Materials and Assignments for December

 Some Current Concepts Applied in Teaching Adult Learners.

"Adult learning. Also called andragogy, ... differs from pedagogy in that the learner has an important voice in determining the educational content, prioritization, and learning method. As such, learner-centeredness (as opposed to teacher-centeredness) is an important element. (Practical Tips for Self-Directed Learning, Kurt Kroenke, MD)"

For an overview on some of the pioneer work done on the field of andragogy, review "On Malcolm Knowles "http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm  (Smith, M. K. (2002) 'Malcolm Knowles, informal adult education, self-direction and andragogy', the encyclopedia of informal education, www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm. Last updated: January 01, 2007 )

Scroll down the page or click on individual items below.

Intro | Learning Contracts | Learning Styles | Multiple Intelligences | December Assignments | Discussion Forum

This segment is designed to introduce you to a few current concepts being supported in teaching adults in GED, ABE, and ESL programs. 

Adults want to learn fast and their learning is often directed to meeting a specific goal (whether they can readily define it or not). They tend to be impatient with themselves and with those who teach them unless their progress is obvious and fast-paced. We can't teach everything to everyone who comes to us, but we can teach our students how to learn and assume control of their own learning.

What are we discovering about how to guide adults more effectively and rapidly toward meeting their goals?

1. We can involve adult learners in the process of designing and processing learning segments. This practice also matches the intent of the NRS  requirement that progress be assessed according to student-defined goals ("School" is over. Let's start working on life.)

Learning contracts are becoming more and more common in higher education, but one of their pioneers was an adult educator. 

"The learning contract is a written plan that describes what an individual will learn as a result of some specified learning activity. It serves as a tool for promoting self-directed learning. These contracts have been used to help respond to the varying needs and backgrounds of learners. (Brockett & Hiemstra, 1985). According to Knowles, learning contracts consist of five major components:

1. Learning objectives;

2. Learning resources;

3. Date to be completed;

4. Evidence of accomplishment;

5. Criteria and means for evaluating evidence."
    (http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/sbarnett/edpsy399/contracts.html)

• http://www-distance.syr.edu/contract.html - The Learning Contract overview

• http://www-distance.syr.edu/contract1.html -The Learning Contract Form

• http://www-distance.syr.edu/liferoles.html - Sample of life roles we play and our assessment of them.

• http://www-distance.syr.edu/sdlskills.html - A checklist for assessing self-directed (independent) learning skills

• http://www-distance.syr.edu/sdlothers.html - A list of suggested questions to use in interviewing adult learners (Supplement A)

• http://www.longleaf.net/ggrow/SSDL/Model.html#Figure1 - A chart showing progression from dependence to self-direction

• http://iteslj.org/Articles/Schwarzer-Contracts.html - This article has a list of good questions to integrate into a learning contract, taken from a university ESL class.

Click below for Sample Forms you may adapt to your own program:  

Forms in PDF format 
(You must have Acrobat Reader to read this file. If you don't have the free program, download it here ->)
Forms in MS Word
 (You must have MS Word to open this file)

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2. We can help adult learners assess and understand how they learn best. So much instruction is geared to linguistic, auditory learners. We can add many ways of introducing topics in order to include the 70% of our population that learns in other ways!

Learning Styles (How we "take in" information through the senses)

• http://www.2h.com/personality-tests.html - Several fun tests that are evaluated online.

• http://www.learningstyles.org/survey/index.html - Perceptual Modality test.

• http://turmac13.chem.columbia.edu/LearnTeach/learnstyles.html - More learning-style tests.

Multiple Intelligences (How we process and integrate information once we "take it in.")

• http://literacyworks.org/mi/home.html - A good overview of Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences - Check out the Resources page.

• http://www.gse.harvard.edu/ncsall/research/ami.htm -"Teachers of adult learners are often intrigued by their students' striking abilities in a number of skills and arts, and often wonder how this potential can be used to enhance ESOL and ABE learning. Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI), often applied to children and young adults, may cast some light on adult learning strengths and abilities."

• http://www.ericacve.org/docgen.asp?tbl=tia&ID=139 - Multiple Intelligences in Adult Education

• http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html - Take a quick test to find your preferred intelligences!

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3. We can support learning experiences to reinforce their strengths and strengthen their weaknesses.

Covered in next month's topic: "Activity Planning and Assessment (Traditional and Alternative)

1. Read "Some Current Concepts Applied in Teaching Adult Learners" (above).Review the concepts covered in items #1 (Self-Directed Learning Contracts) and #2 (Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences) along with the forms offered as a start for establishing contracts in your program. 

2. Take at least one self-assessment test in both categories (#1 and #2 above), using the links given.

3. Respond to the three prompts in the Discussion Forums 1,  2 and 3 (see link below) , and comment on at least one response by a colleague in each forum.

Forum 1:How do you presently help students become self-directed (independent) learners and how do you hope to reinforce that aspect in your teaching or program?

Forum 2: Report on your preferred learning styles and intelligences and comment on how that has affected your teaching.

Forum 3: Comment on how you would adapt/change the sample forms for self-directed learning for learners in your program.

Go to the Discussion Forum

NOTE: If you would like to send me your version for self-directed learning contracts as an attachment, I'll add it to our "downloadable" forms for others to use or adapt. Send to leecy@swadulted.com

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