Adult Learning Theory

Summary

Adults are unique in many ways, and learning is one of them. By reading different articles and discovering how adults learn, educators can be better suited to create the best learning environment for their students.

Summary 1 ~ Adult Learning Theory for the Twenty-First Century

In North America, more attention is being brought to the individual adult learner and how they process the information they are learning to become more independent and empowered. Some of the observations that have been made are in the individual’s workplace. Adults are learning how physical space can either encourage or discourage learning. Seeing an adult learner in that setting can also encourage observation of how they learn while being engaged in lived experiences in the world. Learning currently is thought to involve much more than just information read. It also involves mind, body, spirit, and emotions. “The body is merely a vehicle for learning” (Merriam, 2008, p.96), which helps understand a bit more about how an adult learner can take what they have experienced and turn it into their “story” (Merriam, 2008, p. 96). This can lead to a narrative form of learning. When new information is discovered, the brain will try to find connections to learned information from an earlier time. Adult learners can get in touch with their own physical being, the culture around them, and the information they observe to see the full potential for learning experiences.

Summary 2 ~ Engaging the Adult Learner Generational Mix

There are studies about the adult learner and their generational mix out there for people to research. In this article, there were three-generation definitions that the focus was on: “Baby Boomers, born between 1943 and 1960; Generation X, born between 1960 and 1980; and the most recent is, Millennia, born between 1981 and 2002” (Holyoke & Larson, 2009, p. 14). There were four important andragogy assumptions, which later were expanded into six. The analysis for the article, which was read, focused more on three of them, which are: readiness to learn, orientation to learning, and motivation to learn. By doing this type of analysis, educators and adult learners can be made more aware of “generational characteristics” (Holyoke & Larson, 2009, p.20) when tackling the task of putting together lessons or other learning materials.

Each article had a lot of information and both are aimed at helping the adult learner realize how they learn the best. They can help the educator set up the best learning environment for the adult learners, as well as help them pay closer attention to the generation gap that can come with each adult learner. Each article looks at a different perspective of adult learning. One looks at, everything we as humans, especially adults, experience. Whether it is a working experience or