Adult Learning Theories for Senior Community Arts Programs

Introduction

Learning objectives are imperative in helping to organize, formulate, and implement effective teaching methods. This paper focuses on the elements of a thriving senior community arts program and how effective art theory can be within the field of physical therapy. These learning objectives were chosen because of a personal investment in teaching artistry and integration into the field of adult community art education, along with a strong belief that art theory can be applied to adult learning and can provide a powerful instrument of memorization. The literature reviewed examines how adults learn, think, and understand class material, as well as why adults learn in the manner that they do. Adult lives are far more complicated and riddled with responsibility, and so they must be regarded and approached differently. Some articles also discuss the use of images — pertaining to art theory — to help eliminate distraction by associating emotion and specific memories with visual content.

Literature Review

Memories are, after all, a moment of experience. Experiences enhance both memories and skills. In an article by Dzubinski, Hentz, Davis, and Nicolaides (2012), the authors discuss what kinds of actions are needed for performance improvement and learning in adults. The article examines how adults learn through a methodology that lays out eight imperatives, based on the authors' investigation and involvement with adult learners. Experience with teaching adults must be taken into consideration when designing, employing, and evaluating adult learning experiences in the contemporary workplace.

The findings illuminate the imperatives as follows: relevance, importance, and utility are paramount; hubris and ego can roadblock learning; the credibility of the information source is important; the importance of clear learning objectives should never be underestimated; adults learn by engagement and doing; accountability for learning is critical; adult learners need coaching and feedback; and plans must be made to stave off learning distractions (Longenecker & Abernathy, 2013, p. 30).

The article also examines practical implications and objectives designed to get trainers to reflect on the specific factors that can help increase and accelerate learning across the range of adult learning opportunities. It is important to understand why adults seek learning at this stage in their lives. Most of the time it is to advance in their careers — they seek additional training and certification to change jobs or acquire a promotion. Keeping this context in mind helps teachers create a curriculum that satisfies those needs. The article further states that including the listed imperatives in the curriculum will allow adults within the class or program to learn more and feel more satisfied with what they have learned. "When these imperatives are ignored or not taken seriously, time, talent and treasure are wasted and leaders risk damaging their own credibility" (Longenecker & Abernathy, 2013, p. 30). The difficulty adults face in learning often generates tension in the learning process.

Dzubinski et al. (2012) also discuss the rapid pace of social and technological change in the early 21st century. Innovations such as smartphones and social networking sites leave countless adults scrambling to meet the demands that typify their daily lives. The article continues by examining the types of difficulties adult learners face. Not only do they deal with multiple, often conflicting demands, but these can arise from all areas of life: "from work, education, family, and leisure, which requires adult education graduate programs to carefully consider how best to meet these changing needs of today's students" (Dzubinski, Hentz, Davis, & Nicolaides, 2012, p. 103).

Through the use of a developmental action inquiry method, the authors compiled data using various rounds of reciprocal examination from diverse groups of stakeholders in adult education. They asked each group to address the question: "How does adult education as a profession, field, and practice help adults, organizations, and society meet the demands of 21st century life?" (Dzubinski, Hentz, Davis, & Nicolaides, 2012, p. 103). The results indicated a need and desire for responsive and dynamic graduate programs that maintain the cultivation of critical and reflective thinking. The authors also identified a need for learning environments built on deliberate community and mutuality, allowing adult learners to feel connected and involved.

Adult learners often do not feel emotionally attached to their classes or programs, yet that emotional attachment is sometimes necessary for them to make the commitment needed to learn. For instance, a senior community arts program would need to establish emotional connections among its participants so they can feel a sense of unity and belonging that keeps them motivated to attend. People need to feel safe and to feel that they belong. A classroom should be one of those safe spaces where they learn, grow, and engage in positive educational experiences.

The Cicerone Project, examined and discussed by Edwards et al. (2011), investigates the educational procedures and outcomes of a partnership focused on co-learning among all contributors — specifically in the context of livestock producers. "Several different communication approaches were used including the production of 40 newsletters and the delivery of 61 field days" (Edwards et al., 2011, p. 827). Collaborators also held two conferences offering comprehensive overviews of the research outcomes. This article was included to demonstrate that, regardless of setting, successful learning outcomes can still be implemented. Often people in art programs or art classes feel they cannot achieve their learning objectives because of where their students are emotionally or mentally. This article shows that as long as the proper methodology is applied, learning outcomes can be successfully completed regardless of context.

Art theory has its place in adult education. In an article by Machajdik and Hanbury (2010), the authors discuss how images can have a profound effect on people at an emotional level. Since the emotions that arise in the viewer of an image are decidedly idiosyncratic, they are infrequently indexed. Nevertheless, there are instances in which it would be useful to retrieve images based on their emotional content. The authors examine and develop approaches to extract and fuse low-level features that characterize the emotional content of an image, using these for emotional image classification. "Specifically, we exploit theoretical and empirical concepts from psychology and art theory to extract image features that are specific to the domain of artworks with emotional expression" (Machajdik & Hanbury, 2010, p. 83). As noted earlier, emotional connections can be an important aspect of successful adult learning programs. Incorporating emotional connections through the art theory component of a program will help adult participants learn more effectively than through traditional, solely academic means.

Conclusion

It takes a great deal of hard work and perseverance for adults to learn, especially for those dealing with a multitude of responsibilities such as supporting a family and caring for friends and relatives. It is therefore up to teachers of adult learners to devise and implement effective teaching methods that allow adults to gain the most from their class or program. The literature demonstrated that adults are self-directed and need a say and involvement in the curriculum they are learning in order to feel more connected. That sense of connection also plays an important role in their motivation to learn.

As people get older, they increasingly desire a place where they belong and can safely express themselves. Providing an environment where they feel connected not only to the material but also to each other has been shown to enable learning and growth. Art theory — a sometimes overlooked concept — can be very important in helping adult learners form associations between emotions and images, forging the meaningful connections that some find necessary in order to learn. Seeing and experiencing are also key components of learning, as theoretical knowledge is only one piece of the puzzle in a well-rounded education.

References

Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., & Smith, K. (2003). Adult learning — Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching and technology. Retrieved December 10, 2013, from

Dzubinski, L., Hentz, B., Davis, K. L., & Nicolaides, A. (2012). Envisioning an adult learning graduate program for the early 21st century: A developmental action inquiry study. Adult Learning, 23(3), 103–110.

Edwards, C., Gaden, C., Marchant, R., Coventry, T., Dutton, P., & Scott, J. M. (2011). Delivering extension and adult learning outcomes from the Cicerone Project by comparing, measuring, learning and adopting. Animal Production Science, 53(8), 827–840.

Longenecker, C., & Abernathy, R. (2013). The eight imperatives of effective adult learning: Designing, implementing and assessing experiences in the modern workplace. Human Resource Management International Digest, 21(7), 30–33. Retrieved from

Machajdik, J., & Hanbury, A. (2010). Affective image classification using features inspired by psychology and art theory. MM'10, 2010(25–29), 83–92.

Trivette, C. M., Dunst, C. J., Hamby, D. W., & O'Herin, C. E. (2009). Characteristics and consequences of adult learning methods and strategies. Research Brief, 3(1), 1–32. Retrieved from