Vita Education Services, in cooperation with the Professional Development System of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Post-secondary and Adult Education, presented a statewide webinar on its new Decisions for Action (DFA) program. Executive Director Linda Wolfson and Decisions Curriculum and Training Specialist Gail Huber were the presenters.
The webinar detailed the DFA program and the benefits of incorporating it into existing adult education classes. Vita was asked to give the webinar to interest adult education providers in piloting the DFA course.
The goal of the DFA program is to increase persistence among adult learners by giving them a process for anticipating consequences and planning for the future, thereby making better choices. See DFA Flowchart. The course focuses on the development of thinking skills as well as a process for making decisions. It is based on Vita’s decision-making programs that have been taught to adults in correctional and other settings for over 40 years.
DFA teaches a five-point process for making decisions. The process has students ask pertinent questions that help them analyze situations. Through this analysis they discover what they are in control of and the options they have in situations. DFA requires critical thinking to organize thoughts, examine and challenge assumptions, and define personal goals. Because students use relevant life situations, they practice solving real problems. These problems are often the barriers to participation that are beyond the control of the adult education provider.
“It is our belief that teaching DFA will increase the students’ internal resources for managing challenging situations. This, in turn, allows them to persist longer in their studies and meet goals that will result in increased job opportunities and/or preparation for postsecondary education or training,” Wolfson said.
Presenters Wolfson and Huber received positive feedback on the webinar. The State is now accepting applications from adult education agencies to be part of the DFA pilot program.