Teaching Adults : Teaching Learning

The elderly population in the community has some areas that they need to overcome to be a successful learner. The limitations of the teaching and learning identified the following barriers.

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.

As an individual responsible for training or educating adult learners your feedback from those students or participants is sometimes lacking. In a training environment many participants treat them very loosely because there are no consequential test following the training and most times there is very debriefing from direct supervision; instead meeting notes tend to follow for reference. The location of those notes tend to be the most important information to the participants. In contrast, the lecture hall in an educational setting tends to have a greater percentage of engaged attendants. Students tend to participate more due to sense that is actually a part of their grade. Dr. Geis did admit that online does have less engagement than the traditional classroom but still greater than a corporate training session. In the en it was concluded that personal interaction has more engagement; however, students have a much greater retention and expectation from teaching or training.

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

Traditionally adult learners are students who are pursuing education in either, college (undergraduate or graduate degrees), vocational or occupational programs, continuing education or noncredit courses, correspondence courses and tutoring, as well as courses and other educational activities provided by employers, community groups, and other providers ("Adult Learner," 2012). The average age of an adult learner is 25 years or older, it usually is a diverse group of people ("Adult Learner," 2012). These adult learners can be an independent student, employed full time, a person with dependents,

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.

When looking back on high school, I realize that I typically learned more from teachers who made their classes interesting. By doing so, these educators utilized student interest as method of building a desire to learn. They camouflaged learning in the colors of discussion, making it seem as though we simply were carrying on a normal discourse. But each class inevitably resulted in the acquisition of a better understanding of the subject material. As a student, I found myself wanting to go to these classes. The teachers who conducted these courses made education seem enjoyable and thus created in students a desire to engage in further learning. As a future educator, I would like my class to operate in a similar manner. I want my class to be one that students look forward to attending. Mine will be an intellectually open classroom environment—one in which

Knowles, M., Holton, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2005). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Elseveir.

It is common for adults to continue learning after completing secondary education. Whether it is work related, self-improvement, or newfound interest in a particular area, continuation of learning and education are common experience for most adults. There are courses and training facilities widely available for adults, however is not immediately apparent how the educational experience can best be organized and delivered to the adult learner. Adult learning has been described as a separate entity to the tradition

Specifically, adult student persistence is effectively influenced by four pillars of support: (a) the extent to which students are able to manage positive and negative forces, (b) support from a school 's staff for students ' sense of self-efficacy, (c) established realistic and attainable educational goals, and (d) the opportunity to assess progress toward those established goals (Comings, Parrella, & Soricone, 1999). Also important to adult education completion is the nature of interactions among students and staff. In a study of 600 literacy and numeracy students in Scotland, Tett, and Maclachlan (2007) found that learners who networked with other students and who interacted with their teachers had a more robust learning experience and generally demonstrated more positive life changes. Kegan et al. (2001) connected learning content and skills with complex meaning systems that are conceptually grounded in the idea that adults develop their reality and beliefs over time through a socializing process that occurs in and outside the classroom. After studying the developmental changes in 41 learners at three adult learning centers over period of 9-14 months, they concluded that adult learners change in a variety of ways that allow them to consolidate and elaborate their skills, knowledge, perspectives, and beliefs. The positive effect of adult education on learners is established in the literature. Kegan et al.

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.

"Those who take the initiative learn more and better than those waiting to be taught" (Gibbs, 2010). Adult learning is primarily driven by goals. Pappas (2013) mentions the concept of motivation. Adults are motivated to set goals so they can improve job skills and achieve professional growth. I am passionate about learning and feel one quality of being a great teacher is to be a lifelong learner. That being said, I also strive to learn more so I can be the best at what I do. This is a personal goal. There are many professional development opportunities offered in my district, but they are not enough for what I want to achieve.

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:

- Adults in some ways are easy to teach because they have a high degree of extrinsic motivation. They make the choice of taking English classes and sometimes they make a financial commitment to their learning.