The Learning Experience shows that when trying to facilitate adult learning
The Learning there is often as much "unlearning" to be done as learning. Because
Process people have so much emotional capital invested in their existing
 knowledge and experience, in their customary ways of doing
 things, to challenge this knowledge, experience and customs is the
 trickiest job for the extension worker. And little can usually be
 achieved through a simple plea to change.
 It is important to identify as precisely as possible what are
 the blocks to change and what are the bases of existing
 attitudes and practices. The most likely unfreezingg"
 methods will not be talk but demonstration and the conse-
 quences of examples-from which farmers can draw their
 own conclusions.

 Experience as a Learning Resource
 The package of knowledge and skills that the farmers already
 possess is itself a rich resource for learning.
 In planning and delivering your extension messages, you
 should start from where your farmers are. If you utilize
 their experience, you will ensure that your messages are
 relevant to their needs and interests. You may well learn
 from them some new ideas that will help you to modify your
 own knowledge and your teaching of it.

 Varieties of Experience
 Individual farmers will possess packages of knowledge and experi-
 ence of varying size and weight. Some of the farmers will be what
 we call "progressive"; some will not. Some will be skilled in building
 structures; others will be knowledgeable about the treatment of
 plant diseases. To draw on this varied store can enrich the learning
 for the whole group. But it makes the business of "starting from
 where the farmers are" a rather complicated matter.
 Rather than relying on your own presentation of informa-
 tion and demonstration of skills, you should, as much as
 possible, promote participatory methods of learning which
 allow for the varied inputs and responses of the farmers
 themselves.

 Approaches to Learning
 Most of your farmers will have had limited formal schooling and
 their approaches to learning will not be those found in institutions


Chapter 4