Models
applied to adult education
Teleconferencing, computer
conferencing and interactive video are some of the topics in adult education.
The uses and potential applications of educational technology suggest the
possibility that we are living in an era of unprecedented innovation.
Instructors working with adults should consider that the learner’s motivation
is for seeking information. Failure to connect the knowledge or information to
the daily needs and life of the learner does not permit a bridge for common
understanding (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2005).
Pedagogical model is a method of
teaching which can be used in adult learning. In this model, the teacher
decides what will be taught and delivers the lecture. The student is expected
to be ready to listen, absorb and learn what the lecture is about. The teacher
takes a dominant role, controlling the interaction by asking questions and
initiating topics for discussion. In this model, emphasis is placed on communicating
technical information rather than on how it is understood or acted upon.
Educators have suggested at least three better ways to instruct an adult (Knowles,
Holton, & Swanson, 2005). The first way is treating the adult student as a
partner in the learning process, the second way is building and placing value
on previous life experiences and third way is promoting personal direction and
control of learning (Hayes, 2006).
Malcolm Knowles was the founder of adult
model of learning. Contrary to pedagogical model in which the learner is
dependent with little experience of value, the androgogical model is
characterized by a learner who is self-directed and whose experience becomes a resource
to be used, valued and accepted. The readiness to learn stems from a need to
know or do something rather than a requirement for advancement. Androgogy is a
unified framework that incorporates principles and behaviorist, cognitive and
adult education model (Rogers,
2002).
Distance learning is also a model
that can be used in adult education. Distance education is based on a virtual
classroom model that uses new communication technologies (Knowles, Holton,
& Swanson, 2005). Distance education is diverse and it is usually based on a
combination of technologies, making use of what is available and accessible to
learners. In rural countries, post, radio, satellite and television are used
for transmitting educational programmes. However, the mere use of technologies
does not guarantee that learning will occur (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson,
2005). Learning depends on the motivation of learners, on orientation, on the
prior acquisition of learning skills as well as on the competency of
professional developers and the quality of local tutors (Hayes, 2006).
In recent years there has been a
shift in emphasis in inspection from reviewing systems to look at the impact
that procedures and policies have on the individual student. There is more
focus on learning than teaching. Compared to children, adults have a vast
wealth of knowledge, gained in formal and informal setting (Jones, 1986). They
also have considerable experience of process of acquiring knowledge and skills
and putting it to practical use, usually as the result of day to day problem
solving. The teacher should value the students’ adult experience and
accumulated knowledge. This is essential because it helps engage adults and
makes them feel respected and motivated.
Since some students have knowledge
and skills, the teacher need to help them make connections between what they
already know and what they are currently learning. This can be achieved by
developing interesting ways to draw theory from practice. Adults who have not
been engaged in any formal education or training for several years will have
absorbed knowledge and gained skills through experience (Lindhorst, 1951). Their
learning may therefore not be underpinned by any formal theories. This is
because they may have identified some principles through trial and error which
they have been able to apply in different circumstances.
Teachers should never make
assumptions about adult students, either about what they know or about what
they do not know. Life has taught them to protect themselves physically and
emotionally. They do not want to fail or look foolish in front of other people.
A teacher should be sensitive to situations in which a student may be
struggling but is reluctant to ask for help.
Getting a balance between giving
people information and helping them to acquire it themselves through research
and with interaction with others is crucial and at the same time can be
difficult. Adults have different expectations depending on their previous
experience of education (Jones, 1986). There some adults whose initial
schooling has lead them to expect the teacher to tell them what to do and to be
very directive. Similarly adults have different reactions to management and
facilitation of their learning. They may say that they expect the teacher to
suggest ways of working and correct poor techniques, but maturity and independence
in their everyday lives means that adults will not respond well to being told
what to do and how to do it (Dunn, 1998).
Teachers should always remember to
recognize the wider personal and social benefits of learning in adulthood which
include meeting new people, increased cultural understanding and tolerance, and
improved health. Therefore, a teacher should help these adult students to
achieve these goals.
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