1 Knowing the Adult Learner Guidance & Instruction Strategies Jones, M., Shelton, M. (2011). Developing Your Portfolio--Enhancing Your Learning and Showing Your Stuff: A Guide for the Early Childhood Student or Professional, Second Edition. Routledge.

The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn…and change. Carl Rogers

Consider Your Philosophy: The Basis for Practice Human development theories Teaching/learning theories Practice Strategies, tools, methods

Our Initial Assumptions and Observations about Adult Learners What we thought and what we’ve learned.

5 Assumption Observation  Adults prefer active, rather than passive learning  Many adults enter the learning environment expecting to be treated as passive learners

6 Assumption Observations  Many adults consistently operate at higher levels of thinking  Many adults operate at the concrete level and require guidance in developing higher level thinking skills. Formal thinking is situational.

7 Assumption Observation  Adults continue to construct their own knowledge  Adults continue to construct their own knowledge, but the process is often complicated by assumptions, beliefs, expectations and locus of control

8 Assumptions Observations  Adults want choice, flexibility, and autonomy just as we do  Adults differ in their desire for autonomy and locus of control. Some adult learners are highly dependent upon instructor approval.

Insights about Adult Learners  A developmental continuum exists for adult learners  Developmental characteristics reflect maturity, experience, and education  Developmental level is situational  Developmental levels must inform guidance and instruction strategies  Adults often need scaffolding in constructing new knowledge

Developmental Continuum Instruction DevelopmentalCharacteristics Direct Highest degree of specificity Explicit direction in process & product Instruction in reflection & reflective writing Needs specific instructions, models & examples Anxious, teacher pleasing, frustrated w/ ambiguity Sees goal as completing the task Limited reflection skills (summary of events) Facilitate General guidelines and parameters Instruction as needed to clarify process & product Scaffold higher level thinking through dialogue More comfortable with ambiguity Wants general guidelines, parameters, and expectations Understands application More insightful reflection Mentor Sounding board – responsive to initiative; feedback Provide open-ended parameters, guidelines & expectations Monitor, help clarify, prompt & explore ideas High degree of independence as learners Ability to see multiple applications Broadening of perspective & perspective-taking Sophisticated, multi-level reflection Concrete thinkingFormal thinking © Jones and Shelton, 2004

11 Product Purpose, audience, content, evidence & reflection Process Collect, select, reflect, connect, & project (Barrett, 2000) Concrete operations Formal operations Post-formal operations Guidance and Instruction                   

Teaching/Learning Transformation Concrete Transitional Formal DirectFacilitateMentor Meaning-making

Bloom’s Taxonomy  Cognitive Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation  Affective Receiving Responding Valuing Organization Characterization concrete transitional formal

Concrete  Cognitive: Provide & clarify explicit instructions and selectively use models and samples  Affective: Acknowledge anxiety and fears & address openly without prejudice  Reflective: Co-construct definition; provide models or formulas (P-P-F; A-A-A) ; guided practice & feedback

Transitional  Cognitive: Explore their rationales, logic, understanding of part/whole relationships  Affective: Confront their quiet theories about teaching and learning & help them puzzle it out  Reflective: Pose questions to clarify, make explicit and deepen connections; identify areas for improvement

Formal  Cognitive: Engage in collegial dialogue; compare viewpoints; challenge & stimulate deeper thought  Affective: Validate & convey our belief in them; help them recognize & appreciate their strengths & gifts  Reflective: Listen; provide feedback; use their work to scaffold others

17 Constructivist Model for Instruction Best practice applied to adults Recognizes individual differences Values process as well as product

18 End thoughts: Constructivist model INSTRUCTOR Assumptions Observation Insights Revision of guidance and instruction

Guidance & Instruction Cognitive Learning Affective Learning Reflective Learning

20 Guidance and Instruction: Product  Purpose:  Audience:  Structure:  Evidence:  Reflection: developmental, evaluation, interview clearly specified reflects the purpose carefully selected; suited to purpose connects theory to practice – past, present, and future

21 Guidance and Instruction Steps 1. Define “portfolio” product 2. Content (re: standards or guidelines) 3. Process – how to get there 4. Packaging (print or electronic) Product the completed portfolio

22 Guidance and Instruction: Structure  Examples of frameworks that guide content State standards for teacher credentialing Learning outcomes established by a program Objectives established for a course Recommended checklist or outline

23 Guidance and Instruction: Process  Collect:  Select:  Connect:  Reflect:  Project: guidance on what to collect exemplifies competence relative to standards/guidelines articulates connection between artifact and standard or guideline indicator of cognitive movement the completed work

24 Guidance and Instruction Levels of Reflection 1 Summary of facts limited reflection skills TREES FOREST ECOSYSTEM 2 More insightful reflection 3 Sophisticated, multi-level reflection

25 Guidance and Instruction Level 1 Reflection Strategies (Summary of facts limited reflection skills) TREES Group process to define “reflection” Framework with samples and discussion Guided practice and feedback

26 Guidance and Instruction Level 2 Reflection Strategies (More insightful reflection) Scaffolding by posing questions and probing for deeper insights Helping them identify areas needing improvement FOREST

27 Guidance and Instruction Level 3 Reflection Strategies (Sophisticated, multi-level reflection) Listen Provide feedback Use their work to scaffold others ECOSYSTEM

28 Concrete operationsFormal operationsPost-formal operations Guidance and Instruction                          Reflection Summary of facts to limited reflection skills More insightful reflection Sophisticate d, multi-level reflection

29 Guidance & Instruction: Packaging  Internal refers to the organization of the document – print or electronic  Table of Contents is a common feature of print and electronic versions that provides the map of the document

30 Guidance & Instruction: Packaging  External refers to the container for the document – print or electronic  The mechanics for navigating print and electronic versions differ: Print Dividers Tabs Electronic Scrolling Links

31 Guidance & Instruction: Packaging Format Internal External Print Electronic TOC

32 Progression of Technological Skill Level 1: Word processing (charts, diagrams, clipart) Level 2: Word processing, PowerPoint (digital images, navigational links) Level 3: Scanning, PDF files, editing digital images Level 4: Multimedia (MovieMaker, iMovie), www. links