Sep 3, 2026 · 28 min · 10 segments
The first collaboration series between Ōtautahi in Practice and the ACE Network, and the first of three episodes as part of the Adult Learners Week He Tangata Mātauranga. This year's theme is "Finding…
Erica AustinHost
Sam WolfeHost
I love that you're both in this episode together because it's, you know, that commonality of coming back to yourself, retuning into, you know, our bodies and really looking after ourselves while also connecting with nature.
with
important because one of the things I've seen within the adult community education space is identity and self and self-health is really important for being willing to learn, being able to take the challenge of going to classes and that sort of thing.
So it's really a holistic approach.
Because
you're both adult learning educators or facilitators, what are you noticing about, based on what you've shared, Nicola, expanding more around, what are you sensing the need of our adult learners in this current kind of context?
Oh, my gosh.
Adult learning, you know, it's so broad.
You know, everybody's learning.
It just depends what it is they want.
So they've either got a need or they've got a want, I think.
Our focus is very much on literacy and numeracy development because as we look at life skills and where people want to progress if they don't have the reading right, writing or numeracy skills, it holds them back.
And so if they're held back for whatever reason, the damage that's happened over their journey, it impacts on whether or not they take the chance of going and doing a new course or something.
So and what that means for them in the future.
And it often is tied in with income or it's tied in with whatever experience is.
Yeah, so I think that's really the whole challenge for me is providing a space for people where they can really learn and be safe and whatever that looks like for
Is that resonating with you, Inge, as well, or is that something different that you're seeing?
You know, after a few years of teaching, what I've been always trying to bring is a little bit more Zen attitude while teaching.
You know, so karma approach, being there for the people, listening, always, you know, open for all the questions, always trying to be there.
And also what I noticed, especially adult learners, they all wanted to be practical.
They wanted to be hands-on.
It's really hard for a lot of people to sit down and just listen to a lecture, for example, for a long time.
I love that you're both in this episode together because it's, you know, that commonality of coming back to yourself, retuning into, you know, our bodies and really looking after ourselves while also connecting with nature.
with
important because one of the things I've seen within the adult community education space is identity and self and self-health is really important for being willing to learn, being able to take the challenge of going to classes and that sort of thing.
So it's really a holistic approach.
Because
you're both adult learning educators or facilitators, what are you noticing about, based on what you've shared, Nicola, expanding more around, what are you sensing the need of our adult learners in this current kind of context?
Oh, my gosh.
Adult learning, you know, it's so broad.
You know, everybody's learning.
It just depends what it is they want.
So they've either got a need or they've got a want, I think.
Our focus is very much on literacy and numeracy development because as we look at life skills and where people want to progress if they don't have the reading right, writing or numeracy skills, it holds them back.
And so if they're held back for whatever reason, the damage that's happened over their journey, it impacts on whether or not they take the chance of going and doing a new course or something.
So and what that means for them in the future.
And it often is tied in with income or it's tied in with whatever experience is.
Yeah, so I think that's really the whole challenge for me is providing a space for people where they can really learn and be safe and whatever that looks like for
Is that resonating with you, Inge, as well, or is that something different that you're seeing?
You know, after a few years of teaching, what I've been always trying to bring is a little bit more Zen attitude while teaching.
You know, so karma approach, being there for the people, listening, always, you know, open for all the questions, always trying to be there.
And also what I noticed, especially adult learners, they all wanted to be practical.
They wanted to be hands-on.
It's really hard for a lot of people to sit down and just listen to a lecture, for example, for a long time.
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