Who is the Adult Learner
Task
The fact that they have completed a life
changing event called high school graduation will not occur to some recent high
school graduates until the month of September following their high school graduation
ceremonies. As this September
approaches some of their past high school friends will be departing for
colleges located miles from their homes. Others will be starting full time jobs
with different companies. Still others will be making plans to attend local
colleges or trade schools to begin learning their new careers. With so much happening in the short
period of time between high school graduation and the new lives they must now
choose it is not surprising that some students have a difficult time accepting
this change.
Colleges require entering freshmen to
attend orientation classes to help in the adjustment from child centered
learning to adult centered learning. These orientation classes explain the new
terms and procedures that entering students will encounter. GPAs, quality
points, probation, dismissal, Deans, advisors, financial aid, electives and the
list goes on. This WebQuest is part of the college orientation to the world of
the adult learner with specific advice on how to succeed in this adult world.
This WebQuest
will explore the world of the adult learner. Students will work in groups of
four students for each group. Each group will explore the differences between
the adult learner and the child learner. Each group will develop recommendations
on how students can be successful in the adult world
of learning. Each group will develop and present to the class a PowerPoint
presentation on their findings on the adult learner.
Each group will review
information about the adult learner found at 
various sites on the Internet. Information
may also be obtained from both local and school libraries. The groups will answer the following
questions:
1. List four differences between
the adult learner (andragogy) and the
child
learner (pedagogy)?
2. List five reasons why
adults seek out a learning experience?
3. What types of courses do
adults prefer not to attend?
4. List four reasons why
adults may find learning difficult.
5. List three reasons why
adults prefer online learning to traditional
classroom
learning.
6. What are four differences between
education in high school and
education in college?
Listed below are several sites that contain information on the
adult learner.
You are not limited to only these sites. These sites contain
information about the adult learner that will assist you in answering the
assigned questions.
http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/adults-2.htm
http://literacy.kent.edu/~nebraska/curric/ttim1/aaal.html
http://www.studygs.net/adulted.htm
http://www.uu.edu/CENTERS/FACULTY/resources/article.cfm?ArticleID=117
http://www.asrt.org/Media/Pdf/ForEducators/1_InstructionalTheory/1.4Motivating.pdf
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2/content_storage_01/0000000b/80/33/7a/6f.pdf
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JOTS/Summer-Fall-2000/holmes.html
Each group will rate the contributions made
by each of the other group members. These ratings will be written in private
and not transmitted to the other group members. The results of the member
evaluations will be given to the instructor and will be used to help determine
each member's grade. The following rubric will be used to evaluate the results
of each group's research.
|
Assignment |
Well Done |
Acceptable |
Needs Improvement |
Total Points |
|
Differences between Andragogy and Pedagogy |
5 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
Reasons why adults seek out
a learning experience |
5 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
Why adults may find
learning difficult |
5 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
Why adults prefer online
learning to traditional classroom learning |
5 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
Differences between High
School Education and College Education |
5 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
Design of the PowerPoint
presentation |
5 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
Actual Presentation With participation of all
members |
5 |
3 |
1 |
|
We spend most of our lives as adults. Some people state that the 
rapid rate of change in today's society
will require frequent learning of new skills by adults. If this statement is
true then understanding how adults learn will assist educators in developing
learning material that will help adults learn. Understanding how adults learn
will also help the adult learner in preparing themselves for the classroom
environment whether virtual or physical. This WebQuest
therefore has hopefully made you more aware of the new world of the adult
learner you now find yourself becoming a member of. Look around at the other members in your
classes. You will notice that they are not all the same age. Some are your age
but others are older. Some might even be called "old". There is no
age limit for the adult learner. There is no time limit for the adult learner.
Some take many years to complete the graduation requirements others complete
these requirements in less time. Some are part time students others are full
time students.
Some will drop out of college before the semester completes others
will stay. The one thing that is constant with the adult learner is change.
Knowles, M. (1980). The modern practice of adult education.
