Transcript Adult Education Principles and Practices

Adult Education Principles and
Practices
Adult Learning is Life-long
learning
Presentation Objectives
By the end of this presentation, you
should be able to:
• describe the principles of adult
learning;
• Explain what experiential learning;
• Describe the elements of adult
learning.
Characteristics of Adult Learning
The field of adult learning was pioneered by
Malcolm Knowles. He identified the following
characteristics of adult learners:
Adults are autonomous and self-directed.
Adults should be challenged to move to
increasingly advanced stages of personal
development.
Adults are most interested in learning
subjects that have immediate relevance to
their job or personal life.
Characteristics of Adult Learning
Adults have accumulated a foundation of
life experiences and knowledge that may
include work-related activities, family
responsibilities, and previous education.
Adult learning should capitalize on the
experience of participants.
Adult learning is problem-centered rather
than content-oriented.
Characteristics of Adult Learning
Adults are goal-oriented
Adults are relevancy-oriented.
Adults are practical, focusing on the
aspects of a lesson most useful to them
in their work.
Adults need to be involved in the planning
and evaluation of their instruction.
Experience (including mistakes) provides
the basis for learning activities.
Motivating the Adult Learner
At least six factors serve as sources of motivation
for adult learning:
Social relationships: to make new friends, to
meet a need for associations and friendships.
External expectations: to comply with
instructions from someone else; to fulfill the
expectations or recommendations of someone
with formal authority.
Social welfare: to improve ability to serve
mankind, prepare for service to the community,
and improve ability to participate in community
work.
Motivating the Adult Learner
Personal advancement: to achieve higher
status in a job, secure professional
advancement, and stay abreast of competitors.
Escape/Stimulation: to relieve boredom,
provide a break in the routine of home or work,
and provide a contrast to other exacting details
of life.
Cognitive interest: to learn for the sake of
learning, seek knowledge for its own sake, and
to satisfy an inquiring mind.
Experiential Learning
Rogers distinguished two types of learning:
cognitive (objective) and experiential
(significant) .
Experiential learning addresses the needs
and wants of the learner.
The qualities of experiential learning are:
personal involvement, self-initiated,
evaluated by learner, and has pervasive
effects on learner.
Experiential Learning
Experiential learning is integral to personal
change and growth.
The role of the facilitator is to ensure such
learning occurs. This includes:
• setting a positive climate for learning;
• clarifying the purposes of learning;
• organizing and making learning resources
available;
• balancing intellectual and emotional
components of learning;
• sharing feelings and thoughts with learners
but not dominating.
Experiential Learning
According to Rogers, learning is facilitated
when:
• the student participates completely in the
learning process and has control over its
nature and direction;
• it is primarily based upon direct
confrontation with practical, social,
personal or research problems;
• self-evaluation is the principal method of
assessing progress or success.
Rogers also emphasizes the importance of
learning to learn and an openness to
change.
Experiential Learning
Significant learning takes place when the subject matter is
relevant to the personal interests of the student .
Learning which is threatening to the self (e.g., new attitudes or
perspectives) are more easily assimilated when external
threats are at a minimum .
Learning proceeds faster when the threat to the self is low .
Self-initiated learning is the most lasting and pervasive.
Adults will commit to learning when the goals and objectives
are considered realistic and important to them. Application
in the 'real world' is important and relevant to the adult
learner's personal and professional needs.
Experiential Learning
Adults need to receive feedback on how they are
doing and the results of their efforts.
Opportunities must be built into professional
development activities that allow the learner to
practice the learning and receive structured,
helpful feedback.
Adults need to participate in small-group
activities during the learning to move them
beyond understanding to application, analysis,
synthesis, and evaluation.
Small-group activities provide an opportunity to
share, reflect, and generalize their learning
experiences.
Elements of Adult Learning
There are four critical elements of
learning that must be addressed to
ensure that adults learn. These
elements are:
•
motivation
•
reinforcement
•
retention
•
transference
Elements of Adult Learning
Motivation
Facilitators must establish rapport with
participants and prepare them for
learning; this provides motivation. They
can motivate learners by setting:
• a feeling or tone for learning.
• an appropriate level of difficulty.
In addition, learners need feedback. They
must also see a reward for learning.
Elements of Adult Learning
Reinforcement
Reinforcement is a very necessary part of
the teaching/learning process; through it,
facilitators encourage correct modes of
behavior and performance.
When learners are trying to change
behaviors (old practices), both positive
and negative reinforcement are needed.
Elements of Adult Learning
Retention
Learners must retain information in order to
benefit from the learning. Therefore they must
see a meaning or purpose for that information.
They must also understand and be able to
interpret and apply the information.
If learners did not learn the material well initially,
they will not retain it well either.
Retention by the participants is directly affected
by the amount of practice during the learning.
Instructors should emphasize retention and
application. After learners demonstrate correct
(desired) performance, they should be urged to
practice to maintain it.
Elements of Adult Learning
Transference
The transfer of learning is the result of training -- it
is the ability to use the information taught in the
course but in a new setting.
Transference is most likely to occur in the following
situations:
• Association
• Similarity
• Degree of original learning
• Critical attribute element