Presenred by Amal abdel monem

Definition What

is adult learning? Definition of andragogy and pedagogy

OF ADULT LEARNING Motivating the Adult Learner Barriers and Motivation Differences between adults and children as learners PRINCIPLES OF ADULT LEARNING ADULT LEARNING STYLES

Adult learning is any "post-compulsory" learning. Other terms used for Adult Learning are "Life-long Learning" and "Continuing Education". Adult learning is a broad term that can comprise formal college education; job related training community education, or self improvement .

Adult learning is vital in today's changing world where the facts and approaches we learned in our formal education are obsolete within a few years. Life-long learning has visible economic implications, contributes to the growth of society, helps bring about change, and improves the quality of life for the individual.

Its

been said that adult learning is all about change change in attitude, change in knowledge, change in behavior, change in a skill, change in how we think, and change in productivity

Since the first adult learning theory was developed it has been argued that adults learn differently because, among other things, they bring with them experiences that children don't
.

(how adult learn) differs from Pedagogy (how children learn) in that pedagogy does not address prior experiences To this extent we can say that they are different, however, even with young learners andragogical or a mix of andragogicalpedagogical approaches, work better than purely pedagogical ones. The reason for this is simple; we retain and understand better those things that relate to our experience or real world situations.

Knowles

coined the term andragogy but he evolved in his views as can be seen in the table below. His most recent conclusion is that the use of andragogical and pedagogical principles is to be determined by the situation and not the age of the learner.

Andargogy 1970

The art and science of Pedagogy is not always helping adults learn appropriate for teaching adults on the basis of crucial assumptions about adult learners that are different from those of child learners A model of assumptions about all learners to be used alongside the pedagogical model. The choice of which model to use depends upon the situation rather than solely upon whether the learner is an adult or a child.

Andragogy 1980

 (andr

- 'man'), contrasted with pedagogy, means "the art and science of helping adults Knowles labeled andragogy as an emerging technology which facilitates the development and implementation of learning activities for adults. This emerging technology is based on five andragogical assumptions of the adult learner

 1-Self-Concept:

As a person matures, he or she moves from dependency to selfdirectness. 2-Experience: Adults draw upon their experiences to aid their learning. 3-Readiness: The learning readiness of adults is closely related to the assumption of new social roles. 4- Orientation: As a person learns new knowledge, he or she wants to apply it immediately in problem solving.

 5-Motivation

(Later added): As a person matures, he or she receives their motivation to learn from internal factors

1-Adults

are autonomous and selfdirected. They need to be free to direct

They should allow the participants to assume responsibility for presentations and group leadership. They have to be sure to act as facilitators, guiding participants to their own knowledge rather than supplying them with facts. Finally, they must show participants how the class will help them reach their goals.

 that

may include work-related activities, family responsibilities, and previous education. They need to connect learning to this knowledge/experience base. To help them do so, they should draw out participants' experience and knowledge which is relevant to the topic. They must relate theories and concepts to the participants and recognize the value of experience in learning.

 Upon

enrolling in a course, they usually know what goal they want to attain. They, therefore, appreciate an educational program that is organized and has clearly defined elements. Instructors must show participants how this class will help them attain their goals. This classification of goals and course objectives must be done early in the course.

 They

must see a reason for learning something. Learning has to be applicable to their work or other responsibilities to be of value to them. Therefore, instructors must identify objectives for adult participants before the course begins. This means, also, that theories and concepts must be related to a setting familiar to participants. This need can be fulfilled by letting participants choose projects that reflect their own interests.

 focusing

on the aspects of a lesson most useful to them in their work. They may not be interested in knowledge for its own sake. Instructors must tell participants explicitly how the lesson will be useful to them on the job.

 adults

need to be shown respect. Instructors must acknowledge the wealth of experiences that adult participants bring to the classroom. These adults should be treated as equals in experience and knowledge and allowed to voice their opinions freely in class.

 Another

aspect of adult learning is motivation. At least six factors serve as sources of motivation for adult learning: 1- Social relationships: to make new friends, to meet a need for associations and friendships. 2-External expectations: to comply with instructions from someone else; to fulfill the expectations or recommendations of someone with formal authority. 3-Social welfare: to improve ability to serve mankind, prepare for service to the community, and improve ability to participate in community work.

 4-Personal

advancement: to achieve higher status in a job, secure professional advancement, and stay abreast of competitors. 5-Escape/Stimulation: to relieve boredom, provide a break in the routine of home or work, and provide a contrast to other exacting details of life. 6-Cognitive interest: to learn for the sake of learning, seek knowledge for its own sake, and to satisfy an inquiring mind.

