As an instructor you should be aware of the different ways that adults learn. Adult learning is not a one size fits all. When it comes to learning style options one must take into consideration that, learners may fall under one or more learning style category. Overall most students use more than one mode of learning. The purpose of this essay is to explore the concept of using humor and “fun” teaching strategies in a classroom, in addition we will be discussing whether or not adults have special needs and requirements as learners and if teaching them should be handled differently than teaching children and adolescents.
Shatz and Loschiavo assert in their article Bringing Life to Online Instruction with Humor that the use of humor by a teacher can set people at ease particularly in anxiety provoking environments and helps to reduce the power differential between students and staff (as cited in Baid and Lambert, 2010). College educators often explore innovative ways of
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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
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
In order to effectively teach students with different learning styles, I will most likely be using this website for ideas. Education.com has everything. They tell you how to know what styles your children are better with and give you some activities that you can use to reach all of those students. On their site, you can find specific activities for any grade, or subject, up through high school. For example, I will be teaching third grade so I would go and look under third grade and then go under whatever subject I need, such as math. Once there, I just scroll through and pick an activity that allows student to interact with each other while practicing the subject and having fun. I can also use
Becoming familiar with adult learning theory and the six principles of adult learning. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.qotfc.edu.au/resource/?page=65375
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)
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
Jarvis, P., Alfred, D., Cross-Durrant, A., Elsey, B., Smith, W. A., Brookfield, S., Parker, S., Griffith, W. S., Thomoas, A. M., Kaswworm, C. E., Watkins, K. E., Cervero, R., Crane, J. M., Peters, J. M., Griffin, C., & Leixester, M. (2001). ‘Malcolm Knowles’ in Twentieth century thinkers in adult and continuing education (2nd ed.). London: Kogan Page.
Students may be given a comic sequence and they can be asked continue and go on to build their own story. Students may come up with varied ideas, thoughts and conception. They can either be asked to make comic strips or write an essay. This would help facilitators to improve learners’ creative writing skills and also encourage students to be innovative and novel in their approach. The visuals when displayed would definitely arouse laughter and this would make learning enjoyable and effective.
"Education is life--not a mere preparation for an unknown kind of future living…The whole of life is learning; therefore, education can have no ending. This new venture is called adult education--not because it is confined to adults but because adulthood, maturity defines its limits." (Lindeman, E.1926p.6)
The adult learning theory Also known as andragogy is the concept of Adult learning as a science in the field of education. Created by Malcolm Knowles , the theory is comprised of four different concepts. A fifth concept was later added by Knowles. within these different concepts, Knowles set forth compilation of expectations for educators within the Adult Education community. Firstly, he suggests setting a corporative climate in the classroom for learning. (Knowles, 1984, p.76) An assessment of the learners needs and a compilation of objectives and educational activities to help learner reach needs
Are people too stubborn and independent to learn once they become adults? The Adult Learning Theory focuses on the difference between how adults learn and how children learn. There are three main central ideas that support the Adult Learning Theory. These ideas or theories are known as andragogy, self-directed learning, and transformational learning. Andragogy is the teaching of adults, self-directed learning is the individual controlling their learning, and transformational learning is the individual learning from life experiences.
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 learners use their life experiences and knowledge to make connections which allows adults to have a better understanding of a specific concept. " Adults have lived longer, seen and done more, have the tendency to link their past experiences to anything new and validate new concepts based on prior learning" (Pappas, 2013). As a teacher, I am constantly asking my students to make connections so they can relate to what they are reading or learning about in class. This is a skill. Adult learners have had the time to develop this skill and master it. This is yet another concept children must learn so they can use it in their adult life to effectively learn.
Basically, this article by Malcolm Knowles is a conglomerate of all aspects of adult learning. It outlines aspects of adult learning, theories of adult learning, and expands on them. The main idea of this article is to create awareness on the existence of adult learning, and to help instructors of adult learning to know how to go about it successfully. Additionally, the article is of help to adult learners to enable them to learn the most they can (Knowles, 2007).
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:
Gadbow believes it is the duty of adult educators to instill a life-long love of learning into their students, "helping adults learn how to learn is the most important thing a teacher ever does" (p. 53). The first responsibility of educators working with adults is to help them identify their learning styles and differences as well as other special learning needs, and then provide effective strategies to adapt to these individual learning needs (53). The author's contention that all learners are special means seeing the possibilities as well as the problems or particular needs of each student as they present themselves.