Adult Learning Theory

K.P. Cross

CAL-Characteristics of Adult Learners

1.  Capitalize on experience of the learners

2.  Should adapt to the limitations of age of learners

3.  Should be challenged to move to more advanced personal development

4.  Learners should have choice in availability and structure of learning programs.

Andragogy 

Malcolm Knowles

Adults need to know why they need to learn something.

Adults need to learn experientially.

They approach learning as problem solving.

They learn best when information is pertinent.

They are problem centered and not content centered.

Experiential Learning 

Carl Rogers

Significant learning takes place when information is personally relevant to the student.

Learning which is threatening to self(different attitudes and perspectives)learned best in a safe environment.

Learning advances faster when threat to self is minimal.

Self-initiated learning is most lasting.

Information Processing Theory

G.A. Miller

Short term memory is limited to seven chunks of information.

TOTE: Test-Operate-Test-Exit

Planning in the form of TOTE is a cognitive process.

Behavior is organized by hierarchy.

Multiple Intelligences 

Howard Gardner

Seven primary forms: Linguistics, music, logical-mathematical, spatial, body-kinesthetic, interpersonal.

Learning should be encouraged to use their preferred intelligence in learning.

Activities should appeal to different forms of intelligence.

Assessments should measure different forms of intelligence.

Script Theory

Roger Shank

Conceptualization-doing something to an object in a direction.

All conceptualizations are a small number of primative acts.

All memory is episodic and organized according to script.

Scripts allow for inferences and understanding of verbal/written discourse.

Higher level expectations are created by goals and plans.

Situated Learning 

J. Lave

Learning is the function of the activity, culture and context in which it occurs.

Knowledge needs to be presented in authentic context such as applications and settings.

Learning requires social interactions and collaborations.

Social Learning Theory

Albert Bandura

Highest level of observational learning is achieved by organizing and the modeled behavior and then enacting it overtly.

Learners are more likely to adopt a behavior if the results are outcomes they value.

Learners are more likely to adopt a behavior if the model is similar to the observer, has a admired status and a functional value

Attribution Theory

B.Weiner

Concerned with how individuals interpret events and how this relates to their thinking and behavior.

Three stages:

                     1. Behavior is observed

                     2. Behavior is determined to be deliberate.

                     3. Behavior attributed to internal or external causes.

Achievement attributed to effort, ability, level of difficulty or luck.

Dimensions of behavior are locus of control, stability and controllability.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Leon Festinger

Individuals seek consistency among their beliefs and opinions.

Dissonance occurs when a person must chose between contradictory attitudes and behaviors.

Dissonance is eliminated by reducing the importance of the conflicting beliefs, aquiring new beliefs that shift the balance or removing the conflicting attitude/behavior

Constructivist Theory

Jerome Bruner

An active process where the learner develops new ideas or concepts based on current/past knowledge

Instruction must be concerned with the experiences and contexts that make the learner ready to learn.

Structured in a spiral organization so that it is easily understood by student.

Designed to facilitate extrapolation(going beyond the information given).

Transformational Theory

Jack Mezirow

The adult exhibits two kinds of learning

               cause and effect(instrumental)

               feelings(communicative)

Learning involves a change to meaning structures.

Change in meaning structures occurs through reflection about content, process or premise.

Can involve refining/elaborating meaning structures, learning new schemes, transforming schemes or perspectives.