Adult learners and higher education: A study of interests and needs in rural Iowa

1975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Harper Apt
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-370
Author(s):  
Sufirmansyah Sufirmansyah

This article examines the actualization of andragogical learning strategies for higher education in disruption era. Disruption era as an effect of globalization demands optimal integrity of an individual so that they can live their lives well. College students as adult learners are expected to be able to interpret and work around so that the learning they do can run effectively for their future. The library research qualitative approach is chosen in order to compile various relevant references related to andragogical learning strategies in a holistic manner. Based on studies from several references, it can be concluded that andragogy is very relevant to the needs of college students as adult learners. Desire to learn, ability to learn, means to learn, and need to learn become the consideration of the relevance of the concept of andragogy to the needs of college students. On the other hand, the principle of andragogy is also very synergistic with the development of learning independence from a learner. The development of a very rapid disruption era led to changes in learning patterns, from teacher centered to student centered. The andragogical learning process must consider the learner's needs and some aspects of individuality as uniqueness and potential that must be developed. The assumptions that underlie andagoogical learning strategies in tertiary institutions are that students must understand their learning orientation, have a responsible self-concept, learn their life experiences, realize their readiness to learn, learn in concrete, and strengthen their intrinsic motivation. The actualization of andragogical learning strategies can be maximized by studying the learning process contextually, increasing participation in learning, and utilizing the advancement of science and technology. The internet must be optimized as a learning aid so that college students can understand the current conditions of the environment that they will face in the real world. Thus, the demands of the disruption era can be overcome through the actualization of andragogical learning strategies. تبحث هذه المقالة في تفعيل استراتيجيات التعلم الاندروجرافية للتعليم العالي في عصر الاضطراب. إن عصر الاضطراب كأثر للعولمة يتطلب سلامة مثالية للفرد حتى يتمكنوا من عيش حياتهم بشكل جيد. من المتوقع أن يتمكن الطلاب والمتعلمون فى الجامعة من التأويل والعمل حتى يتمكنوا من التعلم بفعالية من أجل مستقبلهم. يتم اختيار نهج نوعية البحث المكتبية من أجل تجميع مختلف المراجع ذات الصلة المتعلقة باستراتيجيات التعلم الاندروجرافية andragogical بطريقة شاملة. استنادًا إلى دراسات من عدة مراجع ، يمكن استنتاج أن الاندروجرافية وثيقة الصلة باحتياجات الطلاب كمتعلمين بالغين. الرغبة في التعلم ، والقدرة على التعلم ، ووسائل التعلم ، والحاجة إلى التعلم تصبح النظر في أهمية مفهوم الاندروجرافية andragogy لاحتياجات الطلاب. من ناحية أخرى ، فإن مبدأ الاندروجرافية هو أيضا تآزري للغاية مع تطوير استقلالية التعلم من المتعلم. أدى تطور عصر سريع للغاية من الاضطراب إلى تغييرات في أنماط التعلم ، من المعلم الذي يركز على الطلاب. يجب أن تؤخذ عملية التعلم الاندروجرافية بعين الاعتبار عن احتياجات المتعلم وبعض جوانب الفردية كالتفرد والإمكانات التي يجب تطويرها. إن الافتراضات التي تكمن وراء استراتيجيات التعلم الاندروجرافية في مؤسسات التعليم العالي هي أن الطلاب يجب أن يفهموا توجههم التعلمي ، وأن يكون لديهم مفهوم ذاتي عن المسؤول ، وأن يتعلموا خبرات حياتهم ، وأن يدركوا استعدادهم للتعلم ، والتعلم بشكل ملموس ، وتعزيز دافعهم الداخلي. يمكن تعظيم الاستفادة من استراتيجيات التعلم الاندروجرافية من خلال دراسة عملية التعلم في السياق ، وزيادة المشاركة في التعلم ، والاستفادة من تقدم العلوم والتكنولوجيا. يجب تحسين الإنترنت كمساعدات تعليمية حتى يتمكن الطلاب من فهم الظروف الحالية للبيئة التي سيواجهونها في العالم الحقيقي. وبالتالي ، يمكن التغلب على متطلبات عصر الاضطراب من خلال تفعيل استراتيجيات التعلم الاندروجرافية. Artikel ini mengkaji aktualisasi strategi pembelajaran andragogis bagi pendidikan tinggi di era disrupsi. Era disrupsi sebagai efek globalisasi menuntut integritas optimal dari seorang individu agar mereka dapat menjalani kehidupan dengan baik. Mahasiswa sebagai pembelajar dewasa diharapkan mampu memaknai sekaligus menyiasati agar pembelajaran yang mereka lakukan dapat berjalan secara efektif demi masa depan mereka. Pendekatan kualitatif berjenis library research dipilih dalam rangka merangkai berbagai referensi yang relevan terkait dengan strategi pembelajaran andragogis secara holistik. Berdasarkan kajian dari beberapa referensi, dapat disimpulkan bahwa andragogi sangat relevan dengan kebutuhan mahasiswa sebagai pembelajar dewasa. Desire to learn, ability to learn, means to learn, serta need to learn menjadi pertimbangan relevansi konsep andragogi dengan kebutuhan mahasiswa. Di sisi lain, prinsip andragogi juga sangat sinergis dengan pengembangan kemandirian belajar dari seorang pembelajar. Perkembangan era disrupsi yang sangat pesat mendorong perubahan pola pembelajaran, dari teacher centered menju student centered. Proses pembelajaran andragogis harus mempertimbangkan kebutuhan pembelajar serta beberapa aspek individualitasnya sebagai keunikan dan potensi yang harus dikembangkan. Asumsi yang mendasari strategi pembelajaran andragoogis di perguruan tinggi diantaranaya yaitu mahasiswa harus memahami orientasi belajarnya, memiliki konsep diri yang bertanggung jawab, mempelajari pengalaman hidupnya, menyadari kesiapan belajarnya, belajar secara konkret, serta menguatkan motivasi intrinsiknya. Adapun aktualisasi strategi pembelajaran andragogis dapat dimaksimalkan dengan cara mengkaji proses pembelajaran secara kontekstual, meningkatkan partisipasi dalam pembelajaran, serta memanfaatkan kemajuan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi. Internet harus dioptimalkan sebagai alat bantu pembelajaran agar mahasiswa dapat memahami kondisi terkini dari lingkungan yang ia akan hadapi di dunia nyata. Dengan demikian, tuntutan era disrupsi dapat diatasi melalui aktualisasi strategi pembelajaran andragogis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaw Owusu-Agyeman ◽  
Magda Fourie-Malherbe ◽  
Liezel Frick

