Principles of adult learning

Adult Education: Lesson

©2003-2009

Adult Education Lesson

Lesson

Human Resource Development and Adult Education

Human Resource Development should fall under the larger umbrella of Adult Education for several reasons. First, according to Merriam (1984), one of the primary reasons adults learn is "out of a need to face the tasks they encounter during the course of their development." Many of those tasks Merriam describes are challenges that adults face in the workplace. Secondly, as business systems change, adults need to be able to meet those challenges. Last, since there is such a great overlap between HRD and AE, it is in the "best interests of the student and the educational institution but also of the business community to eliminate redundant programs" (Grubb, 1998).

Control of Learning Phases

According to Knowles, adult learners must be involved in the process of discovering their own learning needs as well as in charting his or her own course for learning (Unger, 1977). Andragogy differs from pedagogy in that adults are involved in their own learning process. Most adults are in control of their own learning. They are out of the K-12 school system, and there are no longer authoritarian figures in their lives who insist upon rigid formats for learning and assessment. Adults are in control of what they learn and what format works best for their needs.

The self-directed learning process can be easy for some and difficult for others, depending upon the cognitive ability of the adult and the relative ease or difficulty of the learning material. To implement successful learning, adult learners must also be able to control the learning phases. First, they must recognize a need to know certain information or develop a new skill. Second, they must be able to create a goal or chart a path to obtaining that knowledge. Third, they must implement their goal by attending classes, reading a book, or practicing their new skills. Finally, they must evaluate their performance and determine whether they have achieved their goal or whether they need to chart a different course of action to meet that goal.

BMCC: Provider of Adult Education