Monthly Summary – March
Andragogy
As we are now
approaching the end of March and Spring Break is behind us. Our group
began the month by wrapping up our program investigation. Through our
investigation, we reviewed “Corporate Training Consultants Inc.”,
targeting adults seeking higher education and “Road Scholars”, offering
learning adventures across all 50 states of America and over 150
different countries. We took the knowledge we gained from our program
investigations and transformed the concepts of each and developed a
program design targeted at a specific group of adult learners.
In
creating our program design, we wanted to focus on providing a unique
opportunity for elderly learners to take initiative to fulfill learning
needs at a reasonable cost. We felt that developing a program
specifically geared towards the older adults will offer enhanced quality
of life by traveling and social interactions shared with other members
with similar interests. We also felt that in collaboration with
community groups and resources for the aging population will assist in
development of our program, create awareness and understand the needs of
our community. With this information we are able to offer classes or
programs in which the older adult population will find interest and
value through education.
For the month of March we have
continued to work together as a group providing feedback in program
design development and each contributing based on the needs of the
project. Each one of us taking on different tasks in which we feel we
are most comfortable and contribute the most value to our team. Each
member of the group has taken an element of the project and offered
their contribution to the overall project’s success. We are continuing
to work on our communication as a group, primarily through email to
ensure all of us are on the same page and aware of our own duties.
The
next month we will be sending our course design to educators who will
evaluate our syllabus. Following the evaluation, our group will reflect
upon their responses and offer potential ways to improve our course if
deemed necessary. Lastly, we will wrap up with a project demonstration
using a source of media in which we feel most comfortable. This will be
shared on our blog for our classmates to view. In the end, we hope to
provide an excellent program design in the area of andragogy and how it
can create unique learning opportunities for older adults.
Paul posted to blog groups 1 and 5.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Program Design
Individual Responses to other Group Blogs:
Andrew Buckle: Group 1 and Group 6
Scott Rafalski: Commented on Narrative Learning and Behaviorist Learning Group Blog on 4/5/13
Paul commented on Group 1 and Group 4
Program Design
Group 3
31 March 31, 2013
Amanda Bolin, Andrew Buckle, Sara Pratt
Scott Rafalski, Paul Starr
Introduction:
Road Scholars is an international program directed at retired seniors to engage in lifelong learning pursuits (Elderhostel, Inc., 2013). Although the program offers a myriad of choices, locations, and educational opportunities, the concern for many who may find themselves on fixed incomes, is a financial barrier to participating. The following program design is meant to provide elderly learners the opportunity to engage in the learning process in a low cost, local and interest based format. This can be done through self-directed learning in which individuals take the initiative, with or without assistance, in diagnosing their learning needs (Corporate Training Partners, 2009). This program seeks to partner with local community stores, senior centers, and neighborhoods. Utilizing local community or senior centers creates a low cost and engaging atmosphere to this demographic and minimizes planning out their parts, freeing them to engage in the learning process more.
Objectives:
Provide low cost educational opportunities for aging public
Create partnerships with local community groups, sponsors and neighborhoods to serve aging public
Develop skills for retired people to increase quality of life
Provide activities for aging population that promote learning throughout life and possibilities to give back to the community with time or skills
To retool one’s learning skill set from passive to active.
Allow the learners to learn only what they need and want to learn. (Self-Directed Learning)
Rationale:
As our aging public increases, young generations are prone to disregarding or leaving behind one of the fastest growing populations in the world, those over 65. With health care and resources, extended and increased quality of life is not only possible but becoming the norm. As this demographic has aged and retired many seek leisure activities and opportunities to engage their communities in differing ways then when they were part of the workforce.
Using a model from the Elder Hostel Inc., specifically through the Road Scholars program we seek to provide special interest educational opportunities right in the communities the learners live in. This will allow learners to further hone past or present hobbies, engage in the social learning environment, utilize their own past experiences to develop renewed or new skills and potentially put them into action within the community through neighborhood partnerships and mentoring opportunities (Elderhostel, Inc., 2013).
This program plans to model their program design off of Corporate Training partners, Self Directed Learning, by assessing that specific community of elderly individuals to find their readiness to learn and what they want to learn. This first assessment will help tailor the offered community events to the specific population and what they would like to learn and find valuable to participate in. When adult/elderly learners can find value in what they are taught, they are more likely to be engaged in that learning. By allowing learners the opportunity to share these past experiences it provides them with the opportunity to feel like they are part of the group and validated. The learning environment will work as collaboration between student, teacher and group. Learners will come in with differing levels of knowledge from novice to expert. Therefore, the learners themselves may have the ability to serve as a knowledgeable resource, trainer and even model and help fellow learners (Merriam, S., Caffarella, R., & Baumgartner, L., 2007). These learners will also be intrinsically motivated because they have chosen this learning and will be seeking self-gratification and satisfaction (Corporate Training Partners, 2009).
