Caroline Raubenheimer

Tutorial 1 24 July 2023

Adult learning
- Adult learning theory is established in andragogy, the act of showing adults, rather
than teaching methods, the act of educating children.
- Adult learning speculations have extended to incorporate a variety of choices
beginning around 1980 when teacher Malcolm Knowles presented the idea of
andragogy.
- The seven standards of adult learning incorporate self-direction, transformation,
experience, mentorship, mental orientation, motivation, and preparation to learn.
- Adult learning speculations can emphatically affect adults' growth opportunities both
in their studies and work.

What is Adult Learning Theory?

Malcolm Knowles, an adult educator who invented the notion of andragogy, is credited with
the origins of adult learning theories. Adult education is defined as the "art and science of
teaching adults." This is distinct from pedagogy, which is the practice of educating children.

Adult learning and childhood learning are fundamentally different, according to Knowles, and
older individuals do not receive, grasp, or retain knowledge in the same way that children do.
Self-directed learning is preferred.

- The capacity to rely on life experience to aid learning;

- A readiness to learn while moving into new responsibilities;
- An emphasis on applying new information to real-world circumstances and
challenges.
- A propensity to be internally motivated (rather than externally driven)

Adult learning and neuroplasticity

Because adult brains differ from children's brains, their learning methods will also
differ.
The capacity of the brain to build new neural connections while learning is referred to
as neuroplasticity.

What are the 7 learning principles?

Self-directed
- learning entails learning at one's own speed and in one's own method.
o You know what you need to learn and establish your own objectives, gather
materials, and devise a strategy to support your own learning, after which you
self-evaluate.

Transformational
- Learning has the potential to influence your view on the world and vice versa.
o New knowledge, whether from a teacher, a mentor, or another source, can
change a person's viewpoint and question their preconceived views. By
changing the learner's perspective, the material is applied and kept.

Experiential
 - Emphasizes gaining life experience or "hands-on" learning.
o Participate in the learning environment physically ("getting your hands dirty")
before reflecting on what worked and what didn't.

Mentorship 
- Entails learning from an outside mentor (an established person) in a particular
subject.
o Mentors and mentees can benefit from one another. (Mentees pose difficult
questions, and mentors question protégés' comprehension of the content.)

 Orientation
- Adults must rethink their emotions and preconceptions about the experience and
value of learning.
o Educators teach their pupils how to apply new teachings in the actual world,
which aids in student retention.

Motivation
- Children are driven by their parents and rules that require them to attend school;
adults are typically motivated internally.
o Adults devote time and effort to learning because they have internalized their
incentive, whether it be job success, the status of a degree, or a higher pay.

Readiness to learn
- As a kid ages, he or she reaches a particular level of learning readiness (for
example, reading or fundamental math skills), while adults have already gone
through this growth and must rely on prior experience or life events to generate a
renewed readiness.
o Renewing your willingness to learn as an adult is frequently triggered by a
situational trigger. Perhaps you've lost your job or wish to change careers.
Perhaps your next promotion is dependent on learning a talent.

Transformative Learning
Transformative learning, according to Mezirow, is "an orientation that holds that how
learners interpret and reinterpret their sense experience is central to making meaning and
thus learning." Simply put, transformational learning is the concept that learners who are
receiving new knowledge are also assessing their previous ideas and understanding, and
that they are altering their entire worldview as they get new information and engage in critical
reflection. Transformative learning is a learning philosophy that focuses on adult education
and young adult learning. Transformative learning, also known as transformation learning, is
founded on the premise that learners may modify their thinking in response to new
knowledge.
Jack Mezirow is widely regarded as the father of transformational learning. Adults,
according to this theory, do not apply their previous understanding to new situations; instead,
they discover that they need to look at fresh viewpoints in order to gain a new understanding
of things as they change.

Mezirow discovered that adult learning included taking what we believed and thought as
children and allowing critical reflection and education to influence the change to what we
should think and understand today. Mezirow's notion has evolved into a bigger idea that our
world perspective changes as we learn, which aids us in grasping new concepts and ideas.
This type of learning experience entails a fundamental shift in our perceptions—learners
begin to question what they previously knew or believed and study things from fresh angles
in order to make way for new ideas and knowledge.
According to Mezirow, transformational learning has two primary focuses: instrumental
learning and communicative learning. Instrumental learning is concerned with task-oriented
problem solving and the assessment of cause and effect linkages. Communicative learning
is concerned with how people express their feelings, needs, and desires. Students must be
able to focus on diverse forms of knowing and see fresh views that are both rational and
emotional in order to question their previous understanding in transformational learning.

According to Mezirow, meaning schemes or meaning structures are an integral component

of transformative theory and transformational learning.
Perspectives and meaning schemes are two main components of meaning structures, and
they represent our predispositions and preconceptions, which serve as the foundation for our
expectancies. The concepts, beliefs, judgements, and feelings that shape an interpretation
of information are referred to as meaning structures. Self-reflection, self-directed learning,
and critical theory help students grasp their meaning structure.

The phases of transformative learning.

There are typical stages that adult education learners go through, according to
transformational learning theory. These stages are critical in assisting adult education
students in transforming their past beliefs as they gain new information and understanding.

- A disorienting dilemma. A confusing problem occurs when a student discovers that

what they previously thought or believed may not be correct. This is the first step in
the transformational learning process. This can be a "a-ha" moment in which a
learner hears or considers something they previously did not understand. This
perplexing quandary might be unpleasant or hard for pupils, yet it is the critical spark
that ignites a fire of transformational learning.
- Self-examination. Following a perplexing problem, students will do a self-examination
of their beliefs and knowledge. They will reflect on their prior experiences and how
they relate to this perplexing quandary. This can result in a perspective change in
which pupils realize that their perspective is not the only one.
- Critical assessment of assumptions. Following a perplexing problem, students will do
a self-examination of their beliefs and knowledge. They will reflect on their prior
experiences and how they relate to this perplexing quandary. This can result in a
perspective change in which pupils realize that their perspective is not the only one.
- Planning a course of action. Students might plan a path of action after understanding
how their previous assumptions and beliefs may have been incorrect and having a
perspective change. They might determine what kind of learning they will now require
to completely comprehend an issue or circumstance. They will be able to devise a
plan for learning new things, seeing fresh views, conversing with new people, and
other activities.
- Acquisition of knowledge or skills to carry out new plan. Now is the moment for
students to put their plans into action and progress in their transformational learning.
To completely boost their learning, they may need to study new topics and examine
other views. This may need a significant amount of time and effort, but this is where
the true learning takes place.
- Exploring and trying new roles. We must behave as part of transformative learning.
Exploring and attempting to comprehend changes is critical to success in
transformational learning. It is more than simply learning about something; it is
actively seeking to comprehend and experience new things for oneself.
- Building self-efficacy in new roles and relationships. Self-efficacy refers to our ability
to make our own decisions and hold our own views. As we progress through the
transformational learning phases, it is critical to establish confidence in our beliefs
and understanding, as well as to continue to practice this transformative cycle.