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| Chapter 3 by aroas @ Adobe Stock Photo |
Then and Now: A Brief History of Adult Learning
Learning is something that has always been apart of life. Every aspect of our lives involve learning, from cavemen learning to feed themselves and survive in a harsh environment to us trying to better ourselves in a constantly changing world. According to Ozuah (2005), "all of the great teachers of ancient times were teachers of adults" (p. 84). The process of adult learning and the understanding of the process of guiding and instructing adults has been present for centuries. It has only been recently, within the past 50 or so years, that the need to understand how adults learn has been at the forefront of education and business training. More adults are returning to school for training, more business are requiring training and professional development beyond schooling. The need to understand the adult learner has never been greater.
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| Malcolm Knowles Credit: utk.edu |
While there were a lot of individuals involved in the development of andragogy, there is one name that stands out above all the rest, Malcolm Knowles. Even in his own writings, Knowles states he was uneasy teaching adults. According to our textbook, Knowles sought out people who taught in adult education programs to help him understand the best ways to teach adult learners. As Knowles started understanding the process of adult learning through his own experience and through others working in the field, he began to write and publish about his understanding of the adult learning process. He is considered the father of andragogy and according to out text, "helped professionalize the field of adult education" (p.46).
While there was a lot of different contributions to the field by Knowles, I would like to focus on his Six Assumptions about Adult Learners. Knowles needed more than just a term to distinguish androgogy from the commonly use pedagogical approaches. According to out text, he needed to "differentiate between the assumptions about learners..." so that instructors can properly instruct adult learners. To do this, Knowles proposed six assumptions about adult learners.
Knowles' Six Assumptions of Adult Learning
In 1980, Knowles published a list of four assumptions of adult learning. These included: self concept, experience, readiness, and problem-centered orientation. In later publications, according to our textbook, Knowles added two more assumptions, which included: motivation and reason for learning. Below, I will discuss each of the six assumptions that are central to andragogy.
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| Knowles' Six Assumptions of Adult Learning Credit: Edtech Tutorials (Blog) |
Assumption 1: The Learner's Self-Concept
In the first assumption, Knowles realized that there was a difference between the adult and the child with regard to learning. An adult learner is a person who has grown up, reached independence, and contributes to society through that independence. The adult learner has a responsibility for themselves and for others around them. This independence is directly related to their learning. While a child may be dependent upon adults for care and learning, the adult is responsible for themselves. Adults make decisions about their life and choices everyday. To take that away in an educational setting, according to our text, is to create resentment and resistance with the adult learner. Adults have a concept of self and this needs to be addressed in the educational setting as well.
Assumption 2: Experience
The second assumption is that an adult typically brings more to the table than a child in a learning environment. The adult, for the most part, will have a lifetime full of experiences which will serve them in their learning environment. There are many different learning situations outside of the classroom and an adult learner may be bringing a wide variety of life experiences with them to help with their learning (whether in an education setting or a learning experience in business or professional development).
Assumption 3: Readiness to Learn
The third assumption addresses the adult's readiness to learn. This can be from a variety of contexts, but, according to the text, is related to the "developmental tasks and social roles of adult life" (p. 51). This readiness to learn can be because a person needs professional development to improve in their job or it can be a self-directed learning project where the learner is seeking personal development in a personal or social context.Assumption 4: Problem-Centered Orientation
The fourth assumption addresses the need for the adult learner to solve immediate problems. It is essential for adults to be able to learn about a topic or issue to solve a problem. While this could be work related for the learner, it could also be personal. It is a process where the learner needs to gather information and apply that learning in an immediate situation. This could be due to the diagnosis of a medical condition or an issue that is going on in their life. The learner may not need to know every aspect of the subject, but may need to know certain information in order to solve a problem they are dealing with. According to the textbook, "problem-centered learning is preferred by adults because it is more engaging and lends itself to immediate application..." (p.54).
Assumption 5: Motivation
In the fifth assumption, the adult learner is more focused and motivated by internal factors as opposed to external ones. Adults tend to want to have personal fulfillment and improve their quality of life. This leads to internal motivation as opposed to being required by an agency or institution.
