Applying adult learning practices in medical education.

PubMed

Reed, Suzanne; Shell, Richard; Kassis, Karyn; Tartaglia, Kimberly; Wallihan, Rebecca; Smith, Keely; Hurtubise, Larry; Martin, Bryan; Ledford, Cynthia; Bradbury, Scott; Bernstein, Henry Hank; Mahan, John D

2014-07-01

The application of the best practices of teaching adults to the education of adults in medical education settings is important in the process of transforming learners to become and remain effective physicians. Medical education at all levels should be designed to equip physicians with the knowledge, clinical skills, and professionalism that are required to deliver quality patient care. The ultimate outcome is the health of the patient and the health status of the society. In the translational science of medical education, improved patient outcomes linked directly to educational events are the ultimate goal and are best defined by rigorous medical education research efforts. To best develop faculty, the same principles of adult education and teaching adults apply. In a systematic review of faculty development initiatives designed to improve teaching effectiveness in medical education, the use of experiential learning, feedback, effective relationships with peers, and diverse educational methods were found to be most important in the success of these programs. In this article, we present 5 examples of applying the best practices in teaching adults and utilizing the emerging understanding of the neurobiology of learning in teaching students, trainees, and practitioners. These include (1) use of standardized patients to develop communication skills, (2) use of online quizzes to assess knowledge and aid self-directed learning, (3) use of practice sessions and video clips to enhance significant learning of teaching skills, (4) use of case-based discussions to develop professionalism concepts and skills, and (5) use of the American Academy of Pediatrics PediaLink as a model for individualized learner-directed online learning. These examples highlight how experiential leaning, providing valuable feedback, opportunities for practice, and stimulation of self-directed learning can be utilized as medical education continues its dynamic transformation in the years ahead

Adult Learning Assumptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baskas, Richard S.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine Knowles' theory of andragogy and his six assumptions of how adults learn while providing evidence to support two of his assumptions based on the theory of andragogy. As no single theory explains how adults learn, it can best be assumed that adults learn through the accumulation of formal and informal…

Facilitating Adult Learning and a Researcher Identity through a Higher Education Pedagogical Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Lisa L.; Lange, Elizabeth; Da Costa, Jose

2009-01-01

This empirical study uses auto-ethnography to describe a higher education pedagogical process that facilitated largely doctoral students in preparing their candidacy proposals through the use of specific adult learning principles. Students' experiences and points of view of such a learning environment were explored, including: (1) how they…

Merging Brain Research with Educational Learning Principles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Allyson D.; Vawdrey, Colleen

2002-01-01

Discusses how findings of recent neuroscience research can be combined with learning theories to derive brain-based learning principles. Suggests ways in which teachers can promote deeper learning. (SK)

Twelve tips for utilizing principles of learning to support medical education.

PubMed

Cutting, Maris F; Saks, Norma Susswein

2012-01-01

Research in the cognitive sciences on learning and memory conducted across a range of domains, settings, and age groups has resulted in the identification and formulation of a set of generic learning principles. These learning principles have proven relevant and applicable to a wide range of learning situations in a variety of settings, and can be useful in supporting medical education. They can provide guidance to medical students for efficient and effective study, and can be helpful to faculty to support instructional planning and decisions relating to curriculum. This article discusses evidence-based principles of learning and their relationship to effective learning, teaching, pedagogy and curriculum development. We reviewed important principles of learning to determine those most relevant to improving medical student learning, guiding faculty toward more effective teaching, and in designing a curriculum. Our analysis has resulted in the articulation of key learning principles and specific strategies that are broadly applicable to medical school learning, teaching, and instructional planning. The twelve tips highlight principles of learning that can be effectively applied in the complex learning environment of medical education.

Educating the adult brain: How the neuroscience of learning can inform educational policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knowland, Victoria C. P.; Thomas, Michael S. C.

2014-05-01

The acquisition of new skills in adulthood can positively affect an individual's quality of life, including their earning potential. In some cases, such as the learning of literacy in developing countries, it can provide an avenue to escape from poverty. In developed countries, job retraining in adulthood contributes to the flexibility of labour markets. For all adults, learning opportunities increase participation in society and family life. However, the popular view is that adults are less able to learn for an intrinsic reason: their brains are less plastic than in childhood. This article reviews what is currently known from neuroscientific research about how brain plasticity changes with age, with a particular focus on the ability to acquire new skills in adulthood. Anchoring their review in the examples of the adult acquisition of literacy and new motor skills, the authors address five specific questions: (1) Are sensitive periods in brain development relevant to learning complex educational skills like literacy? (2) Can adults become proficient in a new skill? (3) Can everyone learn equally effectively in adulthood? (4) What is the role of the learning environment? (5) Does adult education cost too much? They identify areas where further research is needed and conclude with a summary of principles for enhancing adult learning now established on a neuroscience foundation.

Design of Learning Objects for Concept Learning: Effects of Multimedia Learning Principles and an Instructional Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiu, Thomas K. F.; Churchill, Daniel

2016-01-01

Literature suggests using multimedia learning principles in the design of instructional material. However, these principles may not be sufficient for the design of learning objects for concept learning in mathematics. This paper reports on an experimental study that investigated the effects of an instructional approach, which includes two teaching…

Adult Learning: A Reader.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland, Peter, Ed.

This book on adult learning is divided into six sections. Section 1, Cognitive Processes, includes the following chapters: "Cognitive Processes: Contemporary Paradigms of Learning" (Jack Mezirow); "Information Processing, Memory, Age and Adult Learning" (Gillian Boulton-Lewis); "Adult Learners' Metacognitive Behaviour in Higher Education" (Barry…

Applying Brain-Based Learning Principles to Athletic Training Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craig, Debbie I.

2007-01-01

Objective: To present different concepts and techniques related to the application of brain-based learning principles to Athletic Training clinical education. Background: The body of knowledge concerning how our brains physically learn continues to grow. Brain-based learning principles, developed by numerous authors, offer advice on how to…

Does Language Matter in Multimedia Learning? Personalization Principle Revisited

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kartal, Gunizi

2010-01-01

This study examines one of the design principles of multimedia learning in a context dissimilar to the one in which it was originally tested. Personalization principle states that the amount of learning increases when the style of language is informal and conversational. In an attempt to uncover the relationship between learning and language…

Functional Principles of Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humphreys, Lloyd G.

In order of importance, curriculum, motivation, academic ability, and teaching methods are described in this paper as principles affecting classroom learning that can lead to more effective instruction. Curriculum simply exposes students to appropriate content and subject matter. Educational research should concentrate on the evaluation of…

A Review: Principles of Design and Analysis of Learning Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durney, Carl H.

1973-01-01

Analyzes a traditional and an innovative course in terms of learning principles, involving Erickson's management methods and Gagne's learning activities. Suggests that learning systems should be designed by applying all principles rather than emphasizing one or two of them. (CC)

Older Adults can Learn to Learn New Motor Skills

PubMed Central

Seidler, Rachael D.

2007-01-01

Many studies have demonstrated that aging is associated with declines in skill acquisition. In the current study, we tested whether older adults could acquire general, transferable knowledge about skill learning processes. Older adult participants learned five different motor tasks. Two older adult control groups performed the same number of trials, but learned only one task. The experimental group exhibited faster learning than that seen in the control groups. These data demonstrate that older adults can learn to learn new motor skills. PMID:17602760

Analyzing Principal Professional Development Practices through the Lens of Adult Learning Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zepeda, Sally J.; Parylo, Oksana; Bengtson, Ed

2014-01-01

This qualitative study sought to identify current principal professional development practices in four school systems in Georgia and to examine them by applying the principles of adult learning theory. The cross-case analysis of principal professional development initiatives in four school districts revealed nine common practices: connecting…

Principles for Public Funding of Workplace Learning. A Review To Identify Models of Workplace Learning & Funding Principles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawke, Geof; Mawer, Giselle; Connole, Helen; Solomon, Nicky

Models of workplace learning and principles for funding workplace learning in Australia were identified through case studies and a literature review. A diverse array of workplace-based approaches to delivering nationally recognized qualifications were identified. The following were among the nine funding proposals formulated: (1) funding…

Children's Learning from Broadcast Television: The Relationship between the Amount of Time a Child Watches Television with and without Adults and That Child's Learning from Television.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storm, Susan Ruotsala

A study examined young children's learning from selected television program content in varied subject matter and the relationship between that learning and the amount of time a child watches television with and without adults. A 28-item learning test based on instructional design principles was developed from selected television segments and…

Effects of Redundancy and Modality on the Situational Interest of Adult Learners in Multimedia Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dousay, Tonia A.

2016-01-01

This study investigated the effects of two design principles as prescribed by the cognitive theory of multimedia learning on the situational interest of adult learners in a multimedia-based continuing education training program. One hundred and two adult learners employed by an emergency medical service were randomly assigned to one of three…

Validation of "Teaching and Learning Guiding Principles Instrument" for Malaysian Higher Learning Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahman, Nurulhuda Abd; Masuwai, Azwani; Tajudin, Nor'ain Mohd; Tek, Ong Eng; Adnan, Mazlini

2016-01-01

Purpose: This study was aimed at establishing, through the validation of the "Teaching and Learning Guiding Principles Instrument" (TLGPI), the validity and reliability of the underlying factor structure of the Teaching and Learning Guiding Principles (TLGP) generated by a previous study. Method: A survey method was used to collect data…

Adult Learning Week Planning Packet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Office of Adult Learning Services.

Each year one week is designated by the Governor of New York as Adult Learning Week because of the growing importance of adult education to society and the economy of New York State. The major purpose of Adult Learning Week is to promote greater public awareness of the availability and variety of learning opportunities for adults. In practical…

Brain-Compatible Learning: Principles and Applications in Athletic Training

PubMed Central

2003-01-01

Objective: To discuss the principles of brain-compatible learning research and provide insights into how this research may be applied in athletic training education to benefit the profession. Background: In the past decade, new brain-imaging techniques have allowed us to observe the brain while it is learning. The field of neuroscience has produced a body of empirical data that provides a new understanding of how we learn. This body of data has implications in education, although the direct study of these implications is in its infancy. Description: An overview of how the brain learns at a cellular level is provided, followed by a discussion of the principles of brain-compatible learning. Applications of these principles and implications for the field of athletic training education are also offered. Application: Many educational-reform fads have garnered attention in the past. Brain-compatible learning will not likely be one of those, as its origin is in neuroscience, not education. Brain-compatible learning is not an educational-reform movement. It does not prescribe how to run your classroom or offer specific techniques to use. Rather, it provides empirical data about how the brain learns and suggests guidelines to be considered while preparing lessons for your students. These guidelines may be incorporated into every educational setting, with every type of curriculum and every age group. The field of athletic training lends itself well to many of the basic principles of brain-compatible learning. PMID:16558681

Principles of Adult Learning: An ESL Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finn, Donald

2011-01-01

Given the current global economic situation, industries have been forced to examine their efficiency and effectiveness, and this is also true for adult education programs. Many programs, whether public or private, face budget downsizing which leads to questions of how to effectively instruct the adults they serve. This article provides an overview…

Rich Environments for Adult Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentham, Renee

2008-01-01

Unaware of the messages a bare adult learning environment sends and its effect on adult learners, a trainer attends an intensive Reggio Emilia course and learns that the physical environment is the "third teacher"--for adults as well as for children. Using principles of Reggio, she offers suggestions for enhancing adult learning spaces and…

Instructional Principles for Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Shujen L.

2004-01-01

Four instructional principles for alleviating cognitive overload in online learning are suggested: 1) Guide learners to prepare and maintain an effective workstation for accessing online materials, 2) Employ advance organizers for effective online navigation, 3) Arrange instructional materials for easy online manipulation, and 4) Organize…

An Exploratory Review of Design Principles in Constructivist Gaming Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosario, Roberto A. Munoz; Widmeyer, George R.

2009-01-01

Creating a design theory for Constructivist Gaming Learning Environment necessitates, among other things, the establishment of design principles. These principles have the potential to help designers produce games, where users achieve higher levels of learning. This paper focuses on twelve design principles: Probing, Distributed, Multiple Routes,…

Effective Peer Learning: From Principles to Practical Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Topping, Keith; Buchs, Céline; Duran, David; van Keer, Hilde

2017-01-01

Peer learning allows a positive use of differences between pupils, turning them into learning opportunities. Yet education professionals often remain unfamiliar with the principles necessary to guarantee its effectiveness. The aim of this book is to help practitioners establish well-structured and effective peer learning projects using a variety…

Be FAIR to students: four principles that lead to more effective learning.

PubMed

Harden, Ronald M; Laidlaw, Jennifer M

2013-01-01

A teacher is a professional not a technician. An understanding of some basic principles about learning can inform the teacher or trainer in their day-to-day practice as a teacher or a trainer. The FAIR principles are: provide feedback to the student, engage the student in active learning, individualise the learning to the personal needs of the student and make the learning relevant. Application of the principles can lead to more effective learning - the poor teacher can become a good teacher and the good teacher an excellent teacher.

The Jet Principle: Technologies Provide Border Conditions for Global Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahamer, Gilbert

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to first define the "jet principle" of (e-)learning as providing dynamically suitable framework conditions for enhanced learning procedures that combine views from multiple cultures of science. Second it applies this principle to the case of the "Global Studies" curriculum, a unique…

Technology and Innovation in Adult Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Kathy P.

2017-01-01

"Technology and Innovation in Adult Learning" introduces educators and students to the intersection of adult learning and the growing technological revolution. Written by an internationally recognized expert in the field, this book explores the theory, research, and practice driving innovation in both adult learning and learning…

Principles Guiding Vocabulary Learning through Extensive Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nation, Paul

2015-01-01

Extensive reading is one of a range of activities that can be used in a language learning course. Ideally, the choice of activities to go into a course should be guided by principles which are well supported by research. Similarly, the way each of those activities is used should be guided by well-justified principles. In this article, we look at…

Computer-based teaching module design: principles derived from learning theories.

PubMed

Lau, K H Vincent

2014-03-01

The computer-based teaching module (CBTM), which has recently gained prominence in medical education, is a teaching format in which a multimedia program serves as a single source for knowledge acquisition rather than playing an adjunctive role as it does in computer-assisted learning (CAL). Despite empirical validation in the past decade, there is limited research into the optimisation of CBTM design. This review aims to summarise research in classic and modern multimedia-specific learning theories applied to computer learning, and to collapse the findings into a set of design principles to guide the development of CBTMs. Scopus was searched for: (i) studies of classic cognitivism, constructivism and behaviourism theories (search terms: 'cognitive theory' OR 'constructivism theory' OR 'behaviourism theory' AND 'e-learning' OR 'web-based learning') and their sub-theories applied to computer learning, and (ii) recent studies of modern learning theories applied to computer learning (search terms: 'learning theory' AND 'e-learning' OR 'web-based learning') for articles published between 1990 and 2012. The first search identified 29 studies, dominated in topic by the cognitive load, elaboration and scaffolding theories. The second search identified 139 studies, with diverse topics in connectivism, discovery and technical scaffolding. Based on their relative representation in the literature, the applications of these theories were collapsed into a list of CBTM design principles. Ten principles were identified and categorised into three levels of design: the global level (managing objectives, framing, minimising technical load); the rhetoric level (optimising modality, making modality explicit, scaffolding, elaboration, spaced repeating), and the detail level (managing text, managing devices). This review examined the literature in the application of learning theories to CAL to develop a set of principles that guide CBTM design. Further research will enable educators to

Examination of the teaching styles of nursing professional development specialists, part II: correlational study on teaching styles and use of adult learning theory.

PubMed

Curran, Mary K

2014-08-01

This article, the second in a two-part series, details a correlational study that examined the effects of four variables (graduate degrees in nursing education, professional development training in adult learning theory, nursing professional development [NPD] certification, and NPD specialist experience) on the use of adult learning theory to guide curriculum development. Using the Principles of Adult Learning Scale, 114 NPD specialists tested the hypothesis that NPD specialists with graduate degrees in nursing education, professional development training in adult learning theory, NPD certification, and NPD experience would use higher levels of adult learning theory in their teaching practices to guide curriculum development than those without these attributes. This hypothesis was rejected as regression analysis revealed only one statistically significant predictor variable, NPD certification, influenced the use of adult learning theory. In addition, analysis revealed NPD specialists tended to support a teacher-centered rather than a learner-centered teaching style, indicating NPD educators are not using adult learning theory to guide teaching practices and curriculum development.

Design Principles for Cell Phone Learning in EFL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Feihong

2010-01-01

Cell phone learning (C-learning), as an instructional approach, has been gaining more and more attention in the field of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in the last 10 years. While studies have proved C-learning an effective instructional approach in research settings, a review of literature indicates the lack of design principles to…

Adult Learning by Choice. Results of the CET LEARNING LINKS Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Dorothea

The LEARNING LINKS project was undertaken to expand opportunities for adult learning in nonformal, noneducational settings. It had the following three broad aims: stimulate student-negotiated learning, stimulate and support informal adult learning, and test the usefulness of microcomputers in an information service for adults. Over a period of 2…

Design of a Blended Learning Environment Based on Merrill’s Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simarmata, Janner; Djohar, Asari; Purba, Janulis; Juanda, Enjang A.

2018-01-01

Designing blended learning courses requires a systematic approach, in instructional design decisions and implementations, instructional principles help educators not only to specify the elements of the course, but also to provide a solid base from which to build the technology. The blended learning course was designed based on Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction with five phases. This paper helps inform educators about how to develop appropriate learning styles and preferences according to students’ learning needs.

The Use of Whiteheadian Principles in University Adult Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marx, Lucy Ann

This study examines the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead to determine his theory of value and apply it to the principles, objectives, and positions of university adult education. Whitehead's value criteria are applied to the two major statements on policy of university adult education, which the writer feels are inadequate: the National…

To what extent can PBL principles be applied in blended learning: Lessons learned from health master programs.

PubMed

de Jong, N; Krumeich, J S M; Verstegen, D M L

2017-02-01

Maastricht University has been actively exploring blended learning approaches to PBL in Health Master Programs. Key principles of PBL are, learning should be constructive, self-directed, collaborative, and contextual. The purpose is to explore whether these principles are applicable in blended learning. The programs, Master of Health Services Innovation (case 1), Master Programme in Global Health (case 2), and the Master of Health Professions Education (case 3), used a Virtual Learning Environment for exchanging material and were independently analyzed. Quantitative data were collected for cases 1 and 2. Simple descriptive analyses such as frequencies were performed. Qualitative data for cases 1 and 3 were collected via (focus group) interviews. All PBL principles could be recognized in case 1. Case 2 seemed to be more project-based. In case 3, collaboration between students was not possible because of a difference in time-zones. Important educational aspects: agreement on rules for (online) sessions; visual contact (student-student and student-teacher), and frequent feedback. PBL in a blended learning format is perceived to be an effective strategy. The four principles of PBL can be unified in PBL with a blended learning format, although the extent to which each principle can be implemented can differ.

Mitigating road impacts on animals through learning principles.

PubMed

Proppe, D S; McMillan, N; Congdon, J V; Sturdy, C B

2017-01-01

Roads are a nearly ubiquitous feature of the developed world, but their presence does not come without consequences. Many mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians suffer high rates of mortality through collision with motor vehicles, while other species treat roads as barriers that reduce gene flow between populations. Road effects extend beyond the pavement, where traffic noise is altering communities of songbirds, insects, and some mammals. Traditional methods of mitigation along roads include the creation of quieter pavement and tires and the construction of physical barriers to reduce sound transmission and movement. While effective, these forms of mitigation are costly and time-consuming. One alternative is the use of learning principles to create or extinguish aversive behaviors in animals living near roads. Classical and operant conditioning are well-documented techniques for altering behavior in response to novel cues and signals. Behavioral ecologists have used conditioning techniques to mitigate human-wildlife conflict challenges, alter predator-prey interactions, and facilitate reintroduction efforts. Yet, these principles have rarely been applied in the context of roads. We suggest that the field of road ecology is ripe with opportunity for experimentation with learning principles. We present tangible ways that learning techniques could be utilized to mitigate negative roadside behaviors, address the importance of evaluating fitness within these contexts, and evaluate the longevity of learned behaviors. This review serves as an invitation for empirical studies that test the effectiveness of learning paradigms as a mitigation tool in the context of roads.

Evaluating Course Design Principles for Multimedia Learning Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Bernard; Cong, Chunyu

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to report on evaluation studies of principles of course design for interactive multimedia learning materials. Design/methodology/approach: At the Defence Academy of the UK, Cranfield University has worked with military colleagues to produce multimedia learning materials for courses on "Military Knowledge". The…

Applying multimedia design principles enhances learning in medical education.

PubMed

Issa, Nabil; Schuller, Mary; Santacaterina, Susan; Shapiro, Michael; Wang, Edward; Mayer, Richard E; DaRosa, Debra A

2011-08-01

The Association of American Medical Colleges' Institute for Improving Medical Education's report entitled 'Effective Use of Educational Technology' called on researchers to study the effectiveness of multimedia design principles. These principles were empirically shown to result in superior learning when used with college students in laboratory studies, but have not been studied with undergraduate medical students as participants. A pre-test/post-test control group design was used, in which the traditional-learning group received a lecture on shock using traditionally designed slides and the modified-design group received the same lecture using slides modified in accord with Mayer's principles of multimedia design. Participants included Year 3 medical students at a private, midwestern medical school progressing through their surgery clerkship during the academic year 2009-2010. The medical school divides students into four groups; each group attends the surgery clerkship during one of the four quarters of the academic year. Students in the second and third quarters served as the modified-design group (n=91) and students in the fourth-quarter clerkship served as the traditional-design group (n=39). Both student cohorts had similar levels of pre-lecture knowledge. Both groups showed significant improvements in retention (p<0.0001), transfer (p<0.05) and total scores (p<0.0001) between the pre- and post-tests. Repeated-measures anova analysis showed statistically significant greater improvements in retention (F=10.2, p=0.0016) and total scores (F=7.13, p=0.0081) for those students instructed using principles of multimedia design compared with those instructed using the traditional design. Multimedia design principles are easy to implement and result in improved short-term retention among medical students, but empirical research is still needed to determine how these principles affect transfer of learning. Further research on applying the principles of multimedia

Enhancing adult learning in clinical supervision.

PubMed

Goldman, Stuart

2011-01-01

For decades, across almost every training site, clinical supervision has been considered "central to the development of skills" in psychiatry. The crucial supervisor/supervisee relationship has been described extensively in the literature, most often framed as a clinical apprenticeship of the novice to the master craftsman. This approach fails to directly incorporate adult-learning theory (ALT), despite a clear literature supporting its superiority. In this article, the author describes the basic principles of ALT, reviewing the limitations of current supervisory practice from the ALT perspective. He then describes system insights gleaned from elements of the manufacturing process and integrates them into a model that enhances ALT-informed approaches to clinical supervision that can be utilized in all settings. Although there are clear benefits of ALT and the proposed "pull" manufacturing management-informed approaches to supervision, there are several anticipated areas of likely resistance: the issues of time for the collaborative goal-setting, monitoring progress, and revising the educational plan. Much of this is already a factor in the current, labor-intensive patterns of individual supervision, and, in practice, even the formal monthly review has, in almost all cases, taken appreciably less than half of a supervisory hour. Any possible increases in time or effort would be more than compensated for by the inherent efficiency of resident-specific teaching and learning. Current supervisory practices can be revised to include principles of ALT and "pull" manufacturing systems that can enhance resident education.

Examination of the Teaching Styles of Nursing Professional Development Specialists, Part II: Correlational Study on Teaching Styles and Use of Adult Learning Theory.

PubMed

Curran, Mary K

2014-07-16

This article, the second in a two-part series, details a correlational study that examined the effects of four variables (graduate degrees in nursing education, professional development training in adult learning theory, nursing professional development [NPD] certification, and NPD specialist experience) on the use of adult learning theory to guide curriculum development. Using the Principles of Adult Learning Scale, 114 NPD specialists tested the hypothesis that NPD specialists with graduate degrees in nursing education, professional development training in adult learning theory, NPD certification, and NPD experience would use higher levels of adult learning theory in their teaching practices to guide curriculum development than those without these attributes. This hypothesis was rejected as regression analysis revealed only one statistically significant predictor variable, NPD certification, influenced the use of adult learning theory. In addition, analysis revealed NPD specialists tended to support a teacher-centered rather than a learner-centered teaching style, indicating NPD educators are not using adult learning theory to guide teaching practices and curriculum development. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2014;45(8):xxx-xxx. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

Learning How to Learn: Implications for Non Traditional Adult Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tovar, Lynn A.

2008-01-01

In this article, learning how to learn for non traditional adult students is discussed with a focus on police officers and firefighters. Learning how to learn is particularly relevant for all returning non-traditional adults; however in the era of terrorism it is critical for the public safety officers returning to college after years of absence…

Transformational Learning: Reflections of an Adult Learning Story

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foote, Laura S.

2015-01-01

Transformational learning, narrative learning, and spiritual learning frame adult experiences in new and exciting ways. These types of learning can involve a simple transformation of belief or opinion or a radical transformation involving one's total perspective; learning may occur abruptly or incrementally. Education should liberate students from…

Overview of Training Practices Incorporating Adult Learning. Selected Federal Legislation and Programs Relating to Adult Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Univ., Washington, DC. Adult Learning Potential Inst.

This document--a survey identifying federal legislation and programs that in some way address the adult learner--is one in a series of four developed to provide a comprehensive overview of the scope of training practices relating to adult learning. It provides a panoramic view of adult learning in response to national priorities based upon…

Student Perceptions of Privacy Principles for Learning Analytics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ifenthaler, Dirk; Schumacher, Clara

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions of privacy principles related to learning analytics. Privacy issues for learning analytics include how personal data are collected and stored as well as how they are analyzed and presented to different stakeholders. A total of 330 university students participated in an exploratory study…

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Web-Based Learning Design for Adult Computer Science Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antonis, Konstantinos; Daradoumis, Thanasis; Papadakis, Spyros; Simos, Christos

2011-01-01

This paper reports on work undertaken within a pilot study concerned with the design, development, and evaluation of online computer science training courses. Drawing on recent developments in e-learning technology, these courses were structured around the principles of a learner-oriented approach for use with adult learners. The paper describes a…

Emotional Highs in Adult Experiential Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeivots, Sandris

2016-01-01

Despite knowing that positive emotional experiences tend to be beneficial for adult learning, our incomplete understanding of the emotional system rarely allows us to incorporate emotion adequately in real learning situations. The experience of emotional highs, as observed in adult experiential learning courses, has been selected as the phenomenon…

Barriers to Adult Learning: Bridging the Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falasca, Marina

2011-01-01

A fundamental aspect of adult education is engaging adults in becoming lifelong learners. More often than not, this requires removing barriers to learning, especially those relating to the actual organisational or institutional learning process. This article explores some of the main barriers to adult learning discussed in the literature and…

OECD Thematic Review on Adult Learning: Norway. Background Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tangen, Fride

Adult learning in Norway was examined in a thematic review that focused on the following areas: the contexts of adult learning; the participants in, providers of, and returns from adult learning; issues and problems facing adult learning; and good practices. The following are among the main findings of the review: (1) adult learning has a long…

The Emergence of Learning Societies: Who Participates in Adult Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belanger, Paul, Ed.; Valdivielso, Sofia, Ed.

