Experience and learning: theories and applications

Education

Reactionary Analysis: Pittenger & Gooding

Pittenger & Gooding suggest that adults posses the insight to recognize deficiencies in their knowledge base and take action to correct it and enhance their overall appreciation and comprehension of concepts and information. This statement affirms the concept that adult learners are their own architects of learning, absorbing and interpreting information from their own unique perspective. Adult learners do not learn the same way that young learners do. Adults bring with them into the classroom a superfluity of knowledge and experiences that impact their perceptions and approach to learning. In an adult education environment for a teacher to successful make an impression on students they must adapt their teaching to incorporate a variety of techniques geared toward different perspectives and learning styles.

Lones (2000) supports the notion that adult learners are their own architects, learning to design and build themselves through a creative process. He cites Carl Rogers in Freedom to Learn (1969) stating that the adult learner embarks on an educational approach and philosophy that enables the learner to become "the architect himself" in the learning process (Lones, 2000:9). The adult learner is able to comprehend deficiencies or gaps in his/her knowledge and approach education in a manner that will result in the highest potential for knowledge acquisition. The adult learner generally goes into the learning process with a specific intent in mind, and a specific thirst for knowledge related to a directed topic.

Adult learners recognize opportunities for inclusion of learning materials and adapt their learning strategy by modifying what is known to incorporate and interpret what is not known. Each adult has a unique way of interacting with the world around them, and a set of rules and procedures that governs their behavior; the way and adult learner interacts and learns directly correlates with their unique patterns of behavior and perceptions (Lones, 2000; Boulmetis, 2000). Thus one teaching strategy or method of lecturing will not serve the adult learning population as a whole. Rather the teacher would do best to incorporate tactics that allow more active participation, interaction and creative teaching principles in the adult learning environment.

Because an adult serves as his/her own architect, it is feasible to consider the possibility that the adult learner actually recognizes the teaching methods that will best work in their situation and assist them in their pursuit of knowledge. Teachers should investigate this notion and inquire about students learning preferences in order to facilitate an optimal classroom environment conducive to the highest levels of learning.