EDU 643:

MISCONCEPTIONS OF ADULT LEARNING

David Six
Post University
Professor Wilkie

Adult Learners

Older generation
Individuals with
Families
Those looking to
get back into
school
They require
specific attention
Different approach

3 Misconceptions

My primary misconception was that I

thought the adult learners didn't need
much help to get fully engaged and setup
for class.
The second misconception was that I had
no idea that there were several learning
styles that adults utilize when learning.
The third misconception that I had was
that I thought adults were at the same
level and development in education as
traditional students.

Misconception of
Engagement

Adult learners may

have unique needs.
Engagement with
Adult learners may
look different than
that of traditional
students.
Find middle ground
to educational
learning

Formal Learning
Classroom
discussion
Structured format
Informal
Learning
Outside classroom
Everyday Learning

Misconception of Learning
Styles
Andragogy
-Learning from life
experiences.
-Real world
Application
Self Directed
learning
-Motivated learning
-Instigating ones own
success and plans.

Misconception of
Development

Biological Aging

Psychological
models

Sociocultural
factors

Integrative models

References

- Merriam, S. B., Baumgartner, L., & Caffarella, R.

S. (2007). Learning in Adulthood : A
Comprehensive Guide. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
- Harris, S. (2003).An Andragogical
Model: Learning through Life Experiences .Kappa
Delta PiRecord,40(1), 38-41.
- Hutto, C. J., Bell, C., Farmer, S., Fausset, C.,
Harley, L., Nguyen, J., & Fain, B. (2015). Social
media gerontology: Understanding social media
usage among older adults. Web Intelligence
(2405-6456), 13(1), 69-87. doi:10.3233/WEB150310