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Some
Current Concepts Applied in Teaching Adult Learners.
"Adult learning: Also called andragogy, ... differs from pedagogy in that the learner has an
important voice in determining the educational content,
prioritization, and learning method. As such, learner-centeredness
(as opposed to teacher-centeredness) is an important element. (Practical
Tips for Self-Directed Learning, Kurt Kroenke, MD)"
For an overview on some
of the pioneer work done on the field of andragogy, review "On
Malcolm Knowles "http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm
(Smith, M. K. (2002)
For research on Adult
Education Topics, examine the National Center or the Study of Adult
Learning and Literacy site:
http://www.ncsall.net/ .
Scroll down the page
or click on individual items below.
Intro
| Learning
Contracts | Learning Styles |
Multiple
Intelligences | Focus on Strengths
Adults want to
learn fast, and their learning is often directed to meeting a
specific goal (whether they can readily define it or not). They tend
to be impatient with themselves and with those who teach them unless
their progress is obvious and fast-paced. We can't teach everything
to everyone who comes to us, but we can teach our students how to
learn and assume control of their own learning.
What are we
discovering about how to guide adults more effectively and rapidly
toward meeting their goals?
1.
We can involve adult learners in the process of designing and
processing learning segments.
This
practice also matches the intent of the
NRS
requirement that progress be assessed according to student-defined
goals ("School" is over. Let's start working on life.)
Learning
contracts are becoming more and more common in higher
education, but one of their pioneers was an adult educator.
"The learning
contract is a written plan that describes what an individual will
learn as a result of some specified learning activity. It serves
as a tool for promoting self-directed learning. These contracts
have been used to help respond to the varying needs and
backgrounds of learners. (Brockett & Hiemstra, 1985).
According to Knowles, learning contracts consist of five major
components:
-
Learning
objectives;
-
Learning
resources;
-
Date to be
completed;
-
Evidence of
accomplishment;
-
Criteria and
means for evaluating evidence."
(http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/sbarnett/edpsy399/contracts.html)
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TOP
2.
We can help adult learners assess and understand how they learn
best. So much instruction is geared to linguistic, auditory
learners. We can add many ways of introducing topics in order to
include the 70% of our population that learns in other ways!
Learning
Styles (How we "take in" information through
the senses)
Multiple
Intelligences (How we process and integrate information
once we "take it in.")
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3. We can support learning experiences to
reinforce their strengths and strengthen their weaknesses.
Some students, most adult education
students, in fact, are not linguistic or mathematical (logical)
learners. They need visual representations, sounds, and non-threatening
interaction.Technology is a great tool for individualizing instruction
in a classroom context.
Focus
on Basics, "Technology Melts
Classroom Walls,"
Susan Cowles
Review of Adult
Learning and Literacy, A Project of the National Center for the
Study of Adult Learning and Literacy
http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html
- Take a quick test to find your preferred intelligences - your
strengths!