Sandra Gonzalez EDTC 3320

Malcolm S. Knowles Malcolm S. Knowles was a central figure in US adult education in the second half of the twentieth century. In the 1950s he was the Executive Director of the Adult Education Association of the United States of America. In 1959, Mr. Knowles joined the staff at Boston University as an associate professor of adult education during which time he produced his key texts: The Modern Practice of Adult Education (1970) and The Adult Learner(1973). In 1974 he joined the faculty of the North Carolina State University, where Mr. Knowles was Professor Emeritus of Adult and Community College Education introducing the Adult Learning Theory. The theory is founded on the principles that effective training is relevant, engaged, active and learner-centered.

Adult Learning Theory Concepts Relevant – The experience or intended experience of the adult learner. As they mature, adults tend to prefer self-direction. The role of the instructor is to engage in a process of inquiry, analysis, and decision-making with adult learners, rather than to transmit knowledge. Engaged – The adult learner retains knowledge and concepts more readily if they are engaged in the process of discovery and exploration rather than being the recipient of information. Adults' experiences are a rich resource for learning. Active participation in planned experiences—such as discussions or problem solving exercises, an analysis of those experiences, and their application to work or life situations—should be the core methodology for training adults. Adults learn and retain information more easily if they can relate it to their reservoir of past experiences.

Adult Learning Theory Concepts (Continued) Active – the learning process should be active, and replicate as closely as possible the environment within which the skill or knowledge will be applied. Adults are aware of specific learning needs generated by real-life events such as marriage, divorce, parenting, taking a new job, losing a job, and so on. Adult learners' needs and interests are the starting points and serve as guideposts for training activities. Learner- Centered – The traditional classroom taught concerts and prepared students to pass tests and other measures of their progress. Adults are competency-based learners, meaning that they want to learn a skill or acquire knowledge that they can apply pragmatically to their immediate circumstances. Life or work-related situations present a more appropriate framework for adult learning than academic or theoretical approaches.

Dr. Robert Gagne Dr. Robert Gagne was an education psychologist best known for my "Conditions of Learning" which identified the mental conditions of learning and is considered to be a major contributor to the systematic approach of instructional design. Dr. Gagne earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Brown University in 1940. Later serving as Director of the U.S. Air Force Perceptual and Motor Skill Laboratory were he began developing my principles of the Learning Theory. Learning theory is summarized as The Gagne Assumption which states that for each of the different types of learning (learning goals) that exist different instructional conditions are required.

Theory of Instruction Five Types of Learning - learning is similar to processing it is sequential and builds on prior knowledge. Verbal Information Intellectual Skills Cognitive Strategies Motor Skills Attitude

Conditions of Learning: Theory of Instruction Conditions of Learning: attention of the learner Information learners of the objectives of the instruction Stimulus recall of prior learning Presenting the stimulus (causing the “need to learn”) Providing learning guidance (exit directions, process management) Eliciting performance (learning activities) Providing feedback (dialogue, questions, prompts to critical thinking) Assessing performance (both in the moment and end-state) Enhancing retention and transfer

Application of Theories The theories introduced by Dr. Gagne and Mr. Knowles are in practice and have direct impact in the instructional delivery within the Brownsville ISD’s Adult Continuing Education. The program forms their curriculum around the basis of these theories. In their curriculum they use real life issues to address such as doctor visits and grocery shopping or topics of interest for the population they service such as citizenship or work place literacy within their lessons. Additionally, the program uses Project Based Learning to encourages students to work as a group to present a project based on their personal interest or a topic that will be of interest to others within their community. This encourages learners to be active participants in their education.

Conclusion Adult learning is effective when it is meaningful to the learner. Adults bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives to any instructional setting and are most likely to be motivated when they see a connection to their own work or life. The Adult Education Theory and the Theory of Instruction give educators tools to better understand the adult learner and develop strategies that engage them in their learning.

Works Cited Lifelong Learning: A Dream: Malcolm Knowles. (n.d.). Retrieved from Johns Hopkins School of Education: http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/future/creating_the_future/crfut_knowles.cfm Adult Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from San Diego City College Military and Government Education Department: http://www.mysdcc.sdccd.edu/Staff/Instructor_Development/Content/HTML/Adult_Learning_Page1.htm Specht, P. (2008). Robert Gagne. Retrieved from Boise State University, College of Education: http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/spechtp/575/learningtheorist.html  Smith, M. K. (2002) 'Malcolm Knowles, informal adult education, self-direction and andragogy', Retrieved from the Encyclopedia of Informal Education, www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm.