1Course Project

Course Project

Danielle Ciccoli

Walden University

Colin Winkelman

EDUC 6171-1

Oct 30th, 2011

2Course Project

Theories in Adult Education

In chapter 11 of “Learning in Adulthood”, 5 key learning theories are outlined. I will briefly

introduce and explain a few of these theories and relate them to my experiences as an adult

learner. I will then conclude with the theory that I find most true for myself and give reasons to

support my conclusion of adult learning and the process involved.

The five key theories introduced are Behaviorist, Humanist, Cognitive, Social Cognitive,

and finally the Constructivist Orientation. We will go in order starting with the Behaviorist

Orientation to adult learning. This theory was incorporated by John B. Watson and also has

contributors like Thorndike, Tolman, Guthrie, Hull and Skinner. This theory is comprised of

three assumptions which I will briefly outline now. The first being, “Learning is manifested by a

change in behavior. Second, the environment shapes behavior; what one learns is determined by

the elements in the environment, not by the individual learner. And third, the principles of

continuity (how close in time two events must be for a bond to be formed) and reinforcement

(any means of increasing the likelihood that an event will be repeated) are central to explaining

the learning process.” (S. Merriam, R. Caffarella & L. Baumgartner).

I would have to say that I most wholeheartedly agree with the behaviorist orientation to

adult learning. Our behavior is shaped by our environment which is prescribed by our culture

(meaning our behavior can change from place to place, country to country or even in different

neighborhoods). I also agree with the notion that occurrences are vital to shaping our educational

attainment. Without occurrences (in our environment) we might be totally different people.

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The next theory we will discuss is that of the Humanist Orientation. This orientation

states that, “Humanists refuse to accept the notion that behavior is predetermined by either the

environment or one’s subconscious. Rather, human beings can control their own destiny; people

are inherently good and will strive for a better world; people are free to act, and behavior is the

consequence of human choice: people possess unlimited potential for growth and development”

(S. Merriam et al, 2007). This is basically iterating the fact that people choose to learn for

internal reasons without influence from the outside.

It is in my humble opinion that the behaviorist orientation is inherently foolish. While the

majority of human beings would like to make the world a better place, they can only do so with

the tools which they are given. They can build on the tools they are given, which are rooted in

their environment. Without an environment, human beings cannot flourish, therefore human

beings cannot learn. Learning for the sake of learning is an idealist perspective, but for the

majority of human beings making it day to day and surviving is more important. This theory

would be the least applicable to me however certain aspects of this theory, as explained above

are notable, but I just don’t see them as applicable to today’s days and age.

The third theory which we will discuss is the Cognitive Orientation. The Cognitive

Orientation stipulates, “That the memory system is an active organized processor of information

and that prior knowledge plays an important role in learning.” (S. Merriam et al, 2007). This

theory was developed by psychologists and is opposing that of the first perspective we discussed,

the Behaviorist Orientation. This perspective further stipulates that, “perceptions, insight and

meaning are key concepts in cognitivism…” (S. Merriam, et al, 2007). The Behaviorist

Orientation focuses more on events which is why there is disagreement between the two theories.

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Reflection

Learning more about adult education will help me both as an adult educator and as an

adult learner. Learning about these theories helped me to conceptualize the different perspectives

on how adult learners learn. What resonates the most for me this week is that by simply

expressing my ideas on adult education, I believe I might have offended one of my classmates.

For me, expressing my beliefs is the first step in realizing and finding myself as an adult educator

so I was a bit taken back by the response that I had on a comment made on my thread for this

week’s discussion post. I wholeheartedly believe that educators, philosophers and people alike

should be able to theorize without having their theories attacked but on the other hand it’s a good

way to make those theories more concrete by providing more examples or clarifying points that

my classmate clearly misunderstood.

I would have to say of all the theories we went over this week, I agree with aspects of

both the Behaviorist Perspective as well as the Cognitive Perspective in adult learning. Briefly

stated, the Behaviorist perspective iterates that, “observable behavior rather than internal thought

processes is the focus of study; in particular, learning is manifested by a change in behavior.

Second, the environment shapes behavior; what one learns is determined by the elements in the

environment, not by the individual learner. And third, the principles of contiguity and

reinforcement are central to explaining the learning process” (S. Merriam et al, 2007). We

emulate what we learn; therefore, our behavior can be studied and shown to change after learning

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as an adult. I’ve had students in the past whose behavior worsened because they weren’t studying

and with the classes progressively getting more difficult, they felt they had no way out. But on

the contrary, students who studied on a regular basis, asked more questions and listened

tentatively in the lessons. I have one last and reminding example. I was working at John Cabot

University in Rome doing work study last summer, while a classmate of mine was imputing data

from teacher evaluations. Most of the teacher evaluations which were negative came from

students who had poor attendance and did poorly in the classroom, while the students with good

attendance and a B- or better in the class generally gave good teacher evaluations. This just goes

to show you that behavior is evident in the learning process and the intake of new information.

The Cognitive perspective has two important factors which are, “that the memory system

is an active organized processor of information and that prior knowledge plays an important role

in learning” (S. Merriam et al, 2007). This is absolutely true. Without or prior knowledge base,

we wouldn’t be where we are now and we wouldn’t be able to continue learning. We structure

our decision making on learning. That learning can be little every day things, situations or even

by other means and once we learn them we are able to use our cognitive capabilities to put into

practice what we’ve just learnt. In order to help other adult learners learn, I can use this

knowledge and put it into practice like I’ve just said. I can pay attention to the behaviors of my

students and make adjustments accordingly. Possibly I am boring or not teaching appropriately

for my students, or for particular students so it could just be a matter of changing everything up a

bit.

