MD2AssignCCornwell
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This document discusses the author's personal learning style as an artistic/intuitive learner and how traditional professional development does not align with his needs. It analyzes adult learning theory and how best practices should consider the intrinsic motivation and life experiences of adult learners. The author argues that professional development needs to be integrated to uphold the goals of learners in order to effectively transfer learning to the classroom. When learners feel valued and that their goals are considered, the learning process will benefit both the attendees and their students.
![problem allows learners to make meaningful connections, or to transfer knowledge from mind to
the physical universe via discussions or demonstrations designed to challenge the learner as he or
she applies their new knowledge in new ways.
Finally, learners are assessed to “the extent to which the individual has attained a specific
learning objective or sub objective” (p. 82). The assessment phase is critical to learning because
it is the moment where both the teacher and the learner realize that the learning has occurred and
allows the teacher to provide feedback to the learner about his or her achievement compared to
standards.
Gagne best exemplifies the learning process, enabling teachers to create environments
where the greatest learning occurs. Knowles, Holton, and Swanson (2005) write about Gagne’s
learning conditions that “when combined with certain prerequisite [i.e. the desire of the adult
learner intrinsically] capabilities within the learner, bring about the desired change in
performance” (p. 83).
Section 3. Integrated Professional Development
Professional development in the field of education sits at the intersection of what Knowles,
Holton, and Swanson (2005) call the theory of learning and the theory of teaching. The theory of
teaching informs the theory of learning in adult education. However, school district professional
development programs fail to attend to the learner’s needs, instead focusing on the requirements
of the course at hand.
Dewey, from Knowles (1980) clearly identified the needs of the learner as they relate to
the principles of teaching. Teachers of adult learners, including those teachers/adult learners](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/1640bc08-0fcc-464b-892e-7cb6d84a75d0-160118163853/85/MD2AssignCCornwell-4-320.jpg)
![who endure hours of professional development must consider the extent to which the learner
“feels the need to learn, [how the] learning environment is characterized by physical comfort,
mutual trust and respect, [how the] learner perceives the goals of learning to be their [own] goals,
[whether] the learner accepts a shared responsibility for…a learning experience, [if] the learning
process is related to and makes use of the experience of the learners, [and if] the learners have a
sense of progress toward their goals” (p. 93-94).
Professional development cannot function under the auspices of traditional classroom
teaching. The learners involved in the learning process must feel that they are valued as a part of
the learning process and that their goals are considered important. Dewey states implicitly in the
last directive that “learners have a sense of progress toward their goals” (p. 94). He does not
write about progress toward a set of goals, nor the goals of the professional development
department. When professional development is implemented to uphold the learners’ goals, the
learning process is beneficial to those in attendance, and those benefits will transfer to the K-12
classroom, directly to the students.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/1640bc08-0fcc-464b-892e-7cb6d84a75d0-160118163853/85/MD2AssignCCornwell-5-320.jpg)
MD2AssignCCornwell
- 1. A Reflection of Adult Learning Styles and Implications for Educational Professional Development Chad D. Cornwell Walden University September26, 2014
- 2. Section 1. Personal Learning Style During my fourth grade year my language arts teacher, Miss Farrar, recognized that my learning style differed from that of other students. I performed below average academically on homework but was able to demonstrate my understanding come assessment time. Miss Farrar asked me to come to her class every day after school to complete homework. This one act by an adept teacher changed the world around me. Miss Farrar recognized that simply going through the motions of learning, completing homework and class activities, and he draw of A’s and B’s were simply not enough for an artistic and intuitive learner. Knowles, Holton, and Swanson (2005) differentiate between the scientific learner who “seeks to discover new knowledge through rigorous (and often experimental) investigation”, and the artistic/intuitive learner who ‘seeks to discover new knowledge through intuition and the analysis of experience” (p. 36-37). Being an artistic/intuitive learner I align more closely with our understanding of adult learners who, as Lindeman (1926) points out use their life experience to motivate ongoing learning and use their experiences as the impetus and foundation for their learning. I find little value in district sanctioned professional development course. This is due to my need to connect the learning with my classroom. Hilgard’s personal motivation theory (1966), married to my artistic/intuitive learning style make traditional classroom-based professional development boring and ineffective, at least to me.
