I've also been enjoying the picture that has begun to reveal itself in my mind's eye of what adult learning could look like. In attempting to put it into words, I came across a quote from Sharan Merriam:
"After some 80 years of study, we have no single answer, no one theory or model of adult learning. What we have instead is a colourful mosaic of theories, models, sets of principles, and explanations that combined create the knowledge base of adult learning" (Merriam, 2004).
When I first read this, it meant nothing to me. However, with a head full of andragogy, transformative learning theory, reflective practice, SDL, SRL and PBL, as well as ideas of non formal and incidental learning; I now have a significantly greater appreciation for what she was stating. I do wonder whether we need one theory or model for adult learning. Why should we? There isn't a single solitary, globally accepted theory for pedagogy. Surely the more we question, the more we hypothesize and test, the more we try stuff out, and the more we discover and add to our understanding of how people learn; the richer the knowledge base from which to draw. Why subscribe to a single philosophy? What's wrong with a little pot pourri?
To add to this argument - something that you said Laura, has stuck with me... These theories have evolved around a need to compartmentalize and name what has already existed for hundreds of years. Yes, our society is ever evolving and new technologies (I don't just mean digital) are developed that alter the way that we teach and learn; however, people have been learning since people arrived on planet Earth! We just seem to be compelled to label everything and sometimes (sorry!) I feel just a tad exasperated by this! Does it serve a purpose? Maybe. Sure; where there are issues of gross inequality for example; but sometimes I think we should just let the learning happen naturally.
I'm clearly no expert, but the other point I wanted to make is that the study of education is surely muddied by the very unpredictability of human behaviour. It is not pure science. On that same point, but approaching from the opposite end, the individual learner comes with his or her own travelling trunk burgeoning with issues of culture, sociology, perhaps gender bias, learning expectations, perceptions of self-efficacy, individual goals, questions surrounding power and who holds it, and needs. In other words - each student is different and will experience more or less success according to a) her background, b) the teaching theory(ies) / strategies / philosophies employed, c) motivation, d) ability beliefs.
Great points, and excellent synthesis of the literature in this post! Starting with the end, where you talk about the learning coming to situations with a "traveling trunk" (or Knapsack, to use Peggy MacIntosh's parlance), absolutely - and so do the theorists and researchers! This is perhaps most prominent in the work of Knowles and subsequent critiques (especially gender bias, individualistic learning, etc. associated with Knowles' andragogy).
ReplyDeleteI happen to be in agreement with you that so single "magic bullet" is necessary (or realistic) to capture adult learning. But, by attempting to define and identify aspects, one hopes we can apply the theory and research to make us "better" teachers and learners. For instance, if you start with transformative learning: yes, it's always happened incidentally. But if we can understand the features of this sort of learning, teachers can then incorporate aspects of it into their practice to make experiences more meaningful for learners. I'll use an example. If I want my preservice teachers to learn about policy, I can have them memorize it and write a test. But research suggests this will not result in sustained learning. I then can look to what adult learning theory and research suggest would be more meaningful - to achieve better and deeper learning. The theory to which I subscribe will dictate how I design the learning experiences (PBL? SDL? Collaborative or individual? Etc.). Theory choice will be influenced by my epistemological position and what is appropriate for learning goals/outcomes I identify.
Which brings me to an earlier part of your post - my grad courses are designed to offer a lot of flexibility in how we deal with content, but also to allow individuals to take the theory/research in directions that are personally relevant. I'd hesitate to use the term PBL (since we don't define a common problem - it's up to you to identify your own priority), but definitely SDL since the blogs and final assignment allow you to explore what matters to you.