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Learning Through Wisdom and Cognitive Development

Wisdom can be defined as the characteristic trait in people who are knowledgeable and

use their knowledge for a greater good. Wisdom is the way in which we describe people in our

lives, or who’ve impacted or lives. Wise people, as we say, are people who have used their built

up knowledge towards a social good. One person we can all agree on, weather believed in or not,

is Jesus Christ. He used his knowledge to unite the Jews and bring them to God. Nelson Mandela

was a wise man. He ended apartheid. Other notably wise people include Oprah, the Dali Lama

and Pope John Paul II. What do they all have in common? They all used their knowledge for the

social good. Therefore wisdom is using knowledge to help people and by people, I mean all

people. In this paper we will discuss this notion of wisdom and how it relates to our cognitive

development and capacity for learning.

According to Dr. Cozolino in, “Attaining Wisdom, Part 1” wisdom is exactly that;

applying your knowledge and using it in a social context. Of all the people in this world, only

people like Jesus Christ, Nelson Mandela and I do have to say, Oprah, are considered wise. But

we can also say that people are wise who help out on a smaller level, like someone’s grandfather,

whose life experiences are bountiful. The person whose life experiences are bountiful thus goes

on imparting that wisdom on other people, whether it be on a large or small level. These are the

people we consider to have wisdom. These people all have a common characteristic – they are

using their knowledge to help other people and in a social context. As Dr. Cozonlino pointed out,

we should not get wise people mixed up with those people who we considered to be learnt

people.

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Learnt people on the other hand encompass those who have surpassed the educational

attainment for a given society. Such people might include Bill Gates or maybe even a famous

neuroscientist. These are the types of people who have by cognitive development reached a level

that the majority of society has not yet met.

To give you an example of whom I consider to be wise, I would have to say that Jesus

Christ was the wisest man ever born on Earth. He may have been the Son of Christ but He was

also a man amongst other men who walked as we did. He used his knowledge to lead the Jews to

God and out of an evil dictatorship that inflected pain and death on the masses. He gave them

hope of one day attaining freedom in life and soul. So the type of person who is wise is one who

is able to inspire people and create change. Jesus Christ had created so much social change that

he is still recognized as the Son of God today which has evolved our Christian way of living to

that of one of Charity and Compassion and Love for the masses.

Wisdom has greatly altered my life. Jesus has been my great spiritual leader and without

getting too spiritual, I would have to say that it is our Christian notion of loving life which had

gave me reason to change my life. God only gives us one life and we have to make what we have

of it. Therefore, with this wisdom being imparted on me, I chose to follow my dreams after

graduating college. I had a dream since I was a little girl to move to the country of my forefathers

and I made that dream come true. I moved to Italy a year and a half ago. I returned to the United

States last month due to economic reasons but I vow to myself to move back once I am able to

secure a good job because of the wisdom previously imparted on me. I don’t want to waste this

life and my heart lies in Italy; therefore, so do my body and soul. If I were to ever be able to

impart wisdom on somebody else it would be exactly that: to follow your dreams because you

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only live once. So to me, I would not consider myself to be wise, but I can in turn, impart

wisdom I have learnt on somebody else. Wisdom is spread by word of mouth, revelations as well

as verse. So those wise people’s wisdom is kept alive by the masses as it was intended to be.

The experiences I had from this message were quite scary to be honest. Wisdom requires

you to go outside of your comfort zone. It requires you to go against what family and friends tell

you to do. Wisdom requires you to think critically about your actions and make thoughtful

decisions. Moving to Italy was difficult. I hardly knew the language. I was nearly broke when I

left and had no job moving there. Once I moved there however, I knew following my dreams

was the correct path for my life. Money is not the root of all happiness. In fact, for me, it’s the

demise. Happiness comes from following your dreams so this is the lesson that has been taught

to me from a very wise Man.

How do I apply this wisdom to being an adult educator? To impart this, I would

constantly emphasize to my students to follow their dreams, try their hardest, to be happy and

enjoy life. I will be a nurturing teacher as well as someone my students could confide in. I would

emphasize real world learning strategies in the classroom or whatever learning environment I am

in and have them incorporate these new learning experiences into following their dreams.

New Directions and Discoveries

The question posed for this part of the assignment is as follows, “Are there

interdependent relationships that exist between emotion and reason, exhibited in how the brain

functions, that are crucial components of how adult s learn? If so, what are the impacts of these

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relationships on learning, and how can adult educators best facilitate these impacts?” (S.

Merriam, et al, 2007). Thinking critically about this, I go back to the module we watched this

week with Dr. Cozolino. He relayed a very good point about movies and stories. When a movie

is critically acclaimed, it’s because the movie both relays emotion and reason, connecting both

our left and right side of the brain, each responsible for something quite different, but when both

sides of the brain are stimulated, then that’s when it all comes together.

Dr. Cozolilno’s example of a good movie to me makes sense the most in answering this

question. It made me further think about the film I just recently went and saw; Drive. The movie

sparked light in both side’s of my brain like no movie before. That is how a good movie is

supposed to be. Likewise, in learning a good lesson is when both sides of our brain have been

stimulated. In order to do this, as adult educators, we need to add personality to our lessons,

using real life situations so that the side of the brain which deals with processing emotions is

stimulated and the other part of the brain that deals with processing information is stimulated.

When both parts of our brain light up, true learning occurs. As well are able to retain and apply

this new knowledge.

The next question which is posed is how do I relate this to being a more effective

adult educator? To answer that question honestly, I must note that, “much of our knowledge

about the brain is currently only in the form of working hypotheses” (S. Merriam, et al, 2007). I

can only hypothesis on what would be good as an adult educator but what I can’t refute is the

underpinnings of people’s experiences as essential to our cognitive development. Therefore,

“The learning style models are developed and used in various educational contexts to explain and

accommodate individual differences in learning. Learning styles are generally defined as

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relatively stable and consistent. It is however acknowledged that the characteristics of the

learning environment and learning experiences influence their development” (S. Merriam, et al,

2007). Therefore what I need to do is mentally stimulate people by evoking their emotion and

critical thinking skills which is usually done by using real world situations in an educational

context.

