Exploring The Foundation Knowledge Of Program Planning

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.

The theory of adult learning is the assumptions about how adults learn. Emphasizes the value of the process of learning in adults ("Adult Learning Theory," 2007). Malcom Knowles and American practitioner and theorist of adult education defined is as an art and science of helping adults learn ("Adult Learning Theory," 2007). Knowles also defined six adult learning principles as adults are internally motivated and self-directed, adults bring life experiences and knowledge to learning experiences and are goal orientated. They also relevancy oriented and are practical learners who like to be respected when in the classroom ("Adult Learning Theory," 2007). As educators, we need to foster the adult learner’s internal motivation to learn. Develop a rapport with the adult learner, encourage them to ask questions and explore concepts. Some adult learners come with years of experience and knowledge, with this as an instructor or teacher we need to harvest this information and have them apply it to their

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

The adult learning theory Also known as andragogy is the concept of Adult learning as a science in the field of education. Created by Malcolm Knowles , the theory is comprised of four different concepts. A fifth concept was later added by Knowles. within these different concepts, Knowles set forth compilation of expectations for educators within the Adult Education community. Firstly, he suggests setting a corporative climate in the classroom for learning. (Knowles, 1984, p.76) An assessment of the learners needs and a compilation of objectives and educational activities to help learner reach needs

Jeff Zacharakis, Marie Steichen, and Gabriela Diaz de Sabates, Kansas State University Dianne Glass, Kansas Board of Regents

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)

Thank you for sharing an insightful post. It seems that Malcolm Knowles’ Model is suitable for all courses of study that are comprised of adult learners. Program planner must understand the aspects of the learner needs prior to establishing guidelines for their material. Whether program planners are novices or experts it is vital for them to have a working knowledge base related to learning in adulthood, cultural differences, building relationships, power and negotiations, and technology which can be obtained using Malcolm Knowles’ Model (Caffarella & Daffron, 2013). Would you agree with this statement?

Deciding to attend school as an adult learner, is by far the most challenging obstacle an adult learner can do. Adults looking to advice in their education or their career look to attend school to achieve their goals. It is a demanding, daunting task to figuring out just what you want to study, where you want to study at, and how to attend classes. With so many options available today, where do you begin? Knowing the options can truly make choosing a school, program, or way to attend classes an enjoyable decision.

Deputy Sheriff, training officer, instructor, adjunct faculty, these are but a few of the hats that I wear in my daily interactions within the world of Adult Education. As a veteran law enforcement officer I was first introduced to adult education, after several years I would find myself on the other side of the podium. After serving as a field training officer for rookie’s graduation from Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) I would take on the additional role of teaching in the BLET program itself. The route I have followed to adult education is unique and non-traditional compared to my peers within the EdS program here at Appalachian State University. I have completed both my Bachelors and Masters degrees as an adult within the past ten years while working full-time. I currently teach several blocks of the BLET program as well as several sections of the Student Success course on the campus of Davidson County Community College.

Throughout the life span, developmental stages of each individual greatly differ. Dealing with the prospective of young adulthood as well as an older adult, many factors exist that can lead to an effective teaching plan. While interviewing the younger and older adults, there were similarities as well as differentiation between the two ages, which is seen through their goals, outcomes, developmental stages, communication, and information that was given.

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

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:

This Digest describes a selection of adult education approaches to helping individuals negotiate the curriculum of life challenges.

The first question asks what philosophical approach is best when speaking of adult learning. More specifically, the question is how to get the best results for highest amount of students. Obviously, some students are slower to engage than others and for a litany of reasons. However, most students want to be involved and immerse themselves in what they need to know. The question is how to do exactly that. The University of Vermont lists several different philosophical approaches in a report they issued and the most attractive is the progressive approach. This approach focuses on giving students problem solving skills and practical knowledge they will actually use. This is a key element of any good adult learning setup because the knowledge the college bestows needs to be tangible and easy to apply to real life. If the information is more abstract and/or general, its application to real life will be hard to harness. The same Vermont report also speaks of humanistic adult education, which focuses on self-actualization, which is also important (Spurgeon & Moore, 1994).