Jarecke et al. (2014) explain that research shows women learn well in a social environment, so it would be logical to encourage group work in this class. An activity that would be appropriate for these learners is a small group scenario where they are given information about income and expenses and are asked to create a realistic budget that they will need to account for rent, transportation, food, etc. St. Clair's (2015) table on page 115 of the reading shows that creating something in a small group is an effective teaching method, especially when it comes to problem-solving. 

This activity would take place closer to the end of the course after the group had learned more of the basic principles of money management and had a chance to build relationships with one another. Merriam and Bierema (2013) write that problem-based learning is essential for adults as it increases engagement and solidifies understanding. This activity would be given at the beginning of class, and students would have ample time to complete the budget. The only materials required for this activity are calculators and budget sheets. This activity builds upon skills they have already learned through an additional problem provided by the instructor once their budget sheet is complete. They will be given a budget 'curveball,' such as a significant car or home repair, and asked to re-organize their budget to fit this new expense. Given that the students mainly participate in this course due to anxiety around finances, experiencing a stressor in a controlled environment will help build their confidence and resilience in money management. This will allow them to share contextual learning, an excellent way to ensure learners walk away from the course with the skills required to budget in their real lives. 

Jarecke, J., Taylor, E. W., & Hira, T. K. (2014). Financial literacy education for women. New Directions for Adult Continuing Education, 141, 37–46. 

Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L. L. (2013). Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice. John Wiley & Sons.  

St. Clair, R. (2015). Creating courses for adults: Design for learning. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass. 

This activity is best completed on the second day of the course and will take approximately 30 minutes. Learners will be required to access the online version of Money Habitudes, provided by the organization. If learners do not have access to technology, they can request the cards in a hard copy format. In this activity each card contains a statement about money and learners must decide how well they identify with each statement. They can choose between the following three options: That’s me; Sometimes, it depends; and That’s not me. At the end of the card activity, the instructor and learners are provided with a full report detailing their relationship with money. Learners should come to class ready to discuss the activity. Once in class, they will first discuss the activity and their results with a peer. Next, that pair will pair up with another pair and further discuss. After discussions have come to a close, the instructor will invite all groups to share what was discussed and what the common themes were.

After completing a cross-case analysis of four financial literacy programs, Jarecke et. al. (2014) identified strategies that would help. These strategies included incorporating a constructivist approach, creating opportunities for contextualizing learning, creating opportunities for relationship building, and taking a critical stance. When tasked with finding a learning activity, our group sought to find one that would create at least one of these situations. Our activity takes a constructivist approach and provides an opportunity to contextualize learning and build relationships. Engaging in the Money Habitudes card activity provides a more active learning experience and is purposeful. It creates a report at the end that the learner can use to identify their relationship with money. The instructor receives the reports from all learners and can look for themes to further contextualize the class and make the material more applicable to the learners’ lives. The think-pair-square activity (Barkley & Cross, 2014) provides an opportunity for relationship building but starts out small. Allowing learners to first discuss with one other person, add two more, and then invite them to speak with the entire group promotes a more comfortable, safe space. Group work also provides an opportunity for learners to identify commonalities and further strengthen relationships. 

Jarecke, J., Taylor, E. W., & Hira, T. K. (2014). Financial literacy education for women. New Directions for Adult Continuing Education, 141, 37–46.

Barkley, E., Major, C. & Cross, K. P. (2014). Collaborative learning techniques : A handbook for college faculty, Chapter 9. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I chose this activity because financial goal setting is a fundamental skill for managing personal finances effectively. This workshop aligns with the specific goals of the learners, which include acquiring practical knowledge and skills to make informed financial decisions. It promotes active engagement, reflection, and collaboration among the participants, drawing upon adult learning theories such as experiential learning and social constructivism. By providing learners with tangible tools and resources, this activity empowers them to take control of their financial situations and work towards their financial goals.

Activity: Case Study

Jarecke et al. (2014) point out that women have particular learning preferences, such as the need to work with other team members. Dividing the learners into small groups, using case studies will be beneficial for learners to help understand and use the information they learned while they put it into practice (St. Clair, 2015). Small groups can generally be used as an effective tool for problem solving, help create new  approaches, and may help women feel more comfortable with fellow learners (St. Clair, 2015). The case study will be considered the main activity after presenting the information to the class. St. Clair (2015) mentions that by providing a great outline of the topic and assignment at hand is to use mini lectures of the information; this is to ensure that learners have the appropriate information to apply to a hands-on task. This will help “reinforce the lesson and give it relevance” to women who want to walk away, having learned something beneficial (St. Clair, 2015).  

This activity in total should take no more than 1-hour if the financial literacy course was 6 hours and should be done after the group has learned about basic financial/money managing principles. By dividing learners into small groups, the educator can work with each group by walking around and engaging with all to see how their confidence levels are or to see if they are engaged; in a way it can also lead to the next topic of the program. 

The educator will need to provide case studies to use, along with a white board and markers for each group. The case studies can be fake or real so learners can use them to connect information learned. The groups will elect a leader to present their findings at the end of the 1 hour case study session; these findings must include the rights, the wrongs, and key takeaways along with a summary of the problem. By using a smaller constructive approach, learners can engage with others who may be reflective in different ways or have different experiences (Jarecke et al., 2014). There shouldn't be any special resources per say, but more practical ones that can be used by all (i.e. white board, markers) that make it inclusive in a way. The addition of software like Excel or calculators might not be accessible to those who may not have access to use. 

The reason why this case study example was chosen is because it gives a constructive approach to learning. It engages the learner with other ideas and allows them to reflect on their experiences and the knowledge they learned (St. Clair, 2015). The learners can look the context and try to make it more meaningful for their personal and family lives but it also encourages collaborating with others who might share a similar path (St. Clair, 2015). By using real world results or experiences, it can encourage learners to continue to connect with their peers outside of the facilitation and continue to seek knowledge through non-formal personal discussions. 

Jarecke, J., Taylor, E. W., & Hira, T. K. (2014). Financial literacy education for women. New Directions for Adult Continuing Education, 141, 37–46.

St. Clair, R. (2015). Creating courses for adults: Design for learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

The reason we chose this activity is to create opportunities for contextualised learning and provide opportunities for relationship building. Through this exercise, we are incorporating a constructivist approach. Jarecke et al. (2014) refer to learning as an active endeavour and St. Clair (2015) explains that constructivism is collaborative, by involving the participants in this activity they are actively participating in their learning. At the end of the workshop, each participant will be given access to a blank copy of the spreadsheet so they can take what they’ve learned in the workshop and apply it at home (Jarecke et al.) which will allow them to reflect. 

St. Clair, R. (2015). Creating courses for adults: Design for learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

Jarecke, J., Taylor, E. W., & Hira, T. K. (2014). Financial literacy education for women. New Directions for Adult Continuing Education, 141, 37–46.