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My Personal Development in Adult Learning

In this section of my paper we will discuss my personal development as an adult learner and

an adult educator. We will talk about the perspectives and models in adult learning and I will

give personal examples from my life and how I have transitioned and grown as an adult learner.

The biological perspective, “acknowledges the role of nature in our development” (S.

Merriam, R. Caffarella, & L. Baumgartner, 2007). If I were asked to describe myself using this

perspective, I would say that I am still relatively young, have good hearing and eye sight (with

my glasses of course) so aging factors are not effecting me yet. I would also have to say that it’s

much more difficult for me to learn now as opposed to when I was in grade school. My

metabolism has changed and I have gained a bit of weight and have problems concentrating. All

of this equates into me using different methods and adapting to new methods in my learning

process. Because it’s hard for me to retain info, I usually highlight and come back, continually

revise etc.

As stated, the psychological model of development explores the internal experiences of

the individual. Considering Levinson’s Age-Graded Model, I have come to agree with it. It

stipulates that people patterns and designs change at transitional periods in people’s lives and

stay stable during stable times (S. Merriam e. al, 2007). I decided to go back to school because I

was at a transitional period in my life which was my motivation. I don’t usually make sudden

decisions in stable periods like now (except for buying that new car yesterday!). It’s just in

transitional periods like the one I was in, I choose to start going back to school because I felt lost.

If I hadn’t have felt lost, I wouldn’t have made a decision like that. I feel like this is the case for

most people, specifically most adult learners.

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I feel like I was dealt a bit of a bad hand at life relative to social roles and the timing of

events in my life. I spent a good portion of my childhood in foster care and had a harder time

learning growing up. As an adult learner this motivated me more because of the low expectations

that society has for foster children. Changes in society have also greatly influenced me and my

generation when it comes to learning. I grew up with computers and have thus become

technologically savvy and have an easier time when it comes to learning in a technologically

advanced classroom. As per my emotional reactions, I would say on good days I learn better and

on bad days I don’t learn as much. One thing I have learned: not to go to bed upset, drink plenty

of water and get 8 hours of sleep for optimal learning.

I think my intelligence is the result of biological traits as well as my environment and

experience. My father was very, very intelligent, as well as all of the people on my dad’s side. I

am related (in Italy) to many doctors, of whom some are quite famous in their educational work.

However, my father’s intelligence is what I believe lead to his demise in the years leading up to

his suicide. My environment and support system helped me educate myself, putting together

those biological factors that are at my fingertips. I believe all of this comes together and one does

not exist without the other. We are not inherently intelligent. A baby cannot raise itself, and I

surely did not raise myself. Therefore, some people are more gifted biologically, but it’s how we

put it to work, and what’s been thrown at us, that makes a difference.

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Reflection

To be quite honest, I never really thought about hearing or vision disabilities in adult

learners, as an adult educator. I have never come into this problem but it is something BIG to

take into account. My aunt is blind so what would I do if I had to teach her? How might I change

my lesson plans to make sure she was able to take in just as much information as a learner who

was not sight impaired? As an adult educator we must take into account biological aspects of

learning and how that affects each of our students. Other things we might take into account could

be lighting issues, and hearing issues. I had one professor who would use a mike at all times and

she was clearly audible in all parts of the classroom.

Considering the four theories which were presented in chapter 12, we need to, as adult

educators, be aware that learners learn differently because of a number of reasons. Biological

factors including age play a role, as well as environmental factors including sociocultural

backgrounds. Psychologically, adult learners can be at different points in their life, which plays a

major role in the way in which they learn and their reasons for being there. As an adult educator

we need to make sure to take these into consideration. Not all learners learn the same way, they

come from different backgrounds and some have learning disabilities. We need to make the

learning environment an environment structured for each student, as if they were each being

taught individually.

I think one way to broaden my understanding, or for any adult educator, would be to take

a class on how to deal with this: how to lead a classroom with different learners and how to

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optimize it for each student. For many of us, we don’t think of eye sight or sensitivity as a

disability, so taking a class on optimizing the learning environment for students would help a lot

because we just don’t think about this.

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Learning Styles

Jamal, in Slumdog Millionare was a self-directed learner. In this paper we will discuss the

differences and similarities between the main character, Jamal, in Slumdog Millionare with me

as well as the other type of learning styles. We will conclude this part of the paper with some

concrete learning examples from the film as well as my life as they relate the learning styles in

this week’s module.

In the film, Slumbdog Millionaire, Jamal Malik faced many hardships from a very early age.

He grew up in a Muslim community in the very slums of Dubai before it became the economic

hub it is today.. His mother was murdered by a group of extremists and his brother, him and

Latika all got away, well barely. The three Musketeers as Jamal put it, went on to meet a

powerful gangster who took them under his evil wing. Jamal was forced to learn on his own,

which is why his brother and him escaped this bizarre prison-like camp. This was depicted

through a series of flashbacks after Jamal won the game show, “Who Wants To Be a

Millionaire”. No-one thought that someone of his class would be smart enough to answer the

questions on the show, and after proving everyone wrong, he was set up and accused of cheating.

He had to prove, by means of explaining his own self-directed learning, how it was that he came

to know and understand what it was that he knew.

I wouldn’t say that my childhood was nearly as bad as Jamals but at times they were much

the same. We both felt very alone and secluded from the world, like no-one was there to help us,

which forced us to direct ourselves. I grew up in foster care and at times in my childhood, my

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sisters and I were homeless, hungry and deprived. I began to start teaching myself and it was a

goal that I made at such a young age. I can’t even begin to examine why or how I was able to

make such a goal for myself. I didn’t want to be like my drug addicted parents who would rather

sell my sister to a pedophile to get their fix of cocaine. It came inherent to me when I was 6 years

old that it wasn’t okay for a grown man to touch the body of a young girl.