Using community or senior centers already in existence and partnering with local businesses that specialize in interests such as gardening, interior decorating, or nutrition students will be able to be exposed to current trends and bring their own experience to the learning environment, a key element of Andragogy and Self Directed Learning (SDL).
Action Plan:
Provide the elderly population (ages 65 and greater) with learning opportunities within their own community that make the learners feel like they can share their experiences, direct their own learning, and give back to their community in order to feel a part of the community.
In order for our program to succeed we will need to start by surveying neighborhoods that have a large pool of demographics with people in the retirement age range. We would assess the population of their readiness to learn and what is important for them to learn in order to know what businesses or organizations to target when looking for partnership. We will then work on connecting with local businesses, city or town parks departments, and colleges/schools with special interest focuses such as lawn and garden centers, interior decorating, art and crafts, and others. Then we would connect with local community and senior centers for educational space for these seminars or learning opportunities. The program would then schedule a date, time, and space for the learning opportunity to take place with the organization of when their seminar would be and would make a monthly calendar to provide to the elderly population. This calendar would allow the individuals to choose the topics they were specifically interested in learning about and give them time to plan around their own life schedules (attached below is an example of what a monthly calendar would look like).
The organizations or groups that would partner with us would develop a half day seminar or presentation to share their product, skill, or process in the special interest field. The organizations and groups would be responsible to develop the class and provide the volunteers; however, the organization or company would be allowed to market their services and merchandise as an incentive in providing the program. A community organizer/facilitator would then provide a discussion for students to respond to the seminar content, bringing in their own past knowledge on the subject matter and gaining additional insight from their fellow classmates.
Students would then be able to take their learning and directly apply it to their own homes or with further partnerships within the community could volunteer their time to their own neighborhood by giving their service and knowledge in the special area.
Example Event:
Home Depot providing a presentation on How to Start a Home Garden
Date: 16 April 2013, starting at 8am
8-830am: Meet and greet with coffee
8:45-9:45am: Home depot Presentation
10-10:30am: Expert question and answer panel
10:30-11am: Group discussion
11-12pm: Gardening workshop
For example, many home and garden stores will offer classes on how to plant a square foot garden in their backyard. Having these merchants come to a local community center to share their knowledge with the specified student population. The merchant is able to give to the community through volunteering and marketing current tools, products and services. Students who attended are doing so based on interest of the subject matter and either bringing with them their own previous knowledge or are invested in the content enough to ask questions and seek learning on their own, both of which are internal motivators. After being provided information, a facilitator, likely part of the community center staff, can lead the dialogue or take away applications and organize a discussion on current trends with student’s previous knowledge. Through additional partnerships, students can go out into the community and provide basic landscaping help if they chose or take newly learned skills back to their own homes and engage in their own leisurely pursuit of the content.
References
Corporate Training Partners (2009). Self-Directed Learning: Be your own Chief Learning
Officer. Retrieved from http://www.selfdirectedlearning.org
Elderhostel, Inc. (2013). Road Scholar: Adventures in Lifelong Learning. Retrieved from
http://www. Roadscholar,org/
Merriam, S., Caffarella, R., & Baumgartner, L. (2007), Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide, p83-92.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Program Investigation
Running Head: ANDRAGOGY
INVESTIGATION
Andragogy
Program
Investigation
3
March 2013
Amanda
Bolin, Andrew Buckle,
Sara
Pratt, Scott Rafalski, Paul Starr
Introduction
Understanding
the adult learner is quite complex. However, educators have been utilizing a
theory, andragogy, since 1833 when German grammar teacher, Alexander Knapp
coined the term referring to the way adults engage in continued education. Later,
in the early 20th century adult education expert Eduard Lindeman used
the theory of andragogy, pointed out adults should be educated by guidance
rather than a lecture type setting. Finally it was Malcolm Knowles “the Father
of Adult Learning” who popularized the concept of andragogy. Andragogy, the art
and science of helping adults learn, has a long and rich history that has
shaped understanding of adult learning and continues to be a strong force in
guiding the way adults learn (Henschke, 2011). Andragogy is based on multiple
assumptions in which adult learners may thrive in an educational environment.
