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People often support others in their learning by helping them to acquire knowledge or understanding, or to master a skill, or simply to negotiate an obstacle.
Formal learning support builds on this very common activity. A consultant draws on her or his own knowledge of how different individuals learn.
There may be help with specific areas of study: lecture notes, written work, a study timetable, examination technique, and so on. In some cases, a consultant will work with a client on assistive software packages such as screen readers and speech-to-text software. The main thrust of a consultant's work, however, will be towards fostering clients' confidence in their own learning abilities, helping them develop the skills which are right for them.
The consultant will not necessarily be an expert in the client's own study area (though occasionally this may help). The expertise which matters here is knowing how (for different kinds of people) learning happens. |