I would say my first steps at self-directed learning came when my mother and her then

boyfriend, Mark, decided to have a bunch of friends over and shoot up heroine. I took it as a sign

from Jesus, and can claim to this day, that I remember that dream as vivid as it was on that day,

that Jesus had come to me and told me how to dial 911. The next day when my mother locked

my sisters and I in our room for the day while her and her friends were downstairs shooting up, I

instructed my older sister to dial 911 and give the police our address. I must have been 5 years

old and I remember tugging on the cops coat and telling him that Jesus told me to call him. Even

at such a young age, we are still equipped to know that some things are just wrong and the only

way to set them right is by directed ourselves in making the right decisions for our lives.

However, I don’t think a 5 year old should have to make that decision.

My second big step in my own self-directed learning came when I was 17. My sisters and I

were adopted by an abusive family, I think partly in favor of just being a muse for my then foster

mother who had many psychological issues. She slowly got sick of us, started drinking heavily

and beating my sisters and I, burning our clothing, our toys and anything else that meant

something dear to us. My eldest sister was eventually removed from the home after accusations

of beatings that could not be proven, but CPS didn’t remove my younger sister and me. At 17, a

few years later, I took one huge leap of faith and confided in my school counselor to all of the

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atrocities that were happening at home, partly due to the safety of my youngest sister, Angelina.

My foster mother had been binge drinking on end for months. Starting at 6 o’clock in the

morning, fully blazed by 8 am when Angelina was getting a ride from her to our school, some 25

miles away (we went to a small Catholic school).

The day I confided in my counselor, I knew my sister and I would end up back in foster care

but I thought being in foster care would be better than having my sister dead at the hands of a

dead beat drunk. Approximately 2 weeks went by. The school administrators observed my

mother and contacted the Battle Creek police department and CPS and she was pulled over. The

police found a fifth of Vodka under her seat, completely gone and my mother 3 times over the

legal alcohol limit. They didn’t understand how she had gotten that far everyday being that drunk

without a car accident. I took my sister home that night and we immediately were put back into

the foster care system. My mother and father never spoke to us again. They accused us of

making her drink to the brink of death. They accused us of making her beat us until we were

black and blue. We went without food, without clothing, without toys and were constantly

ridiculed and I just knew that somewhere, somehow it would get better. That is how my self-

directed learning started.

In self-directed learning, “educators of adults in formal and nonformal settings need to shift

to learners as much control as possible in the learning process” (S. Merriam, R. Caffarella & R.

Baumgartner, 2007). In Jamal’s and my case, we both experienced self-directed learning at its

height. We were given all of the control over our individual learning process, which we then

used in good ways to develop in our learning process by applying what we learned.

“Transformative learning occurs when there is a transformation in one of our beliefs or attitudes

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(a meaning scheme), or a transformation of our entire perspective (habit of mind), (S. Merriam,

et al, 2007). I feel like my transformation started when I had that dream and has continued on the

same prefix. For Jamal, his transformation began when he started having flashbacks when he was

being interrogated at the police station. We all have a transformational learning point and it can

come at different stages and for different reasons in our lives. Under the experience and learning

modal, we see “our unconscious as interfering with our conscious experiences. As a result, we

must work through psychic conflicts to learn” (S. Merriam, et al, 2007). Unconsciously I have

used what I have learned from my experiences in the past to shape my experiences now. I have

found that forgetting the past and thinking about the future is the biggest hurdle for me and I do

this unconsciously every day. I believe Jamal to some extent was the same way. He didn’t let go

in the movie, therefore unconsciously using what he learned over the past 17 years of his life at

his fingertips.

I have already went in detail on how I self-directed my own learning but now I wanted to

shed some light on how I have used the transformational way of learning in my life. In previous

sections of this course project, I have touched upon some close to home issues. One of which

was achieving my dreams. I really feel like transformation is everything and like I’ve said

before, we only live once, so let’s not waste the precious time we do have on this earth. I took a

huge leap of faith, which transformed my being. I came out of my skin and moved abroad. I have

seen enough heart ache and pain in my life to want something more. I didn’t want my life to be

in vein, so to conquer my inner daemons; I had to fulfill my dreams. That dream was to go and

start a life in Italy and although I have temporarily put that to a halt, I do feel that in a few years I

will be ready and secure with my decision to make that dream come true and I am hoping that

once I am finished with this degree in Adult Learning, I can apply what I’ve learned in the

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classroom once again both in Italy and in a distance learning program as I am in right now. Jamal

was the same way, he followed his dreams and his dreams were just a little bit different; to find

his long lost love, Latika, which he did in the end of the movie.

Now comes the question, how has this impacted me as an adult learner? Well as an adult

educator we need to understand the fundamentals of adult learning, so it has taught me a lot this

week. I reflected a lot on things I normally try to forget but found it very useful in my quest to

become (again) an adult educator. I am not teaching at the moment, instead working in

educational sales, but for my future I will know that each person comes to the classroom (or

whatever learning environment they are in) with a unique perspective on learning. I know that

each student comes with different reasons and different backgrounds and that all of our

experiences have helped shape the way we learn, what we have learned and how we will

transform this learning later on. Simply by understanding these intricacies will help me better

understand where my students are coming from which makes for a better learning environment.

