Abstract
Fear negatively effects our ability to learn.  When we’re in a state of fear, our nervous system focuses our energy and attention on avoiding a perceived threat. Adults with unmet literacy needs and negative education experiences can feel hesitant around educational settings, creating side effects which make learning physically harder.
We can purposely create low-fear learning environments by modifying both the tangible (physical) and intangible (emotional) aspects of service delivery.   This presentation shares how LLN service providers are reshaping adult education programs to embed low-fear practices in every learner interaction, while retaining quality instruction and outcomes.
The findings result from tutor-learner observations and interviews with 90 LLN service providers conducted in New Zealand, Canada, USA, UK, and Ireland as part of a Gallaugher Bequest Churchill Fellowship.
You’ll gain practical ideas for tutor training, service delivery models and partnerships, measuring progress, plus examples of teaching methods and resources to break down psychological barriers to learning.  From small practice-adaptations to seismic shifts in service culture – there’s something for every LLN service provider to consider.

Bio
Amanda Wilson is a Volunteer Adult Literacy Tutor and a 2023 Churchill Fellow.  In mid-2024 she travelled to five countries on the Gallaugher Bequest Churchill Fellowship to research adult literacy service delivery models, teaching methods and resources to reduce educational fear (and unlock joy in learning).  She is a member of Adult Learning Australia, the Australian Council of Adult Literacy, and LLN and Neurodiversity Communities of Practice. When not following her passion for adult literacy, she lives and works on her family farm in lutruwita Tasmania.