Online Learning And The Adult Learner

The vast majority of employees seeking upward mobility within the workplace often pursue education as the most effective means of achieving these goals. (Kim and Baker, 2015). The adult student does not receive the same benefits as a traditional student on campus. The adult students apply for financial aid and qualify for student loans. The traditional students qualify for scholarships and grants. The adult student gave that the majority of adult learners are likely employed, their opportunity costs compared to those of a traditional student have substantially different aspects. (Kim and Baker, 2015). Adult learners’ educational pursuits are largely job-related, while conversely, traditional students’ jobs are not related to their field of study. (Kim and Baker,

In an effort to determine how adults learn, experts examine and evaluate studies that have been done that involve the adult learner. The more that experts understand how the learner processes information, the better the understanding will be on how to structure their learning environment. Research is continually changing in this area, and educators know there are differences in how each adult learner attains information. In the two articles, “Adult Learning Theory for the Twenty-First Century” by Sharan B. Merriam, and “Adult Learning Theory: Applications to Non-Traditional College Students” by Kenner and Weinerman, different theories are discussed.

Looking at learning theories through two different views was interesting. In the article, Revisiting Adult Learning Theory through the Lens of an Adult Learner, it was the basic guidelines and idea of adult learning theories. In the article, Revisiting Adult Learning Theory through the Lens of an Adult Learner, the article was written from the view of an adult student and covered what some of the first article had addressed. Author discussed about how some adult learners make their own learning theories. Also, saw some of the pressures that adult students can be faced with and they were addressed in the article. It was about how some adult learners make their own learning theories some of the pressures

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

Knowles posits that adult learners are self directed and autonomous. They are goal oriented, practical and must see and understand the relevance of any training. Adults bring an abundance of experience and knowledge, experiential learning, with them. Most importantly, “…adults need to be shown respect.” (Lieb)

Over the last decade there has been a steady rise in college and university enrollments. The vast majority of the enrollees are from the 25 to 40 age bracket, and this trend is only expected to continue into the foreseeable future. The trend has been recognized and embraced by colleges and universities all of the country, and as a result the traditional educational methodologies have been adapted to accommodate the adult learners of today.

The Adult Learning Theory is based on understanding how adults learn and how they respond to the program in general. Researchers have found three key methods on how adults learn: experiential learning, transformational learning, and non-Western and Indigenous ways of knowing and learning (CITE). In Experiential Learning, adults learn through the experiences they have lived. Transformational Learning, on the other hand, is a “process in which adult learners question their own lives and how they interact with the world in which they live in” (CITE). Thus meaning that adults learn through situations that challenge their own thoughts about something and makes them reevaluate their original thought process. Lastly, Non-Western and Indigenous ways of knowing and learning is a bit complicated in adult learning as it is hard to find ways to categorize it. Despite the difficulty, there are four reoccurring themes in Non-Western and Indigenous learning: Communal nature of learning, the oneness of learners with the natural world, the oral tradition of learning, and knowledge as holistic (CITE). Further elaboration on this type of adult learning reflects on understanding cultural differences and the value of

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)

Computer-based instruction, or CBI, is widely used to deliver content to learners of all ages. Although this form of instructional delivery has become nearly ubiquitous, levels of effectiveness of CBI vary, particularly when considering computer-based instruction for adults. In 2005, researchers Janis Lowe and Elwood Holton, III developed a theory regarding the elements necessary for an effective CBI experience with adult learners and then drew five conclusions based on their investigation. Lowe and Holton (2005) acknowledged a need for both external support and instructional support if an adult learner’s CBI experience will be deemed positive. Of their five conclusions, this one was of particular interest to me based on the different computer-based instruction experiences I have had.

When you look at our society and how obtaining a secondary education has become so vital and such a big business today, it is easy to understand why institutions of higher learning have placed a lot of time and money into understanding how adults learn. Since our start in school as young children there has been and always will be a high importance placed on our learning. The same applies as adults but we want to be the masters of this. As young children we go to school simply because our parents and society tells us that we are going to go to school. As adults we have a choice about this and when you think about it

Adult Education and Lifelong Learning: Theory and Practice (p. 107). Taylor and Francis. Learning is more beneficial when the student is able to associate the new knowledge to previous life experiences. However this all depends on their socioeconomic background as well as their cognitive development. Adult learners have a variety of life experiences and prior knowledge from work, school, family, and community involvements. Therefore the adult’s learner’s prior life experience needs to be taken into consideration during their learning process. Which is the big difference between adult and children learning. As children’s life experiences are not as much as the adults. Unlike adults the child learners are not aware of the connection being made between the new information being learned and their previous

The article written by Kenner et al, "Adult learning theory: applications to non-traditional college students", provides a more comprehensive and less stratified look at the phenomenon of pursuing higher education as an adult. This piece

The fourth, and final emotional challenge faced by adult learners that Kasworm discusses, is “gaining a place, a position, a voice, and a related sense of valued self in the cultural worlds of higher education” (Kasworm). It’s hard for adults to socially negotiate the expected demands in relation to the college setting. They have to figure out how they, as an adult, fit into that traditional college student role, which can be very challenging due to the large gap in cultural and social

One of the main theories of adult education comes from Malcolm Knowles who is often credited for putting adult education and adult learning at the forefront because of the researches he did on the topic and many papers and books he wrote about it. His idea of how adults learn was based on five basic principles. These first is that the motivation for adults to learn is more intrinsic as they may have greater self esteem or need to learn to achieve a better quality of life. The second is that adults are more experienced and that experience can be useful in the learning process as it is a form of resource. The third is “self-concept: As a person matures his self concept moves from one of being a dependent personality toward one of being a self-directed human being[5]” meaning adults are independent and will not rely on instructor for everything. The fourth is that there is an increased readiness to learn information that may prove useful in their daily lives and fifth, adult become more task or problem solving oriented instead of learning by subject matter. The principles of how adults learn are presented in a way

Education has undergone significant changes because of the development of information and communication technology over the 21st century (Lin & Jou, 2012:2). As a convenient and inexpensive way to gain knowledge while pursuing higher education, online learning, a form of training or teaching that takes place over the Internet, has been considered as an alternative to traditional classroom learning (Zhang et al, 2004). This essay will argue that even though online learning has benefit such as flexibility which could outweigh traditional learning, traditional classroom learning might still not be entirely replaced. This essay will discuss positive and negative aspects of online and traditional learning in terms of four criteria: