Adult Learning Methods in Health Education Institutions

The research aims to identify learning styles in health education institutions. The analysis was applied in post-secondary health schools, identifying in addition to the general characteristics of the group, particular aspects of the Kolb model, which determines the belonging to a learning style. The research tool used was Kolb's questionnaire, it was applied in two health education units, in order to be able to capture possible differences between the learning styles present in the respondents of the general nurse specialization. It should be noted that the emphasis was on the four learning styles present in Kolb's model, as this model is the best known and it is still widely used in research. The study highlighted the fact that there is a diversity of learning styles identified within these health education institutions that depend to a greater or lesser extent on the age of the respondents. This research can be extended, being able to be applied in several post-secondary health education units in order to increase the degree of accuracy, the study can be carried out both in state or private health education units, thus increasing the complexity and will be able to obtain even more relevant results.

Europa Universalis IV and Deep Learning: Historical Accuracy, Counterfactuals and Historical Themes

This article examines issues encountered with Europa Universalis IV (EUIV) in terms of teaching history in adult learning. The article identifies the educational limitations of the game, as well as the types of history that can be learnt from it. The data collected from participant responses is examined in terms of an ongoing concern regarding the balancing of historical accuracy and gameplay in EUIV. In this discussion about balance, participants raise common concerns about the historical abstraction, historical misinformation and counterfactual elements within EUIV. Nonetheless, the article argues that despite these ahistorical elements, EUIV can still potentially portray many of history’s larger trends and influences. Given the portrayal of these trends in-game, the article examines the pedagogical utility of the game in terms of narrative engagements with history and the promotion of deeper forms of learning.

Andragogy and the Socratic Method of Instruction

This chapter focuses on the connection between the Socratic Method and the foundational elements of andragogy as defined by Malcolm Knowles. This chapter will also explore the benefits of implementing Knowles' two foundational elements of andragogy consisting of his six assumptions and his eight design processes. Also explored is the implementation of Knowles' learning contract within the Socratic Method as a way to enhance the adult learner learning experience. In addition, this chapter includes references to John Henschke and his Building Blocks of Adult Learning and how they also support the Socratic Method of instruction.

Coaching Components That Create Success

This chapter begins with an explanation of coaching and a brief overview of the benefits of coaching. Next, the characteristics of adult learners are described through adult learning theories and principles that provide the foundation for successful coaching. Evidence-based components from research of coaching are presented with practical strategies for implementation. For example, activities such as building rapport, developing and monitoring goals, conducting observations through video, and providing reflective feedback are presented. Additionally, real-world scenarios from the field for both pre-service and practicing teachers are included. The goal is to equip teacher educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement aspects of coaching into any class or PD to increase teacher success and student learning.

Non-formal adult education coordinators as developers of educational activities and community interaction

The growing importance of communities and community interaction is witnessed by the growing interest in these areas: in the emphasis on community development and in the need to bring educational and social services closer to local communities, both at the level of the European Union and at the political level of each of its member countries. Analyzing the community interactions active involvement in community functions, concern and trust in its people, and a look into the future are emphasized. The choice of the research methodology was determined by the aim of the research – to reveal the functions of non-formal learning coordinators of adult learning in municipalities as those of the developers of learning and community developers through their work experience. The analysis of the data highlighted the role of coordinators as community activators and community developers, bringing together adult learning groups, involving young people, gymnasium students, and volunteers in the implementation of training, through local non-formal education providers.

Optimal Experience in Adult Learning: Conception and Validation of the Flow in Education Scale (EduFlow-2)

While the formulation of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's theory of flow, including the experience dimensions, has remained stable since its introduction in 1975, its dedicated measurement tools, research methodologies, and fields of application, have evolved considerably. Among these, education stands out as one of the most active. In recent years, researchers have examined flow in the context of other theoretical constructs such as motivation. The resulting work in the field of education has led to the development of a new model for understanding flow experience in education, specifically dedicated to adult learning. As a result of both a meticulous analysis of existing models and consideration of more recent developments, a new flow scale has thus been developed. The aim of this study is therefore twofold: to validate the new flow measurement scale dedicated to the educational environment, EduFlow-2, and to test a new theoretical model. Students taking a course (N = 6,596), some on-site and others in a MOOC, participated. Several scales were administered online at the end of the participants' course during the 2017 academic year. The factor structure of EduFlow-2 was tested using Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling. Several models were tested. The model with a second-order factor best fit the data. We tested the invariance of the flow scale measure for gender and for the type of training (MOOC/on-site). We were able to show that the flow scale is invariant of the modalities of these two variables. Results revealed good psychometric qualities for the scale, making it suitable for both on-site and distance learning. The analysis also revealed significant relationships with the classic variables of motivation, self-efficacy, learning climate, and life satisfaction. Furthermore, all four dimensions of the model were found to be adequate and consistent with the underlying theoretical arguments. In the end, this new, short flow scale and the theoretical model were demonstrated to be promising for future studies in the field of education.

Adult learning facilitators' professional identity: An exploratory review based on a selection of empirical studies

This paper is an exploratory review of selected literature that focused on adult learning facilitators' professional identity. We employed the snow-ball technique for selection and followed the review protocol by Beijaard, Meijer, and Verloop (2004) to explore empirical studies that discussed how professional identity is defined, what constructs encompass professional identity, which methodologies are relevant when studying professional identity and what are adult learning facilitators' common characteristics as professionals. Our review shows that the studies included have a common understanding of professional identity: it is conceived of as a dynamic construct which encompasses job motivation and future vision as well. Narrative interview with biographical perspectives was used as the main research method in all the reviewed studies. This exploratory review offers a set of perspectives which could be considered as entry points into an in-depth (empirical) study of adult learning facilitators' identity formation in various regional and national contexts.

Interrogating Values of Adult Education Practice in Hong Kong

The practice of adult learning and education (ALE) in Hong Kong is lesser known to the wider community of ALE practitioners due to lack of exchanges with international peers. There is a small community of full-time ALE practitioners working mainly in university continuing education schools but a larger body of uncharacterised or alternative practitioners can also be found. Essentially, both types of practitioners are conservative in their outlook and they adopt strategies that align with market needs and priorities set by public funders. Under the backdrop of neoliberalism which has harmonised ALE practice worldwide, a dominant form of individualised learning makes it difficult to promote group learning for societal advancement. ALE practitioners in Hong Kong are no exception to this influence and have been found to profess philosophical orientations favouring the behaviourist/narrowed progressivist notions of learner empowerment for economic and personal gains. Given recent worldwide renewed enthusiasm in making ALE responsive to societal issues, this paper examines the options and learning areas that ALE practitioners in Hong Kong can make their contributions to, such as: health advocacy, climate justice, and media literacy. Through engaging in these aspects of work, practitioners will have to incorporate methods of facilitating group learning in formal and non-formal ALE programmes and courses. An embrace by practitioners of the original notion of progressivist philosophy in adult education may emerge as one of the outcomes to make ALE practice inclusive, relevant and socially responsible. Even with the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, it is deemed even more pressing to pursue a balanced practice approach that can take care of individual's skills transformation for post-COVID economy as well as developing human bonds that would help to make society progressive as a countercheck to neoliberal-inspired individualistic adult learning.