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