Interview

During my interview, I interviewed a friend of mine who had agreed to do this as long as her

name was kept anonymous. I asked her a few questions about learning as it relates to life and got

some responses that are beneficial in telling the story of adult learning. Adult learning doesn’t

necessarily need to occur in a classroom setting, it needs only to occur. My first question posed

to the subject was, “What are some of the most important lessons you have learned during your

adult life? These lessons need not have been learned in a formal classroom, since much authentic

learning takes place at home, on the streets, among friends and family, etc. Please describe what

you learned and why.” The subject stated, “That people aren’t always out to get you and you

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have to let yourself be worry free. I have had a difficult time letting people in but now I realize

everyone wonders what others are thinking of them. I was so scared to let people in it had

affected me in every aspect of my life. Now as I slowly let people in, I enjoy life.” I thought this

to be true for my life as well and a good learning point for all adult learners.

My second question to my subject was, “Have any of your learning experiences been

highly dramatic? Describe an event that led to a fundamental change in how you view yourself

and/or the world around you (transformational learning).” My subject responded by saying,

“Have any of your learning experiences been highly dramatic? Describe an event that led to a

fundamental change in how you view yourself and/or the world around you (transformational

learning). I found this quite intriguing because a lot of people just give up but she has hope in a

gloomy circumstance. It gave me hope in someday fulfilling my dreams which is what every

adult learner needs, hope.

My third question posed to my subject was, “Have you ever learned through an

experience that completely captured your attention in the moment? Describe a learning

experience that engaged you mentally, physically, and/or emotionally (experiential learning). My

subject stated she had. “I did so by going outside of what I knew. I started dating a guy because

he was so persistent and although it didn’t work out, he helped me become more open and

accepting of what could be. It was a real eye opener for me and a turning point in my

depression”. If every adult learner was able to just broaden their horizons a little bit by these

types of experiences, we would in a much better state.

Finally, but not leastly, I asked my subject to, “Describe a time in which you learned

something on your own—outside of a formal educational setting and without the assistance of an

instructor (self-directed learning)”. My subject replied by stating that, “Driving while talking on

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a cell phone catches a cop’s attention but not in a good way so having your big growly dog in the

back seat doesn’t help. Won’t do that again and I learned it on my own for sure”. Although we

can get a good laugh out of this, little everyday things like this are examples of how we learn as

adults in a self-directing manner. So I would , as an adult educator, tell my students to take

something out of each day, whether it’s something minute or something big, store it in a book or

a diary as something they have learned and they can turn back to later on. I think it’s these little

things too, that make the most difference in our learning. They happen most often and take up

most of our time, so why not learn from them?

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Critical, Postmodern and Feminist Theories in Adult Education

Today is my first day after having accepted a position as an Adult Literacy Instructor here in

Hillside, Il. My students are all very diverse and I have a difficult class to prepare for. I need to

take into consideration the vast differences that my students have brought to the class. A lot of

students are ESL students, whose first language is Spanish. A few students are developmentally

delayed and or behind. I also feel like some of my students are gifted. All of my students come

from different cultural and are socioeconomically diverse. The first and most important question

is how am I going to structure a classroom dedicated to all of my students?

What I would like to discuss first are the critical theories in education which help answer the

question I posed above. These questions are critical and nature and so is critical adult education

which is an approach which, “critiques and raises questions about the assumptions we make

about the world around us, including those underlying the practice of adult education” (S.

Merriam, R. Caffarella & L. Baumgartner, 2007). So to answer my question above, I would do

just that: use a blended approach applicable to all groups of people. Behavior (in general, and in

learning is based on a person’s personal disposition multiplied by his or her environment and the

environment can be all of those different factors associated in socio-economic growth including

race, culture, the amount of money one makes, where they come from, as well as personal traits

(which is not a conclusive list). So, there are many factors that affect each students personal

growth and learning style; therefore it is best to take a blended learning approach in the

classroom.

23Course Project

The types of assumptions I might have on that first day of class, in order to be respectful as

well as mindful of all the learners is that we live in a multi-cultural environment so everyone will

have a different story, a different way of learning and different learning abilities. So the

assumptions I need to have is that I might have to drastically changed plans to meet my student’s

needs and expectations in this course. I would like to be particularly mindful of minorities

because I am not one. The most common themes to be mindful of are race, class and gender. I

would like to promote a classroom conductive for all learners so being mindful of minorities, is

important to ensure everyone feels that they are in an environment conducive to learning.

“While discussions of race focus primarily on African Americans, it should be noted that people

other than White European Americans are also marginalized in our society” (S. Merrian, et al,

2007).

It is vital to challenge your assumptions and previous beliefs when interacting with people

different from yourself because all people are different. You can’t categorize people by the color

of their skin, the way they present themselves or other characteristics because all people are

different. Preconceived assumptions are just that; preconceived and hold no bearing. I also

believe there is no place for these types of notions in academia. We are here to grow and to learn

not to hold prejudice. Furthermore, it is essential to critically examine issues related to race, class

and gender because it paints a broader picture, allowing educators to take the big picture into

consideration. So in effect the, “camera moves from the individual learner to an analysis of the

context where learning takes place. Considered are the larger systems in society, the culture and

the structural and historical conditions that shape learning, and the structural and historical

conditions framing, indeed defining, the learning event” (S. Merriam, et al, 2007). So, it is in my

24Course Project

opinion as a White European American, it would behoove me to invest more time in

understanding the socioeconomically differences to better assist my future students.

Some specific ways of reaching out to students do exist. Using Critical Theory I would, as an

educator, study critiques on the current and past social arenas which have contributed to the

status quo. I would also like to create my own study as there are very few studies within this

realm to broaden the Critical Theory perspective in Adult Learning. I would really like to hold

discussion panels with students to get them to voice their concerns in an educational manner

conducive to adult education. I think it would help me as an educator but also get students

thinking about these issues also in a positive manner.

The Postmodern Theory in Adult Education states that, “in a postmodern world, everything is

contested, up for grabs. What has been or is considered true, real, or right can be questioned;

there are multiple interpretations depending on where one is standing and what factors are in

juztaposition with one another” (S. Meriam, et al, 2007). One thing I would like to experiment

with is what I saw in Europe. What is considered correct in America is to hand out written tests. I

don’t think this is totally conducive to adult learning. In the Italian university system, students

have both written and oral tests and the oral tests are usually open to the public. In this literacy

class, I would like to have oral tests and allow other students to give feedback during exams. I

believe this will ultimately stimulate students to study more and gain valuable public speaking

experience. I would also like to challenge other elements in the classroom maybe giving students

the teacher’s seat or doing other non-traditional things to really get students involved.

Finally, Feminist Pedagogy in Adult Learning focuses on, “the concerns of women in the

teaching-learning transaction. Per this perspective I would like to incorporate public-speaking

25Course Project

assignments designed at raising awareness of feminist issues in today and in the past to get an

open discussion happening. I believe this would be particularly useful because it is an adult

literacy class and it is a very important issue in adult education and society.

These three theories, critical, postmodern and feminist theories have helped develop my

understanding of the different ways to approach learning in the classroom. I really do believe in a

blended approach to learning because not all people learn the same way, so encompassing these

three critical theories is vitally important to our multicultural society and the development of

myself as an adult educator.

26Course Project

Critical, Postmodern and Feminist Theories in Adult Education

Today is my first day after having accepted a position as an Adult Literacy Instructor here in

Hillside, Il. My students are all very diverse and I have a difficult class to prepare for. I need to

take into consideration the vast differences that my students have brought to the class. A lot of

students are ESL students, whose first language is Spanish. A few students are developmentally

delayed and or behind. I also feel like some of my students are gifted. All of my students come

from different cultural and are socioeconomically diverse. The first and most important question

is how am I going to structure a classroom dedicated to all of my students?

What I would like to discuss first are the critical theories in education which help answer the

question I posed above. These questions are critical and nature and so is critical adult education

which is an approach which, “critiques and raises questions about the assumptions we make

about the world around us, including those underlying the practice of adult education” (S.

Merriam, R. Caffarella & L. Baumgartner, 2007). So to answer my question above, I would do

just that: use a blended approach applicable to all groups of people. Behavior (in general, and in

learning is based on a person’s personal disposition multiplied by his or her environment and the

environment can be all of those different factors associated in socio-economic growth including

race, culture, the amount of money one makes, where they come from, as well as personal traits

(which is not a conclusive list). So, there are many factors that affect each students personal

growth and learning style; therefore it is best to take a blended learning approach in the

classroom.

27Course Project

The types of assumptions I might have on that first day of class, in order to be respectful as

well as mindful of all the learners is that we live in a multi-cultural environment so everyone will

have a different story, a different way of learning and different learning abilities. So the

assumptions I need to have is that I might have to drastically changed plans to meet my student’s

needs and expectations in this course. I would like to be particularly mindful of minorities

because I am not one. The most common themes to be mindful of are race, class and gender. I

would like to promote a classroom conductive for all learners so being mindful of minorities, is

important to ensure everyone feels that they are in an environment conducive to learning.

“While discussions of race focus primarily on African Americans, it should be noted that people

other than White European Americans are also marginalized in our society” (S. Merrian, et al,

2007).

It is vital to challenge your assumptions and previous beliefs when interacting with people

different from yourself because all people are different. You can’t categorize people by the color

of their skin, the way they present themselves or other characteristics because all people are

different. Preconceived assumptions are just that; preconceived and hold no bearing. I also

believe there is no place for these types of notions in academia. We are here to grow and to learn

not to hold prejudice. Furthermore, it is essential to critically examine issues related to race, class

and gender because it paints a broader picture, allowing educators to take the big picture into

consideration. So in effect the, “camera moves from the individual learner to an analysis of the

context where learning takes place. Considered are the larger systems in society, the culture and

the structural and historical conditions that shape learning, and the structural and historical

conditions framing, indeed defining, the learning event” (S. Merriam, et al, 2007). So, it is in my

28Course Project

opinion as a White European American, it would behoove me to invest more time in

understanding the socioeconomically differences to better assist my future students.

Some specific ways of reaching out to students do exist. Using Critical Theory I would, as an

educator, study critiques on the current and past social arenas which have contributed to the

status quo. I would also like to create my own study as there are very few studies within this

realm to broaden the Critical Theory perspective in Adult Learning. I would really like to hold

discussion panels with students to get them to voice their concerns in an educational manner

conducive to adult education. I think it would help me as an educator but also get students

thinking about these issues also in a positive manner.

The Postmodern Theory in Adult Education states that, “in a postmodern world, everything is

contested, up for grabs. What has been or is considered true, real, or right can be questioned;

there are multiple interpretations depending on where one is standing and what factors are in

juxtaposition with one another” (S. Meriam, et al, 2007). One thing I would like to experiment

with is what I saw in Europe. What is considered correct in America is to hand out written tests. I

don’t think this is totally conducive to adult learning. In the Italian university system, students

have both written and oral tests, and the oral tests are usually open to the public. In this literacy

class, I would like to have oral tests and allow other students to give feedback during exams. I

believe this will ultimately stimulate students to study more and gain valuable public speaking

experience. I would also like to challenge other elements in the classroom maybe giving students

the teachers seat or doing other non-traditional things to really get students involved.

Finally, Feminist Pedagogy in Adult Learning focuses on, “ the concerns of women in the

teaching-learning transaction. Per this perspective I would like to incorporate public-speaking

29Course Project

assignments designed at raising awareness of feminist issues in today and in the past to get an

open discussion happening. I believe this would be particularly useful because it is an adult

literacy class and it is a very important issue in adult education and society.

These three theories, critical, postmodern and feminist theories have helped develop my

understanding of the different ways to approach learning in the classroom. I really do believe in a

blended approach to learning because not all people learn the same way, so encompassing these

three critical theories is vitally important to our multicultural society and the development of

myself as an adult educator.

