Before we can go into detailed issues about course design, delivery and evaluation, it is vital to first consider how and why learning takes place, what makes learning effective, what may block effective learning, and how you can, practically, facilitate the learning process. This topic focuses especially on adult learning, and will help you to develop a conceptual framework for your agroforestry training activities in the future. It is quite theoretical, deliberately, because an understanding of theory is vital for good practice. More sources of information on the theory of learning are included in the reference section at the end of this fast track.
Adults learn best through experience, being given the possibility to reflect on this experience, and then taking some appropriate action. You should ensure that your own training methods follow this principle, whatever you are teaching, whether it is a technical or a methodological training course.
If you are training future trainers, this topic is very important for the participants in your course. Do not be tempted to read out the theoretical key resource materials which follow this fast track – these can be given to participants to read in their own time. You may want to raise some key points from the key resource materials as you go through the topic, however.