Principles of adult learning

Adult Education

Lesson

Bruner and Adult Learning

The theories of Jerome Bruner best fit my position as an adult learner. Bruner believes that learning falls into three categories: the acquisition of new information, making the new information transfer from one area to another, such as from the classroom to the assessment or from the assessment to the workplace, and the evaluation of whether or not the information the person has acquired is adequate for the purpose for which it is intended (Knowles, 2005). Bruner has been criticized because his theory does not concern itself with emotional development. If I were a child, this might be a valid criticism, but as a settled adult, I am far less concerned with my emotional development than with my acquisition of knowledge. I am in school because I want to acquire new information, and as I take tests I must evaluate my knowledge in order to fulfill the course requirements. The most important goal, however, is for me to be able to take the knowledge that I have acquired into the workplace, and only then will I know for sure whether the knowledge that I have obtained throughout my education is adequate for me to fulfill my workplace tasks. This cycle is not a one-time process, but it repeats as new tasks and new obstacles present themselves. The cycle is not strictly dedicated to the school environment. The acquisition, synthesis and application of information is a skill that is needed in the home environment, in the workplace, and while pursuing leisure activities.

Bergevin's Philosophy of Adult Education