This book contains nine papers in which data from the Adult Education Participation Survey (a part of the International Adult Literacy Survey) are used to identify and compare trends in organized learning in seven countries. The following papers are included: "Introduction: Who Participates in Organized Adult Learning?" (Paul Belanger,…

Learning through Action: Parallel Learning Processes in Children and Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ethridge, Elizabeth A.; Branscomb, Kathryn R.

2009-01-01

Experiential learning has become an essential part of many educational settings from infancy through adulthood. While the effectiveness of active learning has been evaluated in youth and adult settings, few known studies have compared the learning processes of children and adults within the same project. This article contrasts the active learning…

Team-Based Learning Practices and Principles in Comparison with Cooperative Learning and Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michaelsen, Larry K.; Davidson, Neil; Major, Claire Howell

2014-01-01

The authors address three questions: (1) What are the foundational practices of team-based learning (TBL)? (2) What are the fundamental principles underlying TBL's foundational practices? and (3) In what ways are TBL's foundational practices similar to and/or different from the practices employed by problem-based learning (PBL) and…

Remaking Adult Learning: Essays on Adult Education in Honour of Alan Tuckett

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Derrick, Jay, Ed.; Howard, Ursula, Ed.; Field, John, Ed.; Lavender, Peter, Ed.; Meyer, Sue, Ed.; von Rein, Ekkehard Nuissl, Ed.; Schuller, Tom, Ed.

2010-01-01

Remaking Adult Learning provides an exciting and innovative addition to the literature on adult learning. Charting challenges and successes in the sector, it illustrates how taking part in well-thought-out programmes can have a positive and sometimes life-saving impact on people's lives. While grounded in adult learning practice, the book draws…

Gallery Educators as Adult Learners: The Active Application of Adult Learning Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCray, Kimberly H.

2016-01-01

In order to better understand the importance of adult learning theory to museum educators' work, and that of their profession at large, museum professionals must address the need for more adult learning research and practice in museums--particularly work informed by existing theory and work seeking to generate new theory. Adult learning theory…

Working with Young Adults. NIACE Lifelines in Adult Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Carol

This document explains how adult educators and others in the United Kingdom can increase levels of participation and achievement in learning for young adults by providing informal learning opportunities for those young people who are least inclined to participate in formal education and training programs. The guide outlines a step-by-step approach…

Adult Learning Matters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Rachel

2009-01-01

Adult Learners' Week--which is supported by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the European Social Fund, amongst a raft of other organisations--is all about raising demand for learning. At its core, the campaign is about encouraging under-represented groups--including low-skilled, unemployed and low-paid adults and those…

Dimensions of Adult Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foley, Griff, Ed.

2004-01-01

This broad introduction to adult and postcompulsory education offers an overview of the field for students, adult educators and workplace trainers. The book establishes an analytical framework to emphasize the nature of learning and agency of learners; examines the core knowledge and skills that adult educators need; discusses policy, research and…

Adult Learning Matters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adults Learning, 2009

2009-01-01

The Campaigning Alliance for Lifelong Learning is to lobby parliament for the restoration of the 1.5 million adult learning places lost over the past two years. The campaign has attracted supporters from an astonishingly wide range of backgrounds. In this article, Gordon Marsden, Caroline Biggins, Beth Walker, Mike Chaney, Peter Davies, Sian…

Interview Schedule for Studying Why Adults Learn.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tough, Allen

Designed for use in a 1968 study of why adults learn, this interview schedule contains situation-description and question sheets for use by the interviewer and subject for examining thirteen reasons why adults begin and why they continue a learning project. (The study, "Why Adults Learn: A Study of the Major Reasons for Beginning and Continuing a…

Jewishly-Informed Mature Adult Service-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bretan, Gail Helene

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe, implement, and interpret the intersection of service-learning, Jewish values and ways of knowing, adult education, and lifelong learning for people over the age of 50. By expanding service-learning to include both older adults and Jewish ways of knowing, there is potential for transforming these frameworks…

The Effect of Principle-Procedure and Procedure-Principle Sequencing on Learning Outcomes. IDD&E Working Paper No. 19.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim-Quek, Muriel; And Others

This study tested the effects of two instructional sequences--principle-procedure and procedure-principle--on the application and transfer of learning. It was hypothesized that a principle-procedure sequence would result in better near-transfer and far-transfer and that students would prefer this sequence. The 38 freshmen enrolled in a business…

Emotional maturity of medical students impacting their adult learning skills in a newly established public medical school at the east coast of Malaysian Peninsula

PubMed Central

Bhagat, Vidya; Haque, Mainul; Bin Abu Bakar, Yasrul Izad; Husain, Rohayah; Khairi, Che Mat

2016-01-01

Emotional maturity (EM) is defined as the ability of an individual to respond to situations, control emotions, and behave in an adult manner when dealing with others. EM is associated with adult learning skill, which is an important aspect of professional development as stated in the principles of andragogy. These principles are basically a characteristic feature of adult learning, which is defined as “the entire range of formal, non-formal, and informal learning activities that are undertaken by adults after an initial education and training, which result in the acquisition of new knowledge and skills”. The purpose of this study is to find out the influence of EM on adult learning among Years I and II medical students of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA). The study population included preclinical medical students of UniSZA from Years I and II of the academic session 2015/2016. The convenient sampling technique was used to select the sample. Data were collected using “EM scale” to evaluate emotional level and adult learning scale to assess the adult learning scores. Out of 120 questionnaires, only six response sheets were not complete and the remaining 114 (95%) were complete. Among the study participants, 23.7% (27) and 76.3% (87) were males and females, respectively. The data were then compiled and analyzed using SPSS Version 22. The Pearson’s correlation method was used to find the significance of their association. The results revealed a significant correlation between EM and adult learning scores (r=0.40, p<0.001). Thus, the study result supports the prediction, and based on the current findings, it can be concluded that there is a significant correlation between EM and adult learning and it has an effect on the students. Medical faculty members should give more emphasis on these aspects to produce health professionals. Henceforward, researchers can expect with optimism that the country will create more rational medical doctors. PMID:27790052

Emotional maturity of medical students impacting their adult learning skills in a newly established public medical school at the east coast of Malaysian Peninsula.

