Adult Learning Theory: Applications to Non-Traditional College

¶ … Adult Learning Theory: Applications to Non-Traditional College Students" presents a number of important factors that are intrinsic to the propagation of adult education. The authors take a decidedly comprehensive approach to characterizing key distinctions between adult learners and those who are non-adults. As such, the pair make a number of astute observations that directly affect the way that the curriculum and program content should be facilitated for these learners, in order to maximize the didactic process. A thorough review of this article reveals that by choosing to emphasize various aspects of the adult learning experience, the curriculum can be significantly tailored in order to curb the rate of attrition and help adult learners thrive.

The first several pages of this article are concerned with identifying and discussing the ramifications of attributes that are intrinsic to adult learners. Oftentimes, these learners are distinct from others in the fact that the former have substantial familial commitments, work fulltime, are in some variation of financial independence, and have a significant amount of life experience that directly affects the ways in which they learn. What is perhaps most integral about the life experience that adults have is the ways in which their occupations and specific work duties may influence their learning processes (Kenner and Weinerman, 2011, 88-89). Additionally, adult learners are usually characterized by a degree of motivation and task-orientation that is difficult to match among non-adults. Their educational goals may be directly related to their jobs.

All of these factors influence how the prudent adult educator determines the manner in which he or she will facilitate the curriculum for these educational programs. This article actually presents a four-step process for aiding in instructors in tailoring their curricula, which requires awareness, framing, competition and repetition (Kenner and Weinerman 2011, p. 90). Instructors are encouraged to become cognizant of different variations of the learning styles that adults have, which accounts for the concept of awareness, while the framing of activities that posit academic notions in less scholastic, more work-related job functions is also encouraged. The final two factors, competition and repetition, allow for palpable markers of success within the class and plenty of opportunity for practice, both facets of which also tap into previous work-related experience.

As such, the primary boon of this article is in the specific remedies and recommendations for curricula that it makes to facilitate learning in a fashion that is particular to adults. Some of these measures include denoting a number of differences, through the means of comparison, between the academic environment and requirements and those of the professional environment -- such as the usage of references in written communication. An aspect of the methodology elucidated within this article that appears particularly beneficial is to compare the forms of literature that exist in professional and academic spheres, to denote the differences in bias and author intention, and to emphasize how those differences influence the way students want to actively read text.