Assumption 6: The Need to Know
The sixth and last assumption deals with the learner and their need to know why they are learning something. It is essential for the learner to know how they will apply what they are learning to their job or their personal situation. There needs to be a reason other than the traditional "because I said you need to know it". This is largely because the adult learner needs to make connections to the information they have learned to the real world.
So... What Does This Mean for the Leader of Adult Learners?
With all of different needs of the adult learner, what can we do as instructors and supervisors of adult learners? When we are teaching or training the adult learner, we need to make sure we take each of their individual needs into account. We need to let the adult learner use the skills and talents they have and let the learner apply it to their learning situation. A lot of this is easier said than done, but here are some examples of things we can do to help the adult learner.
Helping the Adult Learner in an Educational and Business Setting.
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| The Thinking Brain Credit: digitalstorm @ stockfresh.com |
Lucky for us, the approaches an educator and a business leader can take to help the adult learner are very similar. The adult learner has a lot of different experiences to bring to the table. It is important for educators and leaders to let the learner tell you what they know as well as tell the leader what they need to know. If you are teaching in an educational setting or training an employee, it is important to ask your adult learner what they need to get out of the training (or course). By asking the learner what they need, the leader is better equipped to address the needs of each learner. This is beneficial to the training of the adult learner.
It is also important to make sure their learning or training is problem-centered. If you are training an adult learner (whether in a business or educational setting) it is essential to go beyond the concept and instruct the learner on how they can apply that concept to an issue or situation they are dealing with outside the learning environment. It is important to make training for adult learners relate to an issue affecting the community they are involved it. When you connect the concepts to their environment, the learner will have a better learning experience and will have a strong motivation towards the training (or education) they are experiencing.
If anyone has any other tips for helping the adult learner in the educational and business setting, please feel free to comment. I am sure we are all looking for tips to help us learn as we go.
Resources:
Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L. L. (2013). Adult learning: Linking theory and practice. John Wiley & Sons.
My role this week is of the Searcher
ReplyDeleteI found that the video Patricia posted https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLoPiHUZbEw as part of her reading summary gives in less than 9 minutes a great overview of what Androgogy is. After reading the chapter and Patricia's and Karen's postings, I noticed that including this resource was relevant because its content is clear, straight to the point, showing the most important information in regards of the six assumptions that Knowles proposed.
I found that the video added information that was not found in the chapter and was related to the history of the term "Androgogy". For me, it was interesting to add that the Yugoslavian adult educator Dusan Savicevic, who introduced the term to Knowles in 1967 (Merriam et al, 46), were familiar with the German educators, Alexander Kapp and Rosenstock. The source included by Patricia let us know that the term was already used in 1833! That was very interesting for me to know.
My role this week is as a responder
ReplyDeleteI like that you bring up the point that learning is almost always geared toward children and not adults. This fact gives us less knowledge on the best way to teach adults. I loved the assumption of characteristics of adult learners picture you put up on the blog. It put in my mind an idea of how an adult learner would learn and the things that go into an adult learning. The point about learning being problem centered was great. I think that it is great way for older teens to learn as well. Adults need to be plugged in to what is going on outside the classroom.
My role is as a Searcher this week.
ReplyDeleteYour blog listed Knowles’ six characteristics of adult learners. I liked the clip art showing the pillars. It tied all the information together quickly. It also appeals to those who are visual learners.
Motivation is one of Knowles’ characteristics. Everyone needs some encouragement and motivation when learning. It is addressed in detail in the following link: http://userpages.umbc.edu/~koconne1/605TheAdultLearner/strategies.htm
This link provide a multitude of creative ideas and examples to consider using when motivating adult learners.
I expect my students to actively participate in my class. I have never considered creating participation guidelines. The above website offers some example rules like listening, keep an open mind on other perspectives, do not blame, and speaking from your own experience.
It also suggest the K-W-L strategy. One begins by inquiring as to what the students think they Know about a subject. Followed by asking what the students Want to know. Then posing the question as to what they believe they have Learned. I would either write their responses up on a white board or use a document projector to record their responses on paper. This activity would not slow down the presentation of required materials. It would affirm your interest in the student’s learning and provide the instructor with instant feedback. Since time is usually quite short, this would be invaluable when teaching a continued education or business type course.
Assessment is also part of motivation. Tying the assessment to a real, industry related task or skill is crucial in technical training.