Principles of adult learning

¶ … Adult Learning

Adult education is by and large any type of learning grown-ups get involved in past conventional schooling age. In narrower sense, adult education concerns literacy, about grown-ups being trained how to read the most basic materials. However, some cover almost every aspect ranging from basic literacy to personal fulfillment as a lifelong learner, even eventual achievement of advanced degrees at the advanced ages. Adult education is intended to teach adults how to read texts, common documents like maps, directions and catalogs, and how to make basic calculations.

Adult learning on the other hand this is the ability to imbibe, absorb or remember and apply whatever is learnt in the classroom and as well use it creatively in the daily environment. This ability varies from learner to learner and has long been regarded to be influenced by various factors like environment, age, exposure etc. However, it has been found that creativity or ability to learn "is a confluence of personality traits, ways of thinking and knowing, and social and environmental influences. It is a universal ability that does not decline with age but changes qualitatively with cognitive development and the accumulation of life experience and expert knowledge." (Sandra 1999). In deed, formal schooling may hinder creativity of a learner rather than enhance it. Formal training may only influence the academic achievement but not aid in creativity.

The difference between the two therefore implies that adult education may not be a prerequisite to adult learning. The education may be fundamental in adult learners knowing how to read and write, basic arithmetic, but it may not of necessity heighten their creativity in the daily application of the learnt ideas. Two adult learners from the same class and of the same age may display absolutely divergent hands-on traits in their work accomplishments. Indeed one learner may be undergoing intensive music lessons yet fails to deliver in creative song writing than the other who is not enrolled in any education institution.

Utility of Andragogy

Andragogy as an adult learning theory operates on the presumption that the position at which an individual achieves a self-concept of vital self-direction is the point at which one becomes adult psychologically. This psychological maturity and urge to learn are motivated by several factors that can be applied in handling adult students.

Firstly, adults would like to be wholly involved in the progress of their education. Adults have a strong urge of self-concept; this then forms the basis of their motivation. The adult need to be ware of the need to learn a particular skill or new idea before, they put any effort into learning it. This can be exploited to encourage the adult students to get into adult education and continue from one stage to another.

Secondly Knowles poses that experimental or pragmatic education is the most effective form of adult education. This involves allowing the learners to make mistakes and continue learning from the same. This, as a practitioner, I can use as a very effective tool of assisting the adult learners. It is worth encouraging them to try what they can especially in class participation, assignments, co-curricular activities without reservations and pointing out the shortfalls as I tell them how they can use the same to learn.

Thirdly, Andragogy presumes that for adults to be truly ready to learn new ideas, they need to feel the assurance that whatever they are due to learn or are learning is straightforwardly pertinent to their daily lives. This helps practitioners develop a learning curriculum that is applicable to the lives of the adult learners, in the current or later on, hence encouraging and strengthening adult education and learning. Adults are prepared to learn the new things they need to know to cope efficiently with varying life situations.