Compare Traditional And Adult Learners

Most people have a learning style that mirrors how they were taught when they were younger. It should be noted that there is not a one size fits all method when it comes to learning. The key to being able to appeal to each of the different generations is to offer diversity in teaching styles in order to satisfy the different preferences. As of now, there are four generations that are in the workforce and those four generations are: The Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and the Millennials. This paper will examine the characteristics of these four generations, how their learning styles differ, and what to provide to each group in order for their learning experience to be most rewarding.

Knowledge is not gathered and stored for a later time. In order to be a useful learning experience, there must be an immediate need. Merriam, Caffarella, and Baumgartner (2007) noted that, in Knowles' adult learning

Adult learning theory proposes that learners are responsible for their own learning and must be self-directed.

Adult learners have a higher internal motivation to learn, and they find an internal reward value for learning (Woods & Frogge, 2017). Adult learners want to achieve the learning objectives and to learn new skills, and traditional students are more focused on the grade that is earned (Woods & Frogge, 2017). Since adult learners work full-time and raise a family, they want a flexible schedule with their education courses (Woods & Frogge, 2017). Adult learners have a higher commitment to their studies compared to traditional students (Woods & Frogge, 2017). Adult learners have a real-life work experience that they want to relate to their education (Woods & Frogge, 2017). Adult learners have better time-management skills compared to traditional students (Woods & Frogge, 2017) and are more self-directed learners (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Adult learners want to know

Along with school, many adults also have other obstacles they face. They must also learn to balance family, work, and marriage life. Adult learners may actually perform better academically than traditional students despite having fewer sources of support outside of their educational institutions and more stressors (Osam, Bergman, & Cumberland, 2017). College bound adult learners face numerous situational hurdles, including finances, family life, health, work conflict, and transportation (Osam, Bergman & Cumberland, 2017). Achievement motivation involves two broad kinds of goals: learning goals (seeking to increase one’s competence, understanding, or mastery) and performance goals (seeking favorable judgements or avoiding negative judgements of one’s competence from others) (Remedios & Richardson, 2013). Adult learners know that their future depends on their success in school. They work hard, most of the time more than traditional students, to make their dreams come true. They sacrifice time with family and friends to put in the work to make their dreams a reality. When they accomplish their goals, they feel a sense of achievement because despite the many obstacles they had to face, they were successful in

Thinking and learning are social activities that are organized by the tools that are available during specific situations. The art of thinking is directly influenced by the learning venue where learning takes place. When a professor is educating an adult learner the professor should take into consideration learning styles, critical thinking skills and cultural objectives. The point of education is to make the theory and clinical fun and easy for the adult learner to grasp. Any theoretical model that will attempt to relate and explain adult learning in relation to an educational theory is necessary to have two fundamental elements, motivation and reflection.

Having reviewed Learning-Style Characteristics of Adult Learners, I've decided to discuss the emotional and sociological stimulus strands of the Dunn & Dunn Learning-Style Model. I intend to delve into the different qualifiers for each aforementioned strand, outlining what elements constitute emotional or sociological stimuli, and provide correlating personal insights. Also, I'd like to convey this information, not only as a tool for adults attending college, as something relative in various facets of life.

The six principals of adult learning are the )learner needs to know( 2) self-concept of the learner (3)prior experience of the learner( 4) readiness to learn(,5) orientation to learning and(6) motivation to learn .Learning is an active exercise, healthcare professionals prefer to learn independently and self-directed. Learner have control over their learning process. Adult learners use past experiences and present concerns and their role relevant to work, and family and to learning.

Malcolm Knowles pioneered the study of adult education. In Lee’s book, The adult learner: Neglected no more. Training. (Lee, 1998). The term Malcolm used to describe this form of study of adults is called androgyny. Some of the assumptions that Knowles studied were self-concept, experience, readiness to learn, orientation, and motivation to learning and relevance. Self-concepts refer to an individual who has moved from pedagogy to androgyny. Which mean, moving from an adolescent learner to an adult learner. In the pedagogy stage, learners are more extrinsic learners, having a teacher/ instructor tell you when, how, and what to learn then switches to intrinsic learning. The stage where the adult learner is at the stage of telling one’s self when, how, and what to learn, as long as it pertains to the expected outcome goals of said adult learner. Mostly these goals and outcomes are directly related to a job, relevance, and or personal improvement in life satisfaction and self. Knowles goes on to state that instead of being subject centered, the pedagogy learner, the adult learner becomes a problem centered learner, which he termed, orientation to learning. Knowles also discovered that during his research. Adults are motivated to learn, which translates to an internal

Adults enter into an educational activity with both a greater volume and a different quality of experience from their schooldays (Barer-Stein, 1993; Knowles, 2005).For adult learner, what they needed to know as school children is different from what they need and want now. As an adult educator it is necessary to overcome and devise strategies to help people become more open minded (Knowles 2005).; Adults often developed habits, preconceptions, prejudices and defensiveness from previous experiences which can hinder further learning (Lieb, 1991). The adult learner does not wait for readiness to learn, they already possess this quality.; This is an advantage for all educators., Adults do not learn for the sake of learning

There have been several theoretical approaches to adult learning which have proved to be beneficial for the research on adult learning. Some of the frameworks have helped researchers think about practices across various contexts of adult learning. Andragogy is arguably the best-known of these theoretical approaches. Malcolm Knowles is credited with bringing this framework to attention. Andragogy has been broadly debated by scholars, but still remains one of the most enduring and widely cited theories of adult learning (Merriam, 2001).When it comes to learning, andragogy assumes: adults need to know why they need to learn something; adults need to learn experientially; adults approach learning as problem-solving, and, adults learn best when the topic is of immediate value. These assumptions can be defined as theories of learning.

First is the assumption that as a person matures, their self-concept moves from a dependent personality towards more of a self-directing personality. (Merriam et al., 2007). At this point the learner is considered self-directed. The second assumption is that an adult accumulates a growing reservoir of experience, which is a rich resource for learning (Merriam et al., 2007). Basically, adults can utilize their experiences to influence themselves and others. Third, the readiness for an adult to learn is in close relation to the developmental tasks of the adult’s social role. (Clardy, 2005). This readiness to learn is a direct

It is important for the course writer to conceptualize the various adult learner assumptions that "support student centered concepts that allow the learner to participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of their own learning process" (Lewis, 2009, p. 39).

Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of adult learners enrolling in adult education programs. With this influx comes a significant need to change the methods by which instruction takes place within the classroom. Instructional leaders must have a clear understanding of

Over the course of this unit, I have managed to rethink with valuable details my own approach to understanding what an adult learner and an educator should aim for, what a well-designed course should look like and how to be on track to achieve your educational goals. At the beginning of the unit, my ideas on adult learning were mainly shaped by pure practice with little (that is insufficient) theoretical background. After the unit is finished, I feel I have grown as a person who values more important things now, and it is well evident in my weekly postings. Exploring adult education principles made me critically analyse how I position myself as an instructional designer and how it is highly valuable to reflect on your values and beliefs which, in turn, will “make you a more competent educator” (Kuziutkin, 2017f). Also, I learned how adults depend on self-directed learning, and that in-depth research should be done on peer-to-peer collaboration between adults before designing a course since “social networks and peer support influence their [adults’] emotional and educational guidance” (Kuziutkin, 2017d). Finally, it was extremely beneficial to think about associated with adult education social, economic and global changes and issues. Now, I can relate to the broad picture and see how education has evolved over the years, leading to potential benefits and challenges we may experience now. I find that learning about the