Designing Innovative Faculty Development Initiatives Through the Lens of the Adult Learner

2021 ◽  
pp. 331-349
Author(s):  
Amy Gaimaro ◽  
Amy Lomellini
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Faculty Development ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Critical Areas ◽  
Adult Learning Theories ◽  
Theory Research

As adult learners, faculty bring a range of experiences, content knowledge, and motivations with regard to the learning environment. With the continued growth of online enrollment, colleges and universities are focusing on learning theory, course design, and pedagogical shifts for teaching in today's classroom. Faculty development staff can use adult learning theories to guide the creation of alternative ways to deliver professional development. The authors highlight instructional design and program assessment as critical areas in supporting quality faculty development programs. This chapter will discuss trends in online education, adult learning theory research, the role of the instructional designer, and assessment of faculty development programs.

Designing Innovative Faculty Development Initiatives Through the Lens of the Adult Learner

2019 ◽  
pp. 206-230
Author(s):  
Amy Gaimaro ◽  
Amy Lomellini
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Faculty Development ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Critical Areas ◽  
Adult Learning Theories ◽  
Theory Research

As adult learners, faculty bring a range of experiences, content knowledge, and motivations with regard to the learning environment. With the continued growth of online enrollment, colleges and universities are focusing on learning theory, course design, and pedagogical shifts for teaching in today's classroom. Faculty development staff can use adult learning theories to guide the creation of alternative ways to deliver professional development. The authors highlight instructional design and program assessment as critical areas in supporting quality faculty development programs. This chapter will discuss trends in online education, adult learning theory research, the role of the instructional designer, and assessment of faculty development programs.

Challenges, Issues, and Trends in Adult Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 48-75
Author(s):  
Jeng-Yang Wu
Keyword(s):  
Adult Education ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Adult Learning Theories

This chapter explores how adults think, learn, and apply knowledge in their daily lives to effectively design a curriculum, create activities, and integrate valuable technology into the course design. The chapter summarizes adult learning theories, including self-directed, transformative, and experiential learning, as well as the concept of andragogy. Instructors are provided with practical tools and methodologies which will help them to produce effective adult learning experiences.

Challenges, Issues, and Trends in Adult Education

2020 ◽  
pp. 90-117
Author(s):  
Jeng-Yang Wu
Keyword(s):  
Adult Education ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Adult Learning Theories

This chapter explores how adults think, learn, and apply knowledge in their daily lives to effectively design a curriculum, create activities, and integrate valuable technology into the course design. The chapter summarizes adult learning theories, including self-directed, transformative, and experiential learning, as well as the concept of andragogy. Instructors are provided with practical tools and methodologies which will help them to produce effective adult learning experiences.

Connecting Spiritual Formation and Adult Learning Theory: An Examination of Common Principles

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher B. Beard
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learning ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Christian Education ◽  
Spiritual Formation ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Adult Learning Theory ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Adult Learning Theories

In the realm of Christian education, the topic of adult spiritual formation has been broadly considered from the philosophical, theological, and practical viewpoints in order to aid spiritual formation practitioners in the design and execution of spiritual formation endeavors. Paralleling this body of literature is the vast topic of adult learning theory, examining the various ways adults learn. While the two disciplines seem to have potential commonalities, few works overtly identify them. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate connections between principles of spiritual formation and principles of adult learning theory found in the literature that have not previously been articulated, focusing on missional spiritual formation and the adult learning theories of andragogy and transformative learning.

Connecting theory and practice: reviewing six learning theories to inform online instruction

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 321-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Earl Brieger ◽  
Vishal Arghode ◽  
Gary McLean
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learning ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Online Instruction ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Instructional Designers ◽  
Proximal Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adult Learning Theories

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze six learning theories, beyond those presented in an earlier article by the authors, and discuss their relevance and application in online instruction. Design/methodology/approach The following databases were used to review the literature on adult learning theories: Academic Search Premier, ERIC and ProQuest. The following key search terms were used in the search process: online instruction, cognitivism, connectivism, heutagogy, social learning theory, transformative learning theory and Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development. The titles of the identified articles were first reviewed for relevance, followed by the abstract, before any further review for suitability for inclusion in this article. Findings The theory comparison revealed that it is critical to ascertain which learning theory best matches an instructional situation and the background of the learners. The selected learning theories differ in several parameters. The theories were critiqued for their contributions to identified elements in promoting learning. The discussed theories suggest ways to improve online learning environments. Research limitations/implications Many adult perspectives about learning, while called theories, are largely lacking in evidence leading to them becoming theories. Thus, there remains a need for empirical evidence of these theories and their roles in online instruction. Comparisons of the application of these theories for adult learners in online instruction would also be useful in establishing the effectiveness of the various learning theories in different adult learning situations. Practical implications This paper provides a theoretical lens for adult instructors and instructional designers in incorporating these adult learning theories appropriately in improving online instruction. Originality/value This literature review uniquely critiques and compares common adult theories as they apply to adult online instruction.

