Adult Theory Paper

Submitted By nnewson3
Words: 772
Pages: 4

Adult Learning Theory Paper

INFT 101

August 15, 2013

Summary
Adults learning has long been an area of study. When they feel others imposing, ideas or action on them adults learners resist learning (Fidishun, 2000). Adults have specific ways of learning that may be different ways because we are older. There are conflicting perspectives on adult learning as it relates itself from early childhood development practices and overall approaches to learning. “Adults learning theories provide insight into how adults learn, and can help instructors be more effective in their practice and more responsive to the needs of the learners they serve”.
In the first article the author’s talks about the different theories and the effects of the theory and the different age groups. Schraw and Moshman (1995) lay out three metacognitive framework that identify how people structure their own learning theories. The three frameworks are tacit theory, informal theory, and formal theory. I can relate to the article because when I finished high school, I wasn’t sure about college because of money issues the only thing I was worried about was working. But getting into the job world wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted a career, but wasn’t sure if I could handle work and school. Because adult learners may not be aware they have existing learning strategies, using learning self -assessment protocols.
The second article is about biology education in the post-secondary setting is inundated with teachers who know biology backward and forward but lack the skills to effectively teach that knowledge to others. Adults are internally motivated and self-directed. I believe that to create a positive learning environment for students, we need to understand the ways in which learning occurs. Also adults have specific ways of learning that may be different from those of younger learners. According to Linda Elder (2004), students thus become intellectually responsible in their approach to thinking through problems and issues, by learning, for example, to take into account all relevant viewpoints whether or not those viewpoints agree with their own or the viewpoints of the age groups which they belong.
In the two articles they compare to each other, the first article talks about the different ideas of learning such as andragogy, self-directed learning, transformational learning and experiential learning. I can say that I’m a very self-directed learner the article explains self-directed learning as taking responsibility for their own actions, and resist having information arbitrarily imposed on them. I know that it’s my responsibility when it come times to do a test or an assignment and to learn the material that I need to do that. The second article talks about the ideas of learning too but goes on to talk about how adult learning theory comes from the organizational development (OD) field where the focus on learning theory is seen as a way of provide employees with the tools they need to perform better in the work place which is andragogy and adult learning theory.
Reflection