Theory and Methods of Educating Adults

Learner autobiography [REFLECT] Like most children, when I was very young I did not experience learning as a punitive exercise. Learning was fun and natural. While I was learning how to read I enjoyed how the teacher would read aloud to us; I remember learning about the multiplication tables using various piles of colored M&Ms.

Unfortunately, around middle school there is often a period of resistance to learning, as students try to establish their own identities and view directions from the teacher in a negative light because they do not want an adult telling them what to do. Students are also aware enough that they are being 'taught' something but often question the applicability of that learning to what they consider real life.

[IDENTIFY] In college, I became more intellectually curious although I was still not 100% certain about what I needed to know for my future career. Still, I was less concerned about seeming 'cool' in front of my friends and more genuinely interested in what I was learning for my own personal benefit and enrichment. Finally, in graduate school, I attained a full realization of myself as an adult learner.

Although I no longer had the sponge-like ability to learn like I did when I was a child, I was focused and practical in my orientation and clearly understood the purpose of what I was learning. [ANALYSIS] This is congruent with the concept of andragogy in adult learning as articulated by Knowles (1980). Adult learners become more critical and selective in the types of formal learning they seek out but also more focused and dedicated because of their greater self-consciousness of why they are engaged in learning activities.

[INTEGRATE] As a learner, I am more intent upon learning for myself now rather than simply taking in the world like a preschooler or learning to please other people like my parents. This stress upon learning utility will undeniably affect my approach to teaching adults in the classroom Learning philosophy My philosophy of teaching adults in the classroom is that learning should scaffold or build upon the adult's existing base of knowledge.

Rather than viewing adults as simply older, a teacher of adults should see them as a repository of enriching life experiences. The educational theorist Vygotsky stressed that scaffolding is possible by learning from more competent peers and teachers in the classroom (McLeod 2010). Students can learn from others with different educational experiences as well as the expertise of the teacher. In an adult classroom where students come with a wide array of different abilities, this approach can be very useful.

This also had the additional utility of grounding what is taught in the classroom in practical experiences. Adult students often make tremendous personal and financial sacrifices to go back to school, usually with a very specific goal in mind. Using that goal-directed orientation in the classroom can be a powerful motivational tool. There may be tension between the adult learner receiving instruction and the younger professor. Showing respect for the adult learner's previous experiences is an important way to bridge that gap.

Using more practical and action-oriented methods of assessment may be more appropriate for assessing learning. Above all, teachers of adult learners must be flexible. On.