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[guitar music]
This is AEDT1170U,
Psychological Foundations and Digital Technology.
Module 2 video clip 2.2.
The second part of Psychology of Adult Learners.
It's important to remember that there's no single theory
of the psychology of adult learning that explains all of human learning.
Instead, we have a number of different frameworks or models
that help us to understand how adults learn,
and each of these frameworks contributes something
to our understanding of the psychology of the adult learner.
While andragogy, studied in the previous clip,
is one of the major theories,
today we will look at some alternate models.
Here are the guiding questions for this video.
Can you describe the models of adult learning
as proposed by McCluskey, Illeris and Jarvis?
How does Tough describe self directed learning?
How is this similar or dissimilar from Knowles’ andragogy
seen in the previous video?
And what distinguishes adult learning and adult education
from other areas of education?
McCluskey's Theory of Margin.
This theory was grounded in the idea
that adulthood is a time of growth, change and integration
where one seeks balance between the amount of time and energy needed
and the amount available.
There's a ratio between the load of life which dissipates energy
and power of life which allows one to deal with the load.
Thus, the margin in life equals the ratio of load to power.
Let's reflect, what is your own load versus power ratio look like?
Your external load refers to your normal life requirements
such as family, work and community responsibilities.
Your internal load being your life expectations
that you develop, like your goals and dreams.
External power would refer to things like your family support
and your social and economic stability,
and your internal power refers to things such as your resilience,
your personality and your coping skills.
So to engage in learning,
McCluskey would say that the adult must have some margin of power.
The challenge lies in the fact
that adults have to be adept at juggling many responsibilities.
And the changes we go through as adults are adjustments in load and power
such as retirement, getting a promotion,
having children or getting married.
Technology and our availability to our work and school
means we are accessible twenty four - seven.
No longer do time zones or deadlines seem to exist,
as you can be reached anytime on your cell,
twitter, blog or Facebook.
Whatever the tech gadget you use,
it becomes an information highway to your life.
So I challenge you to think as you go through this video –
how has the digital world affected these frameworks,
many of which were developed long before the Internet existed.
Illeris proposed three dimensions of learning
and this model focuses on the learning process itself.
These dimensions are, cognition,
which refers to our knowledge and skills,
emotion, which is our psychological energy of our feelings,
our motivations and attitudes, and environment and society.
How do we participate in and interact with our environment?
The process of learning begins with one of five stimuli.
Perception, which is our sense of the world.
Transmission, where someone else transmits information to us.
Experience, whereby the learner receives
but also interacts with the environment.
Imitation, where we attempt to model or imitate another's actions.
And finally, activity of participation,
where the learner is engaged in a goal-directed activity.
This model is strong because it is comprehensiveness
and also simple.
But simultaneous and organic change occurs on all levels.
So this means that the diagram below is in constant movement,
with some areas taking in input, while others are filtering information.
Consider this –
once we add in the tremendous increase in pace of life –
an amount of information with which we are bombarded every day –
its no wonder that life gets complicated for adult learners.
Jarvis developed a learning process model,
and stated that all learning begins with the adults experience.
At the start of learning,
there is a gap between the learner’s biography and experience.
For example, if something happens that is new to us
or that we're not ready to handle such as becoming a parent,
getting a driver’s license, leaving home,
going to post secondary education or other life events.
Can you think of some other examples
from your own life experience when this gap occurred?
The learner is more than just a cognitive machine,
because learning begins with our five human senses.
As Jarvis states,
“Our learning is ultimately dependent on our body
and biology is a significant factor in the learning process,
not because of our genes,
but because of the way our senses function."
Do you agree with that statement?
Tough is a Canadian researcher who worked on self-directed learning
and adult learning projects.
He wanted to enable students to be lifelong, self-directed learners.
Serious study of this phenomenon of self-directed learning
is fairly recent compared to other aspects of learning
such as memory, cognition and intelligence.
Why is that?
Because much of self-directed learning occurs outside of formal institutions.
So self-directed learning is a major forward thrust
in adult education.
Researchers also explored
the personal characteristics and attributes
of those who are self-directed in their learning.
A few points to ponder.
Can you give some examples of the characteristics
of self-directed learners?
Are these qualities teachable or innate?
And what type of student succeeds in a self-directed environment?
There are three main goals of self-directed learning.
The first, to enhance the ability of adult learners
to be self-directed in their learning.
And the basis of this comes from humanistic theory,
where we believe that human beings have an innate goodness
and a higher self, and wish to improve themselves
and self-actualize.
The second main goal would be to foster transformational learning
that is central to being a self-directed learner.
This means that adults reflect critically
and they participate freely in the learning process,
and we test ourselves and modify our learning as we go along
based on our experience.
The third main goal of self-directed learning
would be to promote emancipatory learning
and social action as part of self-directed learning.
For example, women advocating for better learn oppe- learning opportunities
in some areas of the world
where girls are not taught or valued the same as boys.
Even within the concept of self-directed learning,
there are a variety of approaches to it.
Linear models would state that learners move
through a series of logical steps that reach their learning goals,
in a traditional sequential teaching process.
And Knowles provided a streamlined version
that said that learners go through six major steps,
from climate setting to diagnosing their needs,
setting their goals, identifying what the resources are
that they need to accomplish those goals,
choosing to implement some strategies and then evaluating their success.
Interactive models view learning also as a process.
But learning is not linear or well planned in nature.
There's an emphasis on two or more interacting factors
such as the opportunities available,
the personality characteristics of the learners,
the cognitive processes they're going through,
and what the context of the learning is itself.
And finally, there are instructional models
where the instructors are often in more formal settings
but use self-directed activities within their programs.
The course you're taking right now would be an example of this
because it's hosted by a university in a formal setting
with a course facilitator,
but it also includes elements that are self-directed
such as some of the assignments you'll be doing.
In this framework, it states that the learners evolve
from being a dependent learner to interested, to involved
and finally, to becoming a self-directed learner.
Take a moment to think about where you are on this continuum
and reflect on how you move yourself forward.
What resources do you need or questions do you need to ask
to become more self-directed as a learner?
If self-directed learning is one way adults learn successfully,
such as you taking this online course,
then how can we build environments to support this?
First, we need to build a cooperative learning climate,
and we need to reflect on the kinds of contexts
where the learning is situated.
We could create competency profiles for each of you as learners
such as what your skills are, kinds of technology you need to learn,
and building your confidence.
We need to diagnose your learning needs, both individually and as a group,
and set some individual and group goals.
As a facilitator, my job is to implement and manage the learning.
And, at the end we need to reflect on and evaluate
how well we did as a group.
In tutorial this week, we're gonna be discussing
your experiences of self-directed learning.
Do you think that they need to be introverts or extroverts?
What's the learning style of a self-directed learner?
Does level of education affect their ability
to be self-directed?
And readiness. How do you know if you are or they are?
Is this kind of autonomy innate or is it situational?
Are you born with it or can you learn how to be more self-directed?
And finally, does technology facilitate self-directed learning
or does the online learning environment require a special skill-set?
Here are the synthesis questions for this video clip.
Given that the environment for adult learning has changed,
how have the affordances of technology facilitated adult learning?
Does technology create any barriers to adult learning
based on the models you studied today?
During tutorial this week, you're gonna work with a partner
to design a model for digital learning environment
that you think is the ideal way for adults to learn online.
What are the features you need for success in your model,
and what are the barriers?
Does a synchronous or an asynchronous environment work best?
Should groups of learners be demographically similar,
and should background and work history be considered
when learning in groups online? [music fades in]
I look forward to hearing your thoughts in tutorial.
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