Adult Learners
Do you believe adults are better able to cope with learning issues.
Mak Nai,
You give students study sheets you have prepared over the written material. Require that they hand in the completed sheets for professional points. Used guided notes for the students to follow during their reading as well as lectures. The idea is to provide them with support to what is being required as reading.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Although the reading assignments are posted in the syllibi, went over in class, asked if there are any questions, then reiterate the importance of knowing the concept, and still students do not read the material. How does an instructor make space?
Sarah I have that challenge too. The students come from their high schools having been told exactly what to know on their tests. This is simple memorization and not studying and application of the information. My students have to take a national licensure exam that requires them to have a wide range of knowledge and be able to apply it to case information.
Mark,
If we want the respect of our students we have to be prepared and organized. By doing so we are showing our students that we in turn respect them.
Gary
I see some of that behavior and see instructors who feel that they were treated poorly as students and now act as if it is a rite of passage. Yes some do not prepare or read, but it's our job to TEACH and DEVELOP a fine product.
That is a great question John. I don't know that there is a right answer to that question. Much like a number of things in life, I think sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. They can apply the knowledge they are learning, because they can compare it to past experiences. The other side of that is that they are sometimes stuck in old habits and patterns. I think I would give them the edge though. They understand that things come up and then they adjust.
I have found that most adult leaners have the coping skills to deal with new material. Many have a wealth of knowledge & experience to pull from. Presenting the material in a veriaty of formats like powerpoints, lectures, videos, handouts, etc., does seem to help convay the information being given.
Sandy,
Good point. These learners bring tremendous experience to the classroom and can be used as a part of the instructional experience.
Gary
I find that they have acquired more coping skills than recent high school graduates.Certain subjects are more challenging like math since they many of them haven't used those skills for 20 years.
I do believe they are better able to cope with learning issues because they have a wealth of experience to draw upon and hopefully they have learned from past mistakes as well.
Caryn,
Good explanation on how different learners require different kinds of support and encouragement. This is what makes teaching fun because we get to customize our approach based upon the current group of students. We need to learn as much as we can from them so we can then target their learning needs.
Gary
I think that this question could be narrowed by saying, "Do you believe adults attending career colleges are better able to cope with learning issues?" My question is better than who? Children? Young adults in University setting?
My best answer would be:
Some adults who have already had formal education are able to cope better with learning issues than adults who have not already had some type of formal education.
I think this because the adults whom I have come in contact with that are attending career colleges have unique skill sets that are not always beneficial to them in a classroom setting and/or when a learning issue arises.
I think that it really depends on each adult individually on wether or not they are better able to cope with learning issues.
Sarah,
Good strategy. If they are given the answers to the test they will learn that information until the test is taken and then they will forget it. So the more application you can help them make the greater the retention of content is going to be.
Gary
Rebecca,
Yes, they are focused. They are ready to get after the content and skill development because they know what they have to do to be successful in their new career or expand their skills in their current one.
Gary
I have issues with my students wanting to know exactly what will be on the test. I do not tell them, ofcourse, but instead assign assignments that if they complete the assignments they should do pretty well on the test.
I agree with this statement that adult learners have a mission. I teach a a technical college and we have learners of all ages. You can see that the adult learners are more focused on succeeding.
I agree.They have a set goal to accomplish and, therefore, they stay focused.
Traci,
Good point and one we need to remember as we lay out our instructional content.
Gary
I think adult learners may have more tools for learning ability, but episodal memory issues tend to create obstructions. If we as instructors can relate positive synapses to relevance of material to a positive future obstacles may be overcome.
