experiential learning in youth development work and enable other people to use it.
• Describe your own and other people’s learning style(s) and mode of intelligence.
• Identify factors that help and factors that hinder people’s learning, particularly in informal settings.
• Devise effective strategies for learning with a range of individuals and groups in youth development work.

Course Outline: