Knowles notes the adult learner is “self-directed, takes responsibility for their own actions and resist having information arbitrarily imposed on them” (Knowles, 1984, p. 88). Practitioners use a variety of techniques to amalgamate the adult learner and encourage a higher success rate of completion. According to Merriam’s article, “Adult Learning Theory for the Twenty-First Century assisting the progress of learning is at the core of every educator’s agenda. Two observations she notes characterizing adult learning currently are “that there is increased attention to the various contexts where learning takes place, and learning is a multidimensional phenomenon, not just a cognitive activity” (Merriam, pg. 94).
Dirkx believed in the inner-world of learning. His focus to adult learners is the nurturing soul as the aim of education. Adults engage in a lot of different kinds of learning experiences, some are more effective than others. However, all learning involves the process of meaning which is the main focus John Dirkx wanted adult learners to be aware of. I returned back to school in 1999, I attended National Louis University and at that time a lot of colleges were marketing to adult learners to return back to
Learning opportunities for adults exist in a variety of settings. They range from formal institutions to places of employment. Considerations for adult development and learning include biological and psychological development (including deterioration and disease processes that may occur) and sociocultural and integrative perspectives on development (Merriam, 1999)(Adult Learning-Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology: adulted.about.com). While the most common reason for adults to place themselves in a learning environment is a life-changing event, once in that environment there are many factors that affect the learning experience. It is important to acknowledge prior knowledge and experiences of learners, including their ability to recognize their own skills as lifelong learners.
In 1950’s the researches that were carried out to understand how adults learn, has shown that children and adults have different ways to cope while learning is concerned. Andragogy is defined as “The Art and Science of helping adults learn”. It is built upon 2 attributes: • Learners are self-directed and autonomous • The teacher is a facilitator of learning rather than a mere presenter of content Adults need to know why they should learn – the reason they need to know and how it will benefit them in order to solve a real-life task or problem. They resent and resist situations in which they feel that others are imposing their wills on them. Adults also want to use what they already know and be acknowledged for their knowledge – their self-identity is derived from their experiences.
Plagiarism Exercise “… In an effort to better understand how adults learn, adult learning theories are derived to help theorists and practitioners by providing workable and testable explanations of the learning process. These theories seek to explain how the process of learning as an adult differs from learning as a child. They focus on describing how various social, psychological, emotional, and physiological factors affect adult learning. To that end, ideas generated by educators, sociologists, and psychologists all contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the adult learner and how to create a learning environment that is most suitable to their unique needs…” (Snyder, 2009). QUESTIONS: 1.
Adult Learning Theories Acquiring knowledge of adult learning might be the most significant journey anyone can undertake. Success in life is determined how motivated and how positive a person can be. Andragogy is the art and science of helping adults learn (Henschke, J A. 2011). To better understand the way adults learn, multiple researchers, scholars and educators alike have been establishing andragogy to implement into individuals personal glossaries.
Summary Due to the increase in job loss in America, there is a substantial rise in adult learners who understand that formal education could mean the difference between gainful employment and joblessness. The abundance of adult learners returning to the classroom has spawned a genuine interest by educators. The intent of this paper is to identify the difference of how adults differ from children in the learning process, and how to best serve the adult learner. The article “Adult Learning Theory: Applications to Non-Traditional College Students” is an article that gives information about adult learners. An adult learner is classified as someone who has completed their GED or high school diploma, is between the ages of 25 and 50, is financially independent, and has completed one semester or less of college course work (Kenner & Weinerman, 2011).
In an article called the impact of Authentic Literacy Instruction on Adult Literacy practices shows that teaching adults to understand English as it correlates to their daily lives makes a significant difference. Where traditional practices in the classroom are helpful to some students, authentic learning practices such as role playing and mimicking real life situations to make connections for the adults helps many other students (Purcell-Gates Et all. 2002). These practices can be used everyday anywhere at any given time. Inevitably, creating a connection visually realistically or even hypothetically can simplify the concepts of grammar, listening speaking and writing
Furthermore, Forman concluded that a variety of methods are needed for concentration. The third peer interaction is Peer Tutoring. this is when more advanced learners teach material to less advanced individuals. Brainerd shows traditional learning is often more effective with student compared with individual learning. It has been found that peer tutoring is often best when the tutor is only slightly older than the student, as the material will be fresher in the tutors mind and the student will not feel so intimidated by their tutor.
Overcoming Resistance to Learning 1 Overcoming Resistance to Learning 2 Malcolm Knowles’ (1989) principles for overcoming resistance to learning have given me a new perspective on adult learning. His techniques for getting people to become self-directed learners have prompted me to change the way my company presents professional development plans to our employees. There are also obvious parallels between Knowles’ principles, and the Principles of Adult Learning course. Resistance to learning is a challenge I am required to overcome quite frequently in my work as a training manager. Some of the training programs I administer are professional development plans for individuals wanting to be considered for a promotion, or recently promoted from within the organization.