30Course Project

Spirituality in Adult Education

I wanted to share a story of a girl and how she found inspiration through attending church

and spiritual development. This is my story. My sisters and I were very young when we were

taken away from our biological parents. I was merely 5 when the state of Michigan decided my

parents were unfit. My mother was schizophrenic with a wild cocaine addiction and my father

wasn’t far off. There are many times that I can recollect being homeless and hungry sleeping on

park benches with my sisters and dad. It was hard. People looked at us like we were rats and it

was hard to think much more of myself.

Then came present time: we would get gifts from charities and my dad would go and

exchange the gifts for in store money and booze. He would drink so much that he would pass out

and the police had to be called many times because nobody could wake him up, while he had us

three girls. He even tried to sell my sister for money to a sex offender when I was in the 1st grade

and even then I knew it was wrong. I loved my dad but knew that God did not want this for us. I

had a lot of spiritual dreams at this age. Maybe it was messages from school coming back to me

in dreams but the turning point was after one dream I had when my mom had custody of my

sisters and I. She locked us three girls in a room without food all day while her and her friends

were getting high on cocaine downstairs. I can still remember the dream to this day. Jesus came

to me and told me to call the police and told me it was not okay. I instructed my older sister to

dial 911 and give them our address. The police came and my mother was immediately taken into

custody which was the start of our time in foster care.

Foster care wasn’t much better than my parents. We weren’t fed. We weren’t given

adequate clothing and we were often times abused and neglected. Our final placement, even after

31Course Project

serious allegations of child abuse, the State of Michigan allowed them to adopt us because we

were considered ‘problem’ children. Rita, our foster mother, would often beat us with wips. I

was in the 3rd grade when I first moved there. I would often times go to school and show my

childhood best friend (and currently still my best friend) the welts on my back and body. Rita

really took her frustration out on my older sister, Jennifer. She would beat her relentlessly when

she was drinking. Jennifer was removed from the home in the 9th grade after Rita sat on top of

her and punched her until she was unconscious. My foster mother was never prosecuted on these

charges that I can validate, they simply took my older sister away and left Angelina and I. I don’t

have anything that ever belonged to me. Rita burned all of our belongings including our

furniture. She locked cabinet doors for food, didn’t let us do our laundry and usually grounded us

to our rooms for no reason.

I really needed a place to turn and had always considered myself to be spiritual. I

attended church regularly as a pre-teen and teen on my own. I needed guidance and wasn’t

getting it at home. I didn’t want to fall into the same footsteps as my past and present conditions.

I started taking a spiritual approach to life when I was about 16. Eventually as my foster mothers

condition got even worse I was able to confide in a guidance counselor at school of my mom’s

condition and what was going on at home. Two weeks later Rita was in jail for drinking and

driving and child endangerment. We were immediately removed from the residence as the state

finally understood she was ill in body and mind. I clung to God and spirituality and got really

into philosophy at that point. I was 17, in foster care again and without a family or support

system. It was really hard but I couldn’t have survived without letting God in and making Him a

part of my life.

32Course Project

These experiences I had in my childhood coupled with my spiritual sense of being have

altered my adult life. I think I would be a dead beat just like Rita had I let her get to me and not

found myself at that time. Entering the adult education system was a challenge for me as well,

which I have struggled with because of my trust issues and I clung to spirituality to keep me

getting ahead and finishing my bachelor’s degree. Dr. Keen was talking about spirituality in

adult education and how vitally important it is. Spirituality in essence is interwoven with all

other parts of learning. Having some sort of spiritual beliefs gives us a stronger sense of self and

a stronger sense of understanding. So, even though our educational systems have been secular

and independent of religion, for students to really grasp a true and fundamental understanding of

concepts presented, it’s imperative to weave in spirituality. Without it, faculty cannot be

themselves and nor can students. There are many things we can do to develop a deeper

understanding and it is those classes where teachers allowed me us to create this type of

understanding that I truly developed a sense of self and excelled.

There are many different definitions of spirituality but I really like number two on page

201 of Learning in Adulthood; “Spirituality is about an awareness and honoring of wholeness

and the interconnectedness of all things” (S. Merriam, R. Cafferella, & L. Baumgartner, 2007).

In my instance I was able to connect the dots of my life by turning to God and to church. In Ms.

Merriam’s case, she visited a temple in Korea where she was met with extreme spirituality which

opened her up to understanding the complete picture. Every learner will encounter spirituality in

a different way, but it’s that connecting of the dots that matters in the end and why it is so

important inside the classroom.

33Course Project

Narrative learning is also really important in learning as it connects dots for us in another

way. A story says a thousand words. It paints a picture in our heads. It gives us another way to

understand complex points, other than by simple words. The book gives an example of the 2004

earthquake and how it was relived and understood by people across the world through individual

stories. These stories are equally important to actual facts. The facts of a situation don’t paint a

complete picture for learners to understand. It’s through narrative passage that learners are able

to put these learning points into perspective (S. Merriam, et al, 2007). Furthermore, “cultural

narratives or myths are those that define the socio-cultural milieu in which we live; the form the

taken-for-granted assumptions on which we live our lives in the way that we do” (S. Merriam, et

al, 2007). It is vitally important to include narrative learning in higher education because the

stories of history are just as big, if not bigger than the philosophies we study. These philosophies

we are currently studying are based on many narratives and can tell a lot of stories. One of the

world’s oldest books, The Bible, is based on narratives and these narratives translate into bigger

messages. Therefore making reference to any kind of narrative in the classroom is conducive to

learning on every level and will also help students remember material better because it paints a

picture in their head.

As an adult educator, you can use, “curriculum, storytelling and autobiography” (S.