The purpose of the assignment is to investigate at least two educational
programs that apply the learning theory Andragogy and find out the main
features of the selected educational programs. Through our investigation we will
be highlighting Corporate Training Consultants Inc. and Road Scholars.
First Program Description
Our
first program is named Corporate Training Consultants Inc. was created in 1992
and is based out of Chicago, Illinois.
The targeted learners for the program are individuals in the field of
retail, manufacturing, financial services, transportation, utilities,
non-profits and adults seeking higher education. The purpose of Corporate Training Consultants
Inc. is to keep employees productive while enabling them to continue to
learn. The program uses self-directed
learning in which individuals take the initiative to diagnose their learning
needs, formulating their learning goals, identify human and material resources
for learning, choose and implement appropriate learning strategies, and the
adult learner will be able to evaluate their learning outcome. Corporate Training Consultants’ objectives
are to retool an adult student’s skill set from passive to active
learning. Also, it provides information
that is relevant to everyone, from new hires to senior management. This program enables learners to learn only
what they need to acquire and develop self-directed learning skills which can
also be congruent towards a life of learning.
The
program is designed specific for each individual organization. The company will meet with the senior
management to discuss needs and expectations.
Then Corporate Training Consultants Inc. will determine the employee
readiness for self-directed learning and provide a workshop which will train
employees and their managers.
There
are two types of programs offered, an employee version and a manager
version. The employee versions main
focus is to enable the employee to create and implement a learning project. During the workshop an employee learns what
their learning style is, what they need to learn, define scope of learning,
documenting learning, and writing the final learning project plan. Also, employees complete an assessment to
determine their proficiency of their self-directed learning skills. The manager version reinforces employee SDL
skills and how managers can act as a coach in assisting their own employees in
creating and implementing individual learning projects. The manager program focuses on providing feedback,
approving learning resources for their employees and approving learning project
plans.
The
main features of the SDL program are designing and developing a learning
project plan and how to assess the project.
The program assesses the needs of the company and employees to ensure
the learning fits the company. Training
audits and strategic training plans are provided with the program. At the end there is a program evaluation of
the learning plans and to make sure the programs were implemented and to
provide additional support.
First
Program Comparison of Theory and Practice
Andragogy
is defined as the “art and science of helping adults learn” which is exactly
the mission or goal of Corporate Training Consultants. The self-directed learning program follows
many of the six assumptions that are the basis of the theory of Andragogy. The first assumption is that adults are
self-directed learners; the entire program is based on self-directed learning
and improving those skills. The third
assumption looks into an adult learners willingness to learn. If the learning is applicable to a learner’s
needs then they will be more eager to seek out the material and actually learn
from it. This program completes a needs
assessment prior to starting the program to address the desire and willingness
of the employees to learn. The fourth
assumption of Andragogy states adult learning is more problem centered than
subject centered; the SDL program allows for their participants to have a voice
in what they want to learn and helps the individuals in completing a learning
action plan.
The
fifth assumption touches on the motivation of an adult learner. Stating, the most powerful motivators for
adults are internal rather than external.
This program provides adults the opportunity to be self-directed their
learning, creating the objectives and own learning plan. By the program allowing this kind of
learning, adults are more engaged and intrinsically motivated to learn. The sixth assumption of Andragogy is that
adult learners need to know why it is important to learn the material
provided. Since this program is based on
what the learner wants to learn for their job and enables the learners to
create their own learning action plan, the importance is clear to the
individual and his or her career.
The
main difference with this program and the theory of Andragogy is not addressing
the idea of adults learn through their own experiences and are able to relate
those experiences to their learning and sharing of experiences through
dialogue. Adults have had many different
experiences throughout their career which they could possibly share with other
co-workers that may benefit their learning plan action; however, this program
does not put much emphasis on previous experiences and their value.
Second
Program Description
Our
second program we reviewed is called Road Scholars. Road Scholars offer learning adventures in
all 50 of the United States of America and over 150 different countries around
the world. As a branch of Elderhostel Incorporated, Road Scholars offers learning
opportunities to adults in non -credit programs in many academic and special
interest fields. Scholars are educated by local and renowned experts, experience in-depth and behind-the-scenes
learning opportunities, from cultural tours and study cruises to walking, and
biking.
