Post on 24-Feb-2016
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The Adult Education ChallengeHighlights from the literature
Dr. Arnold T. Hence
Adults:Are goal orientedAre autonomous and self directed Have accumulated a foundation of life
experiencesAre relevancy orientedNeed to be shown respect
Principles of Adult LearningStephen Lieb
Jane Vella’s 12 PrinciplesNeeds assessment: Learners need to
participate in naming what’s to be learnedSafety: People need safe environments in
which to trust themselves to dialogue esp if it may be intentionally transformational
Sound relationship: Friendship but not dependency, fun w/o trivialization of learning
Principles of Adult Learning
dialogue between men and women who consider themselves as peers.
Sequence and reinforcement: Move from small to big, slow to fast, easy to hard
Action with reflection (praxis) Description, analysis, application, implication
Learners as subjects of their own learning: Decision makers in their own learning process.
Vella
Learning with ideas, feelings and actions Immediacy: Learning and teaching what is
really useful in a particular contextClear roles: What are you expected to be
(professor, mentor, decision-maker, etc)Teamwork: What kinds are expected in your
institutional setting, classroom etc?Engagement: Helping learners express
interest and invest in a learning event
Vella
Accountability: You are accountable to the students and they are accountable to you. Ascertain that learning occurs.
Teach what you proposed to teach, make sure they learn what they were supposed to learn and can demonstrate it.
Measurable learning outcomes and assessment
Vella
The Forsyth Tech Learning Centered College Initiative
College wide training in developing and writing measurable outcomes
Mapped all programsAssessmentReady for upcoming SACS visit
Learning Centered College
The Learning College creates substantive change in individual learners
The Learning College engages learners in the learning process as full partners who must assume primary responsibility for their own choices
The Learning College creates and offers as many options for learning as possible
Six Learning Principles
The Learning College helps learners to form and participate in collaborative learning activities
The Learning College defines the roles of learning facilitators in response to the needs of the learners
The Learning College and its learning facilitators succeed only when improved and expanded can be documented for learners
Six Learning Principles
Create and nurture an organizational culture that is open and responsive to change and learning
Seventh Learning Principle
Food for thought on curriculum development(Derived from Malcolm Knowles)
Pedagogy (“child conductor” in the Greek) does not always fit the needs of the adult learner
Andragogy (the art and science of helping adults learn) provides a better model.
A problem/project orientation; experienced based techniques; facilitation of self motivation to encourage learning
Andragogy For Adult Learners in Higher Education-
Thompson & Deis
A student moves from being dependent to being self directed
Students accumulate a growing reservoir of experience that becomes an increasing resource for learning
Student’s readiness to learn becomes oriented increasingly toward the development tasks of his/her social role
Student’s time perspective changes from postponed application of knowledge to immediate application.
The orientation toward learning shifts from subject centered to problem-centered
New models for learning must be developed based on andragogy
Thompson and Deis--cont
AdultsBring prior experience and knowledge with
them. Validate where they are; create allies, not pupils
Want to know what’s in it for themEnjoy speaking to each other not just
listening to you talkLike to feel like an active part of the
learning process
Adult Learning Theory
AdultsExpect to be respectedEnjoy active learning, small group exercises
and moving around the roomExpect to be able to use what they learn
immediatelyLearn and different speeds and thru
different methodsNeed feedback and constructive criticism:
Don’t tear ‘em down—build ‘em up
Adult Learning Theory