scholarly journals Leveraging adult learning theory with online tutorials

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Halpern ◽  
Chimene Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learning ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Adult Learning Theory ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Online Learners ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adult Learning Theories ◽  
Online Tutorials

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to apply adult-centered learning theories to online information literacy tutorials. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper that examines the application of adult learning theories to online information literacy tutorials. The application is supported by examples from the literature of libraries and higher education, and from the writers’ own experiences with designing online tutorials informed by adult learning theories. Findings – As online learners continue to be a growing population on our campuses, and as those online learners continue to be older than our traditional students, librarians must be prepared to design information literacy objects tailored to the unique learning styles of adults. Building from Knowles’ theory of andragogy, online tutorials that are informed by adult-centered strategies can be powerful tools for engaging with the adult online learner. Practical implications – This article gives a useful and comprehensive overview of adult learning theory as applied by education and library researchers. It also provides a specific example of how those theories can be implemented in online tutorials through the Information Literacy Toolkit the authors created. Originality/value – While there is literature on applying adult learning theory to library environments, little of it addresses how to do so in an asynchronous, self-paced tutorial. This is a contribution to the literature on asynchronous learning environments and suggests concrete ways to incorporate an adult-centered approach to digital learning objects.

Creating Sustainable Communities

2017 ◽  
pp. 94-110
Author(s):  
Christina Van Wingerden ◽  
Stan Goto ◽  
Misha Burstein
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learning ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Adult Learning Theory ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Sustainable Communities ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Organizational Environments ◽  
Adult Learning Theories

Generating investment in community is experience leaders seek to stimulate in academic, business, and organizational environments. Through the lens of adult learning theory, the authors propose a means for greater group commitment and sustainability which can help the field of strategic leadership and management. A case study of a graduate class who became a community of practice is presented as an example of adult learning theories and how they can enhance shared power and leadership for sustainable communities.

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS: THE FREQUENCY AND VARIETY OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO ONLINE INSTRUCTORS

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Heather Herman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Faculty Development ◽  
Online Instruction ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Online Instructors ◽  
Learning Development ◽  
Printed Materials

Online education is no longer a peripheral phenomenon in higher education: over one-third of faculty have taught or developed an online course. As institutions of higher education expand their online education offerings, administrators need to recognize that supporting faculty through the use of incentives and through effective faculty development programs for online instruction is important to the improvement of the quality of educational programs. This quantitative study used an online survey to investigate the types and frequency of faculty development programs for online instruction at institutions with an established teaching and learning development unit (TLDU). The average TLDU offered about fifteen different types of faculty development programs, the most common being websites, technical services, printed materials, and consultation with instructional design experts.

scholarly journals Novel coronavirus, novel faculty development programs: rapid transition to eLearning during the pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 446-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuber D. Mulla ◽  
Valerie Osland-Paton ◽  
Marco A. Rodriguez ◽  
Eduardo Vazquez ◽  
Sanja Kupesic Plavsic
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Faculty Development ◽  
El Paso ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
Academic Health Centers ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Rapid Transition ◽  
Texas Tech University ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

AbstractThe novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a rapid and massive transition to online education. We describe the response of our Office of Faculty Development at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC EP) to this unprecedented challenge during and after this post-pandemic crisis. The initiatives for emergency transition to eLearning and faculty development described in this paper may serve as a model for other academic health centers, schools, colleges and universities.

Theorizing African American Women’s Learning and Development

2012 ◽  
pp. 38-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilyn Y. Byrd ◽  
Dominique T. Chlup
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Predominantly White ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Adult Learning Theories ◽  
Women's Narratives

This study is a qualitative, interpretative examination of nine African American women’s encounters with race, gender, and social class (intersectionality) in predominantly white organizations and the learning experiences that emerged from these encounters. Rather than continuing to operate from a Eurocentric view of learning, this study contributes to the scholarly discussion the learning perspectives of African American Women (AAW). Black feminist theory is used as a socio-cultural framework to explain how AAW learn from issues emerging from intersectionality. A narrative approach to inquiry was the research strategy employed. Three major learning orientations emerged from the women’s narratives: learning from influential sources, learning through divine guidance, and learning through affirmation of self. The authors contend that expanding the conversation of adult learning theories to include socio-cultural theories derived from black women’s scholarship may be necessary to move the field of adult education toward more inclusive ways of theorizing adult learning. Implications for the field of adult education and the emerging workforce diversity paradigm are provided.

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