Class 2 Adlt 601 Fall 09

The Adult The Adult LearnerLearner

Class Session 2 – August Class Session 2 – August 27, 200927, 2009

Cyril Houle’s Cyril Houle’s The Inquiring MindThe Inquiring Mind

• Examined 22 cases of men and women who engaged in continuing learning

• Wanted to find out– Why?– How they perceived themselves?– How they were perceived by others?

CommonalitiesCommonalities

DifferencesDifferences

• Varied in major purpose or values of continuing education

Goal Oriented

ActivityOriented

Learning Oriented

Goal Oriented

• Education was a means of accomplishing clear-cut objectives– Learning in episodes

– Always purpose-driven

– Not restricted to one institution or one method

– Expressed desire to “keep minds active”

– Reading focused on well-defined interests

• Found meaning in learning activity unrelated to content or stated purpose

– Course-takers in search of social contact

– Socially acceptable place for meeting others/making friends

– Most not big readers

– Some escaping from personal problems or unhappy relationships

ActivityOriented

• Seek knowledge for its own sake as a constant activity

– Preoccupied with lifelong learning - “driven”

– An “itch” to learn

– Avid readers since childhood

– Each educational experience has a goal, but the total pattern is one of continuous participation

Learning Oriented

Others’ PerceptionsOthers’ Perceptions

The Changing Context for The Changing Context for LearningLearning

The The Changing Changing

Context for Context for LearningLearning

Informal and Incidental Learning Informal and Incidental Learning from Experiencefrom Experience

Formal LearningFormal Learning– Institutionalized learning within the educational system

Nonformal LearningNonformal Learning– Organized learning activities outside of the formal educational

system

Informal Learning Informal Learning – Spontaneous, unstructured learning that occurs in everyday

activity – Can be planned or unplanned, but usually conscious

awareness that learning is taking place

Incidental LearningIncidental Learning– A by-product of some other activity; usually unintentional,

unexamined, and embedded in closely held belief systems

Marsick and Watkins’ definitions, 1990, 1992Marsick and Watkins’ definitions, 1990, 1992

Incidental LearningIncidental Learning

The Fields of Lifelong Learning The Fields of Lifelong Learning (Reischmann, 1986)(Reischmann, 1986)

Adult Learning

Intentional: Adult Education

Not intended: “En Passant”

Outside directed:schooling

Self-directed:learning project

Planned, but learning not main reason Within life

routines

Unplanned, just “happens”

Action and Reflection in LearningAction and Reflection in Learning

Presence of Reflection

Presence of Action

Absence of Action

Absence of Reflection