- 3. Section 2. Personal Learning Style and Adult Learning Theory For many years educators have worked under the assumption that what is effective in K- 12 classrooms is successful with adult learners. We use similar methodologies in professional development for educators, failing to understand the divergent needs of the adult learner, and writing curriculum that fails to produce results in the classroom. Both Skinner’s and Guthrie’s suggestions for teaching (in Knowles, Holton, and Swanson, 2005), are antiquated and ineffective in the K-12 classroom, let alone for the adult learner. Adults do not enter into learning situations for the reward of behavior, nor for the “arrangement of contingencies of reinforcement? (p. 77). Best practice aligns with Gagne’s understanding of how the environment effects the learner. Although adults approach learning from an intrinsic place, Gagne points out that learning begins with a stimuli that is outside of the learner (Knowles, Holton, and Swanson, p. 79). Activities, then prepare for learning. These may be recognition of background knowledge, or stated or printed instructions. After instructions, the teacher models for the student. Both positive and negative modeling has proven effective in the classroom to help students understand the right and wrong way of the learning activity. After modeling, a chain of cues are provided to “establish a proper sequence of connections or to increase the distinctiveness of stimuli” (p. 81). These external cues, linked to modeling help the student correctly align information in the learning process. As students formulate problem solving the teacher guides the learner’s thought process through a series of activities in which the learner interacts with the problem components. Interacting with the
- 4. problem allows learners to make meaningful connections, or to transfer knowledge from mind to the physical universe via discussions or demonstrations designed to challenge the learner as he or she applies their new knowledge in new ways. Finally, learners are assessed to “the extent to which the individual has attained a specific learning objective or sub objective” (p. 82). The assessment phase is critical to learning because it is the moment where both the teacher and the learner realize that the learning has occurred and allows the teacher to provide feedback to the learner about his or her achievement compared to standards. Gagne best exemplifies the learning process, enabling teachers to create environments where the greatest learning occurs. Knowles, Holton, and Swanson (2005) write about Gagne’s learning conditions that “when combined with certain prerequisite [i.e. the desire of the adult learner intrinsically] capabilities within the learner, bring about the desired change in performance” (p. 83). Section 3. Integrated Professional Development Professional development in the field of education sits at the intersection of what Knowles, Holton, and Swanson (2005) call the theory of learning and the theory of teaching. The theory of teaching informs the theory of learning in adult education. However, school district professional development programs fail to attend to the learner’s needs, instead focusing on the requirements of the course at hand. Dewey, from Knowles (1980) clearly identified the needs of the learner as they relate to the principles of teaching. Teachers of adult learners, including those teachers/adult learners
- 5. who endure hours of professional development must consider the extent to which the learner “feels the need to learn, [how the] learning environment is characterized by physical comfort, mutual trust and respect, [how the] learner perceives the goals of learning to be their [own] goals, [whether] the learner accepts a shared responsibility for…a learning experience, [if] the learning process is related to and makes use of the experience of the learners, [and if] the learners have a sense of progress toward their goals” (p. 93-94). Professional development cannot function under the auspices of traditional classroom teaching. The learners involved in the learning process must feel that they are valued as a part of the learning process and that their goals are considered important. Dewey states implicitly in the last directive that “learners have a sense of progress toward their goals” (p. 94). He does not write about progress toward a set of goals, nor the goals of the professional development department. When professional development is implemented to uphold the learners’ goals, the learning process is beneficial to those in attendance, and those benefits will transfer to the K-12 classroom, directly to the students.
- 6. REFERENCES Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. F., III, & Swanson, E. A. (2005). The adult learner: The definitive classic on adult education and human resource development (6th ed.). Oxford, UK: Elsevier.