Merriam, et al, 2007). The curriculum model uses texts of narration painting pictures for students

as the teacher helps them focus on the bigger picture and material. The second is storytelling

which can consist of case studies, and other material that paints a picture for a student by other

means. Real life situations are often used in this type of incorporation and are probably the most

popular form in adult education. The third form is autobiography, which is what I did for this

paper. It tells a self-story and is one of the oldest forms of story-telling. It paints a personal

34Course Project

picture for people who help learners really remember the circumstances and also the material, in

other words, the bigger picture. These are the three ways I can incorporate narrative learning in

adult education. It is equally important as presenting material and should take precedence over

material in a learner focused environment.

35Course Project

Final Reflection

During week 1 we studied the basic theories of adult education and how these theories

are applied to adult learning. The theories included are Behaviorist, Humanist, Cognitive, Social

Cognitive, and finally the Constructivist Orientation. I developed my personal understanding of

each of these theories and how they have developed adult education. As I stated in part 1, “I

would have to say that I most wholeheartedly agree with the behaviorist orientation to adult

learning. Our behavior is shaped by our environment which is prescribed by our culture

(meaning our behavior can change from place to place, country to country or even in different

neighborhoods). I also agree with the notion that occurrences are vital to shaping our educational

attainment. Without occurrences (in our environment) we might be totally different people.

One thing that I have taken when it concerns this perspective is what my teacher asked us

to remember in one of my undergraduate classes at Western Michigan University, B-P*E.

Simply stated this equation means Behavior is a factor of personal disposition and environment.

Our behavior is grounded in personal disposition but that personal disposition is thus influenced

by our environment and those factors which surround us.

In part two we went over wisdom and cognitive development. Again I put that equation

(B=P*E) into my thoughts to create that picture and learned about wisdom and how wisdom

effects our learning in higher education. Wisdom is the lessons that are passed down,

traditionally through verse or story-telling from people we consider to be wise. Typically wise

people are people who have done something to help a social good. People who are famous today

36Course Project

and considered to be wise would be Oprah, Nelson Mandela, Pope John Paul II and countless

others. Typically wise people are those who have a message to give that helps make society a

better place. We typically hold these people in high respect and their stories are often passed in

history.

In part three, we went over our own individual development as an adult learner. We also

went over theories in adult learning one of which was the biological perspective which gives

weight to behavior and learning styles to nature or biological makeup. Another perspective was

the psychological perspective which gives weight to individual learning to internal experiences

of the individual. I truly believe in a blended approach to learning and teaching. I would have to

say that there are certain parts of theories such as these that I agree with, but theories are just that

theories and are not theoretically sound. I also believe things that we consider to be theoretically

sound should be questioned. We should be able to think outside the box and not subject

ourselves to a certain way of learning, which is what I am coming to identify with. It might also

be due to the fact that I am not an educator yet. I am merely theorizing on hypothetical situations

and my brief teaching experience abroad, isn’t enough experience for me to make judgments on.

In part four, we went over different learning styles, of which I identified closest with was

self-directed learning. In week four we were asked to watch a film. I chose Slumdog Millionaire,

which was a film about a Jamal, a boy of a low social class and stigma that came to adulthood

through extreme self-directed learning. I identified with his character as I too was forced to be

self-dependent at a very young point in my life. There are different types of learning styles but

this one resonated with me most which I described through my story as a child and how it

affected my adult learning style.

37Course Project

In part 5 we went over critical, postmodern and feminist theories in adult education.

These different theories really made me think of how the traditional education system was

flawed. If we use a critical scope, as in the critical theory to traditional methods, raising

questions to what is good, bad and ugly in education, we will broaden our horizons in how and

what we learn. In the last two, postmodern and feminist theories, I really got a feeling of what

most teachers don’t think about; how to create a conducive learning environment for all learners,

specifically minority students and what we can do to produce those kinds of environments. I

think it is particularly difficult for adult educators to understand this when they are part of the

majority but I also have some objections to these theories that focus on non-European Whites in

America. I feel that there is reverse racism also in the workplace and school environment and I

would like to be an educator that does not base decisions on anyone’s status or give anyone

special consideration because of the color of their skin. I think our society is making this race

gap worse and it can’t be blamed on merely European-White citizens in the United States. Is an

American problem, not a European-White problem and is being fueled by all people. What

people of minorities also don’t take into consideration is the prejudices against certain groups of

White-Europeans who have also been oppressed, particularly those of Roman Catholic, Western

European decent.

Finally, in part 7 we discussed spirituality and storytelling in adult education. I shared my

story of my childhood and how my spirituality helped me get through these times which in turn

helped funnel my education and growth. For me it came in the forms of dreams, church and God,

for others this could consist of meditation, religion or other deep thought. Spirituality has often

been transformed into storytelling and storytelling is usually a narrative explanation for a

particular view. In society, one of the oldest forms of education has been through storytelling. It

38Course Project

helps to paint a bigger picture of us and helps us remember much easier. Storytelling is just as

important in adult education as theories because stories, such as in the Bible are rooted in

theories and spirituality. I believe everything is interwoven and we should not have a closed

mind when it comes to progressive forms of education. Traditional classrooms just don’t work

and these classrooms don’t make much sense when considering our history. I believe using what

we have available is just as important. What we have available is a whole world full of different

views, both Western and non-Western and we need to explore all of them, apply them and then

decide what works best for us.

I have learned a lot about myself and opened up to myself which has been particularly

useful over this course. I have learned that there are so many ways of approaching adult

education and I have decided over this course that I would like to try each and every way of

approaching it to gain a further understanding of what works, doesn’t work and gain student’s

feedback through each step. I think this would be a great dissertation for the end of the course

once I am able to start teaching. I am very excited to embark on my teaching career and to

continue learning about these fundamentals.

39Course Project

References

Cozolino, L. (2008). The healthy aging brain: Sustaining attachment and attaining wisdom. New

York, NY: W. W. Norton.

Merriman, S. B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L. M. (2007). Learning in adulthood: A

comprehensive guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.