Theory and Practice

Learning in Adulthood

Fall, 2006

The Role of Theory

Understand experience

Different points of view

Guide practice

Learning Variables

X + Y + Z = learning

Theory populates the variables

Three Factors

Learner

Context

Process

Learner

Adulthood Experience

Nature of the experience Development

How affects learning Aging

Memory

Focus on the Individual

Context

In-dependence Freedom of choice Bounds

Home and School Work, Family, Community

Learning connects with usefulness to context Learning with everybody

Process

Fewer differences Speed Meaningfulness

Internal motivation

Cognitive or context? Additive vs. Transformative? Problem Finding

Access

Learning as institutional norm

Just in time training

eLearning

Distance learning

Relating Knowledge & Practice

Adults learning differently than children

A knowledge base informs practice

Change intuitive action to reflection

Theory and Practice are one

Return to iPod exercise

You volunteer for a local library, helping them with training needs. The library has recently purchased iPods as a way to deliver books on tape. You have been asked to develop educational materials for this technology. Your target population are residents of the local retirement home, large users of the books on tape program. How do you approach this problem?

Apply Theory

Account for Learner Context Process

Develop a list of learning objectives

Learning Objectives

Observable task learner performs Conditions utilized to perform task Criteria that measures success

Example At the end of the course, the learner will be able

to process three sample customer orders within fifteen minutes without any errors.

http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/ads/

Personal Transformation

The company you work for has just been acquired by a multi-national corporation. Your department has been declared redundant, and you have one month’s notice. You will be receiving a six-month full salary severance package. What will you do?

Next Week

Sign up for a day Prepare a short overview of your work

Learner Context Process