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Working and ageing
274 Guidance and counselling for mature learners

Stage 2. Learning programme
A key element in the ʻrealising your potentialʼ process was the learning
programme. This was developed by project staff at the centre for lifelong
learning who had extensive experience in working with older adults and
lifelong learning, considering the preferred learning styles and environments
of this particular client group. The programme purposely avoided use of ICT
rejecting the temptation to adopt a blended approach as e-learning can be
seen by many older adults as a barrier to learning due to poor levels of IT
literacy.
Ultimately, the programme was designed to assist individuals explore their
potential and identify future pathways, whether in their personal lives or related
to their future working lives. This 18-hour programme consisted of six main
areas:
(a) change management and managing personal change;
(b) confidence and motivation for learning;
(c) learning styles;
(d) decision-making;
(e) health and wellbeing;
(f) personal planning.
Individuals were encouraged to keep a reflective log, and although this was
not a compulsory element, it proved a useful tool in the learning process.
A crucial element of the learning programme was use of peer-supported
learning. Bringing together individuals of a similar age, who have faced similar
life challenges and barriers, can provide a strong support network which, in
turn, can improve the learning process. This principle was embedded through
group discussions designed to explore set topics and questions. It encouraged
contributions from everyone in the group and allowed individuals to share their
diverse range of experiences and points of view. This sharing approach to
learning helped individuals grow in confidence, particularly where there were
similar shared experiences. Delivery of the programme moved away from
traditional methods of teaching that most participants remembered or had
experienced early on in life at school. A non-directive, participatory approach
was consciously taken, with concepts embedded in the programme including
the world café methodology to cross-pollinate ideas and build confidence
through discussion. Mind mapping exercises also formed an integral part,
increasing motivation and promoting discussion on various topics.
While the learning programme was delivered over the life course of the
project as a six-week evening course, it was flexible in design and could be
adapted to run over a series of full-days or half-days.