Misconceptions with Adult Learning Danielle Coady Post University

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -Benjamin Franklin

3 Misconceptions  Adult learners require much less support than their younger counterparts.  The same teaching methods would work on all adult learners.  Adults all viewed the world in a similar manner and this view would not change.

Support  Tutoring  Writing Center  Career Services  Peer Reviews  Advising- “reported advising as their greatest need and the area with which they were most dissatisfied” (Schroeder and Terras, p. 43).

Teaching Methods and Adult Learners  Andragogy- adults are “more problem centered than subject centered in learning” and their “motivations are internal rather than external” (Merriam, p. 84).  Experiential Learning Theory- “the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (Kolb, p. 194).

Ways to Engage the Adult Learner  Discussion Board  Group discussion among different generations  Keep it flexible  Emphasize visuals  Incorporate technology  Social Media  WebEx  YouTube

Worldviews  Worldview- the way someone thinks about the world (Webster Dictionary)  Formulated at a young age from how a person is treated, how they are taught to think and more importantly by what they see in the world.  “The greatest lessons are the ones you don’t remember learning” (Changing the World, One Word at a Time, 2014).

Worldview in Education  Key Factors that effect worldview and classroom dynamic:  Race  Gender  Class  Cultural Relevance to the student  Worldviews can be changed by questioning and critiquing previously held beliefs (Merriam, p. 241).

Conclusion  Adult learners require the same support as their younger counterparts, even if they are more independent.  Not all teaching methods will work on adult learners, but the main concepts of keeping the learner engaged and included in the process is vital to their success.  Adults have their own worldviews, but they can be changed if they are open to questioning their previously help beliefs.

Questions?

References  Caudron, S. (1997). Can Generation Xers be Trained? Training and Development, Retrieved March.  Harris, S. (2003). An Andragogical Model: Learning through Life Experiences. Kappa Delta PiRecord, 40(1),  Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2005). Learning Styles and Learning Spaces: Enhancing Experiential Learning in Higher Education. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 4(2),  Merriam, S. B., & Caffarella, R. S. (1991). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.  Q. (2014, November 4). Changing the World, One Word at a Time! | The Queen Latifah Show.Retrieved March 05, 2016, from  Schroeder, S. M., & Terras, K. L. (2015). Advising Experiences and Needs of Online, Cohort, and Classroom Adult Graduate Learners. NACADA Journal, 35(1),  Šliogerienė, J., Oleškevičienė, G. V., Fotheringham, J., & Palfreyman, K. J. (2014). Social Media Adoption in Adult Education ‒ Administrators' Experience. Public Policy and Administration, 13(4),