 Unlike

children and teenagers, adults have many responsibilities that they must balance against the demands of learning. Because of these responsibilities, adults have barriers against participating in learning. Some of these barriers include lack of time, money, confidence, or interest, lack of information about opportunities to learn, scheduling problems, "red tape," and problems with child care and transportation.

 can

also be a barrier. What motivates adult learners? Typical motivations include a requirement for competence or licensing, an expected (or realized) promotion, job enrichment, a need to maintain old skills or learn new ones, a need to adapt to job changes, or the need to learn in order to comply with company directives

 The

best way to motivate adult learners is simply to enhance their reasons for enrolling and decrease the barriers. Instructors must learn why their students are enrolled (the motivators); they have to discover what is keeping them from learning. Then the instructors must plan their motivating strategies. A successful strategy includes showing adult learners the relationship between training and an expected promotion

 Educators

must remember that learning occurs within each individual as a continual process throughout life. People learn at different speeds, so it is natural for them to be anxious or nervous when faced with a learning situation. Positive reinforcement by the instructor can enhance learning, as can proper timing of the instruction

 Learning

results from stimulation of the senses. In some people, one sense is used more than others to learn or recall information. Instructors should present materials that stimulates as many senses as possible in order to increase their chances of teaching success.

There

are four critical elements of learning that must be addressed to ensure that participants learn. These elements are

1-Motivation 2-

reinforcement 3- retention 4-transference

 If

the participant does not recognize the need for the information (or has been offended or intimidated), all of the instructor's effort to assist the participant to learn will be in vain. The instructor must establish rapport with participants and prepare them for learning; this provides motivation. Instructors can motivate students via several means:

 Set

a feeling or tone for the lesson. Instructors should try to establish a friendly, open atmosphere that shows the participants they will help them learn. Set an appropriate level of concern. The level of tension must be adjusted to meet the level of importance of the objective. If the material has a high level of importance, a higher level of tension/stress should be established in the class. However, people learn best under low to moderate stress; if the stress is too high, it becomes a barrier to learning

 The

degree of difficulty should be set high enough to challenge participants but not so high that they become frustrated by information overload. The instruction should predict and reward participation, culminating in success.

 In

addition, participants need specific knowledge of their learning results (feedback ). Feedback must be specific, not general. Participants must also see a reward for learning. The reward does not necessarily have to be monetary; it can be simply a demonstration of benefits to be realized from learning the material. Finally, the participant must be interested in the subject. Interest is directly related to reward. Adults must see the benefit of learning in order to motivate themselves to learn the subject.

 Reinforcement

is a very necessary part of the teaching/learning process; through it, instructors encourage correct modes of behavior and performance. Positive reinforcement: is normally used by instructors who are teaching participants new skills. As the name implies, positive reinforcement is "good" and reinforces "good" (or positive) behavior.

 Negative

reinforcement: is the contingent removal of a noxious stimulus that tends to increase the behavior. The contingent presentation of a noxious stimulus that tends to decrease a behavior is called Punishment. Reinforcing a behavior will never lead to extinction of that behavior by definition. Punishment and Time Out lead to extinction of a particular behavior, but positive or negative reinforcement of that behavior never will

 When

instructors are trying to change behaviors (old practices), they should apply both positive and negative reinforcement. Reinforcement should be part of the teaching-learning process to ensure correct behavior. Instructors need to use it on a frequent and regular basis early in the process to help the students retain what they have learned. Then, they should use reinforcement only to maintain consistent, positive behavior.

 Students

must retain information from classes in order to benefit from the learning. The instructors' jobs are not finished until they have assisted the learner in retaining the information. In order for participants to retain the information taught, they must see a meaning or purpose for that information. The must also understand and be able to interpret and apply the information. This understanding includes their ability to assign the correct degree of importance to the material.

The

amount of retention will be directly affected by the degree of original learning. Simply stated, if the participants did not learn the material well initially, they will not retain it well either.

 Retention

by the participants is directly affected by their amount of practice during the learning. Instructors should emphasize retention and application. After the students demonstrate correct (desired) performance, they should be urged to practice to maintain the desired performance. Distributed practice is similar in effect to intermittent reinforcement

 Transfer

of learning is the result of training -- it is the ability to use the information taught in the course but in a new setting. As with reinforcement, there are two types of transfer: positive and negative. Positive transference, like positive reinforcement, occurs when the participants uses the behavior taught in the course.

 Negative

transference, again like negative reinforcement, occurs when the participants do not do what they are told not to do. This results in a positive (desired) outcome

 Transference

is most likely to occur in the following situations: Association -- participants can associate the new information with something that they already know. Similarity -- the information is similar to material that participants already know; that is, it revisits a logical framework or pattern. Degree of original learning -- participant's degree of original learning was high.

 Critical

attribute element -- the information learned contains elements that are extremely beneficial (critical) on the job

 Although

adult learning is relatively new as field of study, it is just as substantial as traditional education and carries and potential for greater success. Of course, the heightened success requires a greater responsibility on the part of the teacher. Additionally, the learners come to the course with precisely defined expectations. Unfortunately, there are barriers to their learning.