The
idea behind Road Scholars was to provide further learning opportunities to the
aging generation, often adults in a retired professional status, without the
stress of formal school work that is found in most post secondary education
opportunities. Additionally, it allows adults to benefit from the youth hostel
concept that is prevalent in many European nations. The Elderhostel program
offers low cost and comfortable housing with expert guides through an
adventure, allowing peer and expert discourse, questioning and further
intellectual development to take place.
Programs
in the United States often take the learners to historical places such as
Massachusetts to learn about the birth of American liberty or to homes of
infamous presidents and dig into the issues of that historical time. Within
many of these excursions learners may walk through cities taking in historical
museums, homes or the natural habitat associated with the subject matter.
Lectures with experts in the fields of study, food, lodging and occasionally
performances associated with the subject matter are included in the program as
well.
Second
Program Comparison of Theory and Practice
This
program highlights a great deal of opportunity for the adult learner. When
compared to Andragogy’s concept, learning in this setting is based completely
on the internal desire to learn, a significant point for the Knowle’s view of
adult learning. Additionally, learners are likely to bring their own past
experiences to the learning environment and engage the expert with his or her
own past knowledge on the subject matter. The result of this framework results
in peer collaboration and discourse to expand their knowledge on the subject
matter. Many of the learners in this educational environment are in a retired
career status, their societal framework is often considered as absent to the
world.
In
the Road Scholar program, retired adults seek to engage not only in the
learning adventure for personal enrichment, but often fight a stereotype of
disengaging the society around them. As this learning bears no responsibility
to an employer, formal credential or societal mandate; the learning is based on
the internal desire and self directed approach the learner seeks to invest in
the adventure itself. With an aging
adults large knowledge base and personal experience, the peer and expert
collaboration that takes place in healthy discussions and group study yields a
unique expanse of reflective opportunities and growth in one’s knowledge base.
On
a separate note, this program is likely differing from Knowle’s view of adult
learning in that the knowledge gained and relevance may not always have a
practical or immediate application as Knowle suggested in his concept. Retired
adults may find it interesting to learn about societal problems in the times of
James Monroe, but are not likely to apply this newfound material to the present
standards of society today. This may not be entirely true in all cases, as
tutoring for children and parks and naturalistic endeavors are educational
environments that can have immediate application to the learner, this is not
necessarily emphasized in the Road Scholar program.
Applying
to Our Program
One
of the main features from SDL that we would like to apply to our program is the
needs assessment before implementing the program. By assessing the needs of our learners we can
better target our program to our audience and ensure we are providing
information they feel is valuable to learn.
Also, we will be able to determine their willingness to learn the
material. Also, from the Road Scholar
program, the allowing of sharing experiences between learners and the expert or
instructor would be another feature we would like to apply to our program. Since adults have so many different experiences
to share, we feel allowing adults to share these experiences within our program
would help foster great discussion and a greater gain of knowledge.
Table
1.
Main Features of the programs
|
|
Road Scholar Program
|
|
|||||
Internal
desire to “Want to learn”
|
This
program will goes through a full assessment of the employee or manager in
providing information on learning styles and/or coaching skills
|
This
program is for those who want to travel and gain knowledge on different
states and countries
|
When
adult learners can find value in what they are being taught, they are likely
to be much more engaged
|
|||||
Experience
of adult learners
|
This
program does not focus of past experiences
|
This
program does focus on sharing of experiences and collaboration of the group
to further knowledge
|
Allowing
adult learners who have an opportunity to share past experiences provides
time for each to become engaged and feel they are a part of the group
|
|||||
Allows
for immediate application
|
Employees
are taught their learning styles and managers are provided on how to become
better at coaching and handling different learning styles – this is easily
applied in the work environment
|
May
or may not be practical in application
|
Programs
which allow the learner to apply their new found knowledge are beneficial and
will be used in our program
|
References
1) "Corporate Training Consultants | Enhanced
Training." Corporate
Training Consultants | Enhanced Training. Web Accessed 03 Mar. 2013.
2) Henschke,
J.A. (2011). Considerations Regarding the Future of Andragogy. Adult Learning, 22 (1), 34-37.
3) Road Scholars. Web Accessed 02 March 2013.
4)
"The
Major Principles of an SDL Program." The
Major Principles of an SDL Program. Web Accessed 03 March 2013.
GROUP MEMBER COMMENTS ON
CLASSMATES BLOGS:
Amanda: Groups 1, 2 & 4
Andrew: Group 1 (Transformative Learning) & Group 2 (Behaviorist Learning:Pending Moderator Approval)
Sara: Group 6 & Group 1
Scott: Group 1
& Group 6
Paul: Group 1 & Group 6
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