Adult learners have unique educational needs that require attention from Higher Education Institutions, facilitators and industry. While several theories and policies have been developed to address the bourgeoning educational challenges confronting adult learners in Higher Education Institutions, not much has been achieved in the wake of growing knowledge and skills demands of employers. Using a mixed method approach, a survey (n = 200) and focus group discussions (n = 27) were conducted among adult learners who were also professionals studying engineering programmes in three diverse universities in Ghana. Additionally, interviews were conducted with representatives from industry and from the three engineering departments in the three universities. The study revealed that while the development of separate programmes for adult learners in Higher Education Institutions is not plausible in meeting the educational needs of adult learners, a different pedagogy could be used in addressing the unique knowledge and skills needs of adult learners. We present the implications of our study in relation to theory, practice and further research.


Author(s):  
Victor X. Wang ◽  
Valerie A. Storey

To serve a significant portion of the student population, adult learners, in the academy in the 21st century, this chapter argues that online education (e-learning) has the potential to open wider the door to greater access and advancement for learners across their life spans than the traditional four walled classroom. Some of the major issues revolving around online education and adult learners, such as policy, access, completion, and equity, are addressed in this chapter. The purpose of this chapter is to identify future technology trends, and then show how we can rely on practice and research to harness the great yet untapped potential of online education to promote online education programs, especially among adult learners. Policy, access, completion, and equity must be well addressed if online adult education is to be employed effectively and efficiently.


Author(s):  
Priscilla Bamba

From the simplest cell phone to virtual reality headsets, students today are bombarded by technology, so this is bound to affect their expectations in the learning environment and the way they relate to cognitive challenges. Today's culture is an immersion of advanced methods of communicating with each other and with their instructors. Adult learners who return to the world of higher education after having been away for some time have often felt the need to strive harder to show they fit into that world. With a broader worldview, more responsibilities, and often more wisdom gained from having held jobs, sometimes for years, they also bring a richer way of relating to the academic world. At the same, time, though, sometimes responsibilities, including full family lives, limit their time and energy they are capable of devoting to studying and completing assignments.


Author(s):  
David Deggs

Student activism is mostly thought of as an activity that engages and motivates the traditional-aged students in American higher education to action. The emergence of student activism in the 1960s occurred when enrollment in American higher education was still primarily limited to youth from middle- and upper-class families. The demographics of American higher education have shifted, and the adult learner or non-traditional student now represents a significant amount, if not the majority, of most campus populations. The adult learner brings unique perspective to the higher education classroom based upon their real-world experiences that directly impacts their values, beliefs, and ideas about societal issues. Adult learners in American higher education have the potential to change the ways, means, and longstanding outcomes related to activism in American higher education.


Author(s):  
Mitra Fallahi

This chapter is a review of the goals of the adult learners, with a focus on factors that impact the learning process. Principles of education of adult learners are discussed. There are various effective strategies for instruction; however, regardless of the strategies developed, instruction of adults at any level in higher education must facilitate learners' paths toward achieving their goals in pursuing higher education. In teaching adult learners, some factors impacting the learner that require consideration are discussed.


Author(s):  
Deirdre Conway ◽  
David Deggs ◽  
Kelyn Rola

American higher education is currently experiencing a convergence of three trends: a rise in adult learners as the largest population of students on college campuses, an increased focus on academic STEM degree programs and credentials, and the proliferation of promise programs that provide financial assistance to students. Community colleges as open access institutions are at the nexus of where these three trends converge and thrive. This chapter provides an overview of these three trends with recommendations for practice to guide community college leaders and faculty who are charged with management of these three trends during this unique time in higher education.


Author(s):  
Melissa L. McCartney ◽  
Mary A. Tkatchov

Andragogy, also known as adult learning theory, and backward design are not new concepts in higher education, but often the two are not layered together cohesively, or the misconceptions about adult learning theory and backward design stymie the design process. The purpose of this chapter is to present a course design model for faculty, administrators, and design team professionals to apply andragogy to backward design in a layered approach to better support adult learners. This chapter explores the application of backward design and andragogy in higher education with these essential questions: How are andragogy and backward design applied in higher education course design? How can considerations of andragogy strengthen the backward design model? What misconceptions about backward design and adult learning theory underly current practices?


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