 The

best motivators for adult learners are interest and selfish benefit. If they can be shown that the course benefits them pragmatically, they will perform better, and the benefits will be longer lasting

 adults

tend to prefer self-direction. The role of the instructor is to engage in a process of inquiry, analysis, and decision-making with adult learners, rather than to transmit knowledge

rich resource for learning. Active participation in planned experiencessuch as discussions or problem solving exercises, an analysis of those experiences, and their application to work or life situationsshould be the core methodology for training adults. Adults learn and retain information more easily if they can relate it to their reservoir of past experiences.

 generated

by real-life events such as marriage, divorce, parenting, taking a new job, losing a job, and so on. Adult learners' needs and interests are the starting points and serve as guideposts for training activities

 meaning

that they want to learn a skill or acquire knowledge that they can apply pragmatically to their immediate circumstances. Life or work-related situations present a more appropriate framework for adult learning than academic or theoretical approaches

 an

internationally recognized expert in human resources development and author of the book Creative Training Techniques, has conducted thousands of adult training seminars. His principles of adult learning, referred to as "Pike's Laws of Adult Learning," have built upon the original philosophy to provide similar guidance for trainers:

It is accepted that babies enjoy learning through experience, because every exploration is a new experience. As children grow, educators traditionally reduce the amount of learning through experience to the point that few courses in secondary and higher education devote significant time to experiential education..

 It

is now recognized that adult learning is enhanced by hands-on experience that involves adults in the learning process. In addition, adults bring a wealth of experience that must be acknowledged and respected in the training setting

 Succinctly

put, people are more likely to believe something fervently if they arrive at the idea themselves. Thus, when training adults, presenting structured activities that generate the students' ideas, concepts, or techniques will facilitate learning more effectively than simply giving adults information to remember

Humor is an important tool for coping with stress and anxiety, and can be effective in promoting a comfortable learning environment. If you are involved in the learning process and understand howit will enable you to do your job or other chosen task better, you can experience the sheer joy of learning.

It is not what you know, but what you do that counts. The ability to apply new material is a good measure of whether learning has taken place. Experiences that provide an opportunity for successfully practicing a new skill will increase the likelihood of retention and on-the-job application.

 Adults

differ from children as learners. An adult has assumed responsibility for himself/herself and others. Adults differ specifically in self-concept, experience, readiness to learn, time perspective, and orientation to learning. Traditional teaching applied to children is "jug and mug" with the big jug (the teacher) filling up the little mugs (the students). Students are asked to pay attention and have few opportunities to make use of their own experience

 The

following chart identifies some key differences between children and adults as learners:

Children Rely on others to decide what is important to be learned. Accept the information being presented at face value.

Adults Decide for themselves what is important to be learned. Need to validate the information based on their beliefs and values

Expect what they are learning to Expect what they are learning to be useful in their long-term future be immediately useful Have little or no experience upon Have substantial experience upon which to draw, are relatively which to draw. May have fixed "blank slates." viewpoints Little ability to serve as a knowledgeable resource to teacher or fellow classmates Significant ability to serve as a knowledgeable resource to the trainer and fellow learners

 Studies

show that over a period of three days, learning retention is as follows: 10% of what you read. 20% of what you hear. 30% of what you see. 50% of what you see and hear. 70% of what you say. 90% of what you say as you do (e.g., orally work out a problem

 Have

little personal contact. Get participants in a passive mood and keep them there. Assume the class will apply what is taught; do not botherwith examples. Be alert to criticize. Make them feel stupid for asking questions in class

 Auditory,

visual, and kinesthetic learners. Differing aptitudes, abilities, and experiences have caused individuals to develop a preference for sending and receiving information through one sense over another. Most often people prefer auditory or visual input; however, some people have a preference for kinesthetic learning, i.e. learning that involves movement. A preference for one type of learning over another may be seen in the following ways

 Visual

learners prefer, enjoy, or require: Graphic illustrations such as bar graphs or crosstabs to explain data; color codes to highlight salient information; maps to find their way on the subway or while driving in a new city; written material to study new concepts; wall charts that display points to be remembered; written outlines; drawings or designs to illustrate overhead presentations; sitting "up close" in a presentation in order to see the presenter's face, gestures, or visuals; taking notes during a lecture; instructors to repeat verbal directions

 Auditory

learners prefer, enjoy, or require: A verbal presentation of new information, such as a lecture; group discussions to hear other points of view or practices; fast-paced verbal exchanges of ideas; a good joke or story that they can repeat for others; verbal cues or pneumonic devices to help them remember information; music at the beginning or during transitions in a training setting; words to accompany a cartoon; oral reports of working groups.

 Kinesthetic

learners prefer, enjoy, or require: Movement, such as rocking or shaking a leg during a lecture; hands-on experience to learn a task; gestures while making a point; role play exercises over discussion groups; shaking hands when meeting or greeting people; trying new things without a lengthy explanation of the activity; frequent breaks; regular opportunities to change seating or room arrangement; "just doing it" rather than talking about it.

 While

it is thought that people have developed a preference for or have greater skill in processing one type of input over others, most people simultaneously process information through multiple senses. In fact, the retention of learned material is enhanced if the learner is asked to process information using more than one sense. Presentations that are multisensory (using visual and auditory components) in combination with interactive activities will increase learning and retention for most adults

Physical Factors Learning Setting: Noise Level Lighting Temperature Structure Time of Day

Emotional Factors Social Needs: Learn Alone Learn with Others

Learning Factors Learning Styles: Auditory Visual Kinesthetic

Motivation: Extrinsic Intrinsic