PubMed

Bhagat, Vidya; Haque, Mainul; Bin Abu Bakar, Yasrul Izad; Husain, Rohayah; Khairi, Che Mat

2016-01-01

Emotional maturity (EM) is defined as the ability of an individual to respond to situations, control emotions, and behave in an adult manner when dealing with others. EM is associated with adult learning skill, which is an important aspect of professional development as stated in the principles of andragogy. These principles are basically a characteristic feature of adult learning, which is defined as "the entire range of formal, non-formal, and informal learning activities that are undertaken by adults after an initial education and training, which result in the acquisition of new knowledge and skills". The purpose of this study is to find out the influence of EM on adult learning among Years I and II medical students of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA). The study population included preclinical medical students of UniSZA from Years I and II of the academic session 2015/2016. The convenient sampling technique was used to select the sample. Data were collected using "EM scale" to evaluate emotional level and adult learning scale to assess the adult learning scores. Out of 120 questionnaires, only six response sheets were not complete and the remaining 114 (95%) were complete. Among the study participants, 23.7% (27) and 76.3% (87) were males and females, respectively. The data were then compiled and analyzed using SPSS Version 22. The Pearson's correlation method was used to find the significance of their association. The results revealed a significant correlation between EM and adult learning scores ( r =0.40, p <0.001). Thus, the study result supports the prediction, and based on the current findings, it can be concluded that there is a significant correlation between EM and adult learning and it has an effect on the students. Medical faculty members should give more emphasis on these aspects to produce health professionals. Henceforward, researchers can expect with optimism that the country will create more rational medical doctors.

The Future of Adult Education in the Military

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zacharakis, Jeffrey; Van Der Werff, Jay A.

2012-01-01

The future of adult education in the military is in many ways tied to the future of adult education. If adult educators limit their vision of what adult education is to adult learning principles, to facilitated learning, to adult basic education, and to training and education, they limit the potential of what they can do and how they do it. Adult…

Reflections from Graduate Adult Learners about Service Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alston, Geleana Drew; Clegg, T. E.; Clodfelter, Roy J., Jr.; Drye, Kimberly C.; Farrer, J. V.; Gould, Derek; Mohsin, Nidhal M.; Rankin, Tomiko N.; Ray, Sherri L.

2016-01-01

Adult education is grounded in responding to the needs of others, and the field places emphasis on adult learning theories such as transformative learning and experiential learning. Service learning is an educational approach that balances formal instruction and direction with the opportunity for adult learners to serve in the community as a…

Generative Learning: Adults Learning within Ambiguity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicolaides, Aliki

2015-01-01

This study explored the extent to which ambiguity can serve as a catalyst for adult learning. The purpose of this study is to understand learning that is generated when encountering ambiguity agitated by the complexity of liquid modernity. "Ambiguity," in this study, describes an encounter with an appearance of reality that is at first…

Self-Directed Learning in Adulthood: A Literature Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owen, T. Ross

Self-directed learning (SDL) is among the most productive areas of research in adult education. Malcolm S. Knowles is credited with a comprehensive synthesis of adult teaching and adult learning principles. Andragogy, the art and science of helping adults learn, lies at the heart of Knowles' work. Lucy M. Guglielmino theorized regarding the…

Where Adults Go: A Multiple Case Study of Adult Serving Undergraduate Colleges and Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixon-Williams, Shelley B.

2010-01-01

This research is an exploratory multiple case study of adult serving undergraduate colleges and universities. Using the Council of Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) Principles of Effective Practice for Serving Adult Learners, this study examines the differences of adult serving undergraduate colleges across the three sectors of higher…

Adult Learning and the Future of Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Madhu, Ed.

This book contains 15 papers: "Introduction" (Madhu Singh); "Adult Learning and the Transformation of Work" (Paul Belanger); "Future of Work and Adult Learning" (Ettore Gelpi); "The Obligation of Education in the Face of Globalisation" (Nicole Arnaud); "Lifelong Learning and Vocational Education and…

Promoting Adult Learning in Public Places: Two Asian Case Studies of Adult Learning about Peace through Museums and Peace Architecture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duffy, Gavin

2009-01-01

This paper explores an area of adult learning that has received little attention of late, the terrain of public education through museums and civic architecture. The goal of promoting adult learning in public places e.g. through the work of museums has become commonplace in countries seeking to encourage adult learning about peace. This invariably…

From Politicized Adult Education to Market Oriented Adult Higher Education: How Adult Education Practice in One Region is Different from Another

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Victor C. X.; Mott, Vivian W.

