EDUC 1210: Adult Learning Theory

Defining Adult Learners

●No formal consensus on what
defines an adult learner

●Adult learners tend to be students
aged 25 years or older

●They are usually employed
full-time

●Tend to have more work-related
experience than traditional
students

Questions

(1)

What are the demographics of your
students?

(2)

Are your students considered traditional
and/or non-traditional students?

(3)

How do you get to know more about
your students?

Defining Adult Learners

Knowles’ (1984) identified four major characteristics of adult learners:

(1)

They are self-directed, take responsibility for their own actions, and
resist having information arbitrarily imposed on them.

(2)

They have an extensive depth of experience, which serves as a critical
component in the foundation of their self-identity.

(3)

They are ready to learn. As most adult learners return to college
voluntarily, they are likely to actively engage in the learning process.

(4)

They are task motivated. Adult students returning to college attend for a
specific goal and the primary component of their motivational drive tends
to be internal (as cited by Kenner & Weinerman, 2011, pp. 88-89)

Defining Andragogy

Defined as the "art and science of teaching adults"

(1) Adults have more control and more responsibility of their own learning.

(2) Application of learning becomes more immediate and more problem-centered.

(3) Adults tend to be motivated to learn internally.

Defining Equity

EQUITY seeks to ensure fair
treatment, equality of opportunity,
and fairness in access to
information and resources for all.
We believe this is only possible in
an environment built on respect
and dignity.

What can you do to mitigate bias?

●Conscious attitudes and beliefs can change so become aware of your own
prejudices and biases.

●Community matters! Include members from diverse communities in shared
goals and tasks.

●Commit to change! One way you can commit to change is to engage in
becoming more culturally competent.

Resource: https://www.learningforjustice.org/professional-development/test-yourself-for-hidden-bias

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

●Human beings are motivated by goal
accomplishment.

●Achieving goals allows humans to meet
their individual wants and needs.

●Needs are mentally prioritized in order
of importance

●Higher needs become increasingly
psychological and long-term rather
than physiological and short-term, as
in the lower survival-related needs.

Questions

(1)

How do you think Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs relates to
teaching and learning?

(2)

How to you think Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs relates to
adult learners specifically?

How can we build community?

●Let students have a voice

●Give daily shoutouts or compliments

●Work together towards a common goal

●Focus on gratitude

●Hold weekly conferences/meetings

●Allow students to interact both face-to-face
and in online settings

●Build trust

●Learn students’ names

●Model behaviors of building respect and
trust

Factors Affecting Student Engagement

●Family support

●Campus culture

●Lack of resources

●Financial stability

●Poor self-esteem

●Class size

●Etc.

What other factors can you
think of that affect your student
engagement?

Internal factors that influence motivation

BASIC HUMAN NEEDS - We are more motivated to learn when our basic
psychological needs are being met (e.g. comfortable and content)

●We have the need to be stimulated

■We all strive for that optimal level of stimulation where we feel best

■Different: sensation seekers → need cognitive stimulation

■This is why students engage in off-task behaviors

●We have the need to feel competent and self-worthy

■Protecting those feelings is highest priority

■This is why we need other people’s approval

■This is why we tend to avoid failure -- success is so important!

●We need autonomy

■“I want to do this” vs. “I have to do this”

Internal factors that influence motivation

●We need to feel connected to other people & secure their love and respect

■This is why some people place high priority on public image, looking
good in eyes of others (esp. early adolescence)

●We are more interested in school when our basic psychological needs are
met

■Intrinsic motivation = participation is its own reward; more likely to
achieve; more likely to lose track of time;

■Extrinsic motivation = participation leads to a desired reward

■Most of us a driven by a combination

Bad news: Most elementary students are highly motivated. Motivation declines between 3-9 grades.

Motivation is defined as the desire to achieve a goal or a certain performance level, leading to
goal-directed behavior.

Ability—or having the skills and knowledge required to perform the job—is also important and is
sometimes the key determinant of effectiveness.

Question: What sort of environmental factors might affect student performance?

Additional Strategies for Motivating Students

●Become a role model for student interest

●Get to know your students

●Use a variety of instructional strategies

●Set realistic performance goals

●Be free with praise and constructive with criticism

●Give students choices

Sources:
●Bain, K. (2004). What the best college teachers do. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press.

●DeLong, M., & Winter, D. (2002). Learning to teach and teaching to learn
mathematics: Resources for professional development. Washington, D.C.: Mathematical
Association of America.

What is Learning Theory?

●Learning theories attempt to explain or predict learning.
Instructional designers must do more than just provide
sources for adult learning.

●They must be aware of the theories that have paved the
way for adult education, reflect upon these theories, and
cultivate a learning experience that encourages learners’
perspectives and moves the learner into considerable
self-reflection.

●Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism are
frameworks that provide a theoretical basis for
instructional design procedures.

Behaviorism

Cognitivism

Constructivism

Behaviorism

Behaviorism is primarily concerned with observable and measurable aspects of human behavior.
In defining behavior, behaviorist learning theories emphasize changes in behavior that result from

stimulus-response associations made by the learner.

Examples of Behaviorism in the Adult Learning Classroom

●Teacher leads the class through a topic
(often called “modeling”).

●Students listen silently.

●Teacher then sets a task based on the
information. Students complete the task
and await feedback.

●The teacher gives feedback, then sets the
next task.

●With each round of feedback, the student
is being conditioned to learn the material.

Question:

Can you think of any other examples
of behaviorism you’ve seen utilized in
adult learning classrooms?

Cognitivism (Cognitive Learning

Theory)

Cognitivism concentrates on how a person's mind receives, organizes, saves and retrieves

information. Cognitivists believe that the human mind functions like an information processor or

computer. Therefore, the cognitivist approach looks beyond noticeable behaviour, considering

learning as an internal mental process.

Learning = change in neurons &
connections
It is about creating, eliminating
and strengthening connections;

Thinking = creates a lot of
cognitive processes; it influences
learning

Implications

● Think twice before you text and drive
● Multitasking is a myth - it actually hurts learning

(only when non-complex thinking is involved)

● This is why we need to deal with disruptive behavior in

the classroom

● Attention span = number of years; never > 20 min
● Give them time to write things down

Constructivism

Constructivism is an important learning theory that educators use to help their students learn.
Constructivism is based on the idea that people actively construct or make their own knowledge,

and that reality is determined by your experiences as a learner. Basically, learners use their

previous knowledge as a foundation and build on it with new things that they learn.

Constructivism

●Knowledge is constructed

●Learning involves constructing meaning

●Learning is an active process

●Learning is a social activity

●Learning is contextual

●Knowledge is personal

●Motivation is key to learning

Implications for Constructivism in the Classroom

(1)

Elicit prior knowledge
New knowledge is created in relation to learners’ pre-existing knowledge. Lessons, therefore, require
eliciting relevant prior knowledge. Activities include: pre-tests, informal interviews and small group
warm-up activities that require recall of prior knowledge.

(2)

Create cognitive dissonance
Assign problems and activities that will challenge students. Knowledge is built as learners encounter novel
problems and revise existing schemas as they work through the challenging problem.

(3)

Apply knowledge with feedback
Encourage students to evaluate new information and modify existing knowledge. Activities should allow for
students to compare pre-existing schema to the novel situation. Activities might include presentations,
small group or class discussions, and quizzes.

(4)

Reflect on learning
Provide students with an opportunity to show you (and themselves) what they have learned. Activities
might include: presentations, reflexive papers or creating a step-by-step tutorial for another student.

Multiple Intelligences Theory

●Developed in 1983 by Howard Gardner, a
developmental psychologist

●His theory of multiple intelligences is a
critique of standard intelligence theory
which relates to traditional measures like
IQ tests

●Proposes that different people are
intelligent in different domains

Intelligence

●Giftedness, Talent

●Historically, intelligence has been seen as an ability that affects performance

●Speed at acquiring new knowledge

●Intelligent people are:
○Adaptive

○Have high learning ability

○Have ability to use prior knowledge to understand new knowledge

○Have ability to engage complex reasoning processes

○Different across cultures (i.e. Intelligence is culture specific)
■Intelligence changes through experience

Multiple Intelligences ARE NOT Learning Styles.

They are intellectual strengths!

Let’s read the following article to
figure out why…

Multiple Intelligences Are Not
Learning Styles

Other Practical Applications

● Incorporate all of the different multiple intelligences at least once a week. Create a weekly
checklist with all eight intelligences so you make sure you’re using a comprehensive multiple
intelligence strategy in class.

● When planning interventions for struggling students, discover what their strengths are as
connected to the multiple intelligences theory. If a child has strong spatial intelligence but poor
linguistic skills, for example, you may be able to use their strengths to teach difficult concepts.

●Individualize your teaching as much as possible. Instead of “one size fits all,” learn as much as
you can about each student, and teach each person in ways that they find comfortable and learn
effectively.