Adult Learning Theory
I first encountered Adult Learning Theory in IT500 when I read articles by Collins (2004) and Royer (2007). Both seemed to describe adult learners as having motivations for learning that are influenced by desires and life experiences. For example, adult learners want their training to clearly serve a purpose, they want to be involved in the instruction process, and they typically favor a problem solving approach. Adult learners also look to make connections between the instruction and their past experiences, although experiences will vary between each learner.
Use in Projects
Adult Learning Theory came into play during my design project for IT500 (link). The focus of my project was to teach the Joomla content management system (CMS) to customers of a web design company. The learners would all be adults, primarily in organizations such as churches or small businesses, and would have little or no experience with web design. The traits defined by adult learning theory caused me explore ways to help the learners see a clear purpose for training, involve the learners in the learning process, and explore ways to incorporate a problem solving approach. As a result, Adult Learning Theory led me to consider the use of situated cognition, rubrics, and problem based learning in the project's design.
What envisioned for the Joomla training was simulated scenarios that mimic realistic scenarios in real-world situations. The instructor would serve as facilitator and would guide the learners. The project would begin with the learners acting as a group to develop a rubric based on what they hoped to learn. The rubric would serve as a guide during the project, and then as an evaluation tool at the project's completion. The learners would roleplay a scenario to create a website similar to their existing organization. They would participate in planning meetings, communicate via phone and email, and work together to develop their group's website.
References
Collins, J. (2004). Education techniques for lifelong learning: Principles of adult learning. RadioGraphics, 24(5) 1483-1489.
Royer, J.D. (2007). The new distance learning: Changing perceptions of adult learning theory and changing minds in academia. Journal of Business and Public Policy, 1(4) 1-15.