2010-01-01

This study investigated the general instructional modes of adult educators in Southeast China and Northeast China. The study utilized Conti's (1983, 2004) Principles of Adult Learning Scale (PALS) to measure instructional modes of adult educators. Data were collected from 112 randomly selected participants engaged in teaching Chinese adult…

Diversity Within Unity: Essential Principles for Teaching and Learning in a Multicultural Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banks, James A.; Cookson, Peter; Gay, Geneva; Hawley, Willis D.; Irvine, Jacqueline Jordan; Nieto, Sonia; Schofield, Janet Ward; Stephen, Walter G.

2001-01-01

Discusses 12 essential principles to help schools teach democratic values in a multicultural society. Derived from findings of the Multicultural Education Consensus Panel to review and synthesize research on diversity, principles are organized into five categories: Teacher learning; student learning; intergroup relations; school governance,…

Adult Perspectives of Learning Musical Instruments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roulston, Kathryn; Jutras, Peter; Kim, Seon Joo

2015-01-01

This article reports findings from a qualitative study of adults' perceptions and experiences of learning musical instruments. Conducted in the south-east United States, 15 adults who were learning instruments were recruited via community music groups and private instrumental teachers. Analysis of transcripts of semi-structured interviews…

Adult Literacy Learning and Computer Technology: Features of Effective Computer-Assisted Learning Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fahy, Patrick J.

Computer-assisted learning (CAL) can be used for adults functioning at any academic or grade level. In adult basic education (ABE), CAL can promote greater learning effectiveness and faster progress, concurrent learning and experience with computer literacy skills, privacy, and motivation. Adults who face barriers (financial, geographic, personal,…

Adults as Learners. Increasing Participation and Facilitating Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, K. Patricia

The literature on adult learners is reviewed, and two models of adult learning are developed. Demographic, social, and technological trends that stimulate the increasing demand for learning opportunities are examined, and the views of those who see dangers in new pressures on adults to participate in organized learning activities are considered.…

Personal Adult Learning Lab (Pall). Implications for Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klippel, Judith A.; And Others

The Personal Adult Learning Lab was establsiehd at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education (GCCE) at the University of Georgia to serve self-directed adult learners and conduct research on self-directed learning. The lab allows adult learners to design, conduct, and evaluate their personal learning experiences while proceeding at their own…

Promoting Learning. NIACE Lifelines in Adult Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malone, Kate

This document is intended to help adult educators in the United Kingdom promote learning. The guide presents practical advice, case studies, and tips for undertaking and implementing effective promotional work. Sections 1 through 11 discuss the following topics: recognizing the increasing need for lifelong learning; the rationale for campaigns…

Greek Young Adults with Specific Learning Disabilities Seeking Learning Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonti, Eleni; Bampalou, Christina E.; Kouimtzi, Eleni M.; Kyritsis, Zacharias

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the reasons why Greek young adults with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) seek learning assessments. The study sample consisted of 106 adults meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for SLD. Data were collected through self-report records (clinical interview) of adults…

They're Not Just Big Kids: Motivating Adult Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thoms, Karen Jarrett

This paper discusses motivation of adult learners. The first section discusses the adult learner, including the concepts of andragogy and pedagogy, as well as student-centered learning. The second section summarizes changing student demographics and predictions. The third section presents principles of adult learning. The fourth section covers…

Research-Informed Principles for (Re)Designing Teaching and Learning Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finkelstein, Adam; Ferris, Jennie; Weston, Cynthia; Winer, Laura

2016-01-01

Designing physical learning environments that connect to indicators of effective educational practice reflects a university's pedagogical commitment to student success. This article describes an approach to teaching and learning space design based on research-informed pedagogical principles successfully implemented at our university. It then…

Principles of Design Energize Learning Communities: Practical Tips Put the Emphasis on "Learning"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Easton, Lois Brown

2012-01-01

Adult learning is essential in schools. Learning Forward's Scholar Laureate Shirley Hord observes, "The improvement of our schools seldom results from mandates. What has become very clear is that change (its adoption and implementation) cannot occur without the provision of ongoing and long-term learning for the professionals" (Hord, 2011, p. xv).…

Malaysian Secondary Physics Teachers' Perceptions towards the Teaching and Learning of Archimedes' Principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salleh, Khalijah Mohd; Abdullah, Abu Bakar Bin

2008-05-01

An explorative study was carried out to confirm Malaysian Physics teachers' perception that Archimedes' principle is a difficult topic for secondary level students. The interview method was used for data collection. The study sample was made of nine national secondary schools teachers from Miri, Sarawak. The data was analysed qualitatively using the Atlas-ti version 5.2 software. The findings of the study showed that i) Archimedes' principle as compared to Bernoulli's and Pascal's is the most difficult principle of hydrodynamics for students, ii) more time was given in the teaching and learning (TL) of Archimedes principle compared to the other two principles, iii) the major TL problems include conceptual understanding, application of physics principles and ideas, and lack of mathematical skills. These findings implicate the need to develop corresponding instructional materials and learning kits that can assist students' understanding of Archimedes' principle.

Relationship between perceptual learning in speech and statistical learning in younger and older adults

PubMed Central

Neger, Thordis M.; Rietveld, Toni; Janse, Esther

2014-01-01

Within a few sentences, listeners learn to understand severely degraded speech such as noise-vocoded speech. However, individuals vary in the amount of such perceptual learning and it is unclear what underlies these differences. The present study investigates whether perceptual learning in speech relates to statistical learning, as sensitivity to probabilistic information may aid identification of relevant cues in novel speech input. If statistical learning and perceptual learning (partly) draw on the same general mechanisms, then statistical learning in a non-auditory modality using non-linguistic sequences should predict adaptation to degraded speech. In the present study, 73 older adults (aged over 60 years) and 60 younger adults (aged between 18 and 30 years