Cognitive Development of Adult Learners

The learning material should be relevant to their social positions and lifestyle, and because the learning material directly concerns their lives, they would want to be involved in the whole process – from the introduction of information to the outcome. Adult learners zero in to the elements that are of most relevance to their immediate needs and conditions. Those aspects that well give them the necessary knowledge and skill to resolve life-centered or problem-centered learning experiences.

Adult learning is having a clear picture of how adults learn and how this in turn affects the program planning process. Many adults are not sure about what they want to do with their lives after high school. There are many programs that will help you to decided, what you want to do with your life. This is where adult education programs can help you decided on the importance of education. There are three content areas that connects with adult learning and planning education within the adult. Knowles state that the adult learner, learns from their experiences. Experiences is how adults live their everyday lives and make concise

Adults are motivated entirely different in the way they learn. Adults are motivated to learn for various reasons such as professional development, potential advancement at work or simply continuing to improve ones lives, as one gets older. However, it is but practical to consider the ideas on how adults are motivated to learn, what principles of learning works, so that adult educators could likewise respond appropriately.

"The resource of highest value in adult education is the learner's experience. Therefore all genuine education will keep doing and thinking together"¦experience is the adult earner's living textbook," so said Edward Linderman in his work The Meaning of Adult Education. For generations, education has tended to shy away from experience-based learning in favor of more structured models. However, utilizing experience within the process of education is still a powerful tool for instructors of students of all ages. Adult education students can benefit the most, as they already have a wealth of experiences and resources to bank on in their quest to adopt new learning into what they already knew and experienced. Therefore, it is true that within the context of the adult learner, experience is one of the most crucial learning resources.

Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education from pedagogy to andragogy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Cambridge Adult Education.

Adult Education is the practice and teaching of adults. The purpose of adult education is to significantly help humankind by properly preparing adults to more effectively, efficaciously, realistically, and wisely line the epochal markers in earthly existence. Lindeman believed it is a broad and grand purpose. Adult education is implemented for a purpose and takes place in a formal, organized setting. The adult learning process can take place in a classroom, the workplace, college or university. There are various reasons why one may choose to become an adult

When did adult learning begin to take a stance in the field of Education? Adult Learning started to be considered a professional career in the early 1920 's. The basis of the adult Learning method cannot be summed into only one Theory of how Adults Learn . We can however, note the similarities and differences of adult learning based on relevant information that compares and contrasts how individuals act and react to different theories . Many different theories exist in the Adult learning world although there are two theories that will be compared. These theorists are, Malcolm Knowles and David Kolb. Although differing in theory Knowles and Kolb bring uniquely different insight to the Adult Education world. Exactly what is the Adult learning theory ?

The goal of adult learning is to advance knowledge and proficiency, and to enhance performance by transferring knowledge directly to work

Today's workers need to prepare with continuous job training, growth and development. Given the increased age, experiences and diverse lifestyles of the working population, it is understandable that adult education practices must move beyond the traditional model of teachers and learners, while new skills, working with local companies to match their needs and sending staff into factories and other workplaces to spread the word about state and federal retraining assistance. While trying to decide how to rebuild your life after loss of employment and lack of job opportunities following the current recession, or devastated from a divorce? Adult students faced with other struggles; studies have shown that older adult students face different hurdles, family problems, and poor self-image. These along with poor time management, weaker academic preparation and a need for remediation an increased focus on adult learners and their needs can help. (armour)

Are people too stubborn and independent to learn once they become adults? The Adult Learning Theory focuses on the difference between how adults learn and how children learn. There are three main central ideas that support the Adult Learning Theory. These ideas or theories are known as andragogy, self-directed learning, and transformational learning. Andragogy is the teaching of adults, self-directed learning is the individual controlling their learning, and transformational learning is the individual learning from life experiences.

I believe that the purpose of adult education programs is to foster the growth of the non-traditional student population. Students who have either been displaced or chosen to return to college for a variety of reasons. It is critical that we, as instructors and administrators, realize that each of these students may learn in a different manner. We must take into account known strategies such as Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences as we design and deliver courses within our chosen fields. I for one am primarily a very kinesthetic learner, and learn

ADULT LEARNING THEORY 3 significant mentors in his life—Eduard Lindeman. By reading Lindeman’s Meaning of Adult Education, he obtained a profound understanding of adult education, which later became his source of inspiration and concepts. Major Works In 1943, Knowles was recruited into the Navy, and began to read extensively in the field of adult education, which contributed to his final decision to undertake a master’s program at the University of Chicago (Smith, 2002). His adviser at the University of Chicago was Cyril O. Houle, who had been a role model in rigorous learning for Knowles. Carl Rogers, “the founder of 'client-centered' or 'non-directive' therapy” (Smith, 2004, para. 1), and Arthur Shedlin, an associate of Rogers, had also exerted a great influence on Knowles—he began to consider learning as an exciting incident. In 1949, Knowles gained his Master’s degree and published his first book Informal Adult Education, which was also his master thesis (Smith, 2002). In 1951, he became “executive director of the newly formed Adult Education Association. ” and also “attended a couple of summer sessions of the National Training Laboratories in 1952 and 1954” (Smith, 2002, para. 7). The founders of the labs—Kenneth Benne, Leland Bradford, Ronald Lippett and Kurt Lewin—consequently impacted Malcolm and his wife, Hulda, who co-authored books on leadership (1955) and

Adult learners use their life experiences and knowledge to make connections which allows adults to have a better understanding of a specific concept. " Adults have lived longer, seen and done more, have the tendency to link their past experiences to anything new and validate new concepts based on prior learning" (Pappas, 2013). As a teacher, I am constantly asking my students to make connections so they can relate to what they are reading or learning about in class. This is a skill. Adult learners have had the time to develop this skill and master it. This is yet another concept children must learn so they can use it in their adult life to effectively learn.

Adult learning is the acquisition of knowledge by adults. Theories on adult learning have been discoursed and analyzed thoroughly by different people, with the aim of trying to define it and optimize it. The two articles I have read describe adult learning, discuss its characteristics and explain various approaches and means of optimization of this subject.

My impression of adult education has changed immensely. First and foremost, the first lesson learned that teaching adults are a separate, intensive, and long debated process. Portions of certain theories learned illustrated below. I have extended knowledge about Meizrow (Transformational Learning) and Knowles (Andragogy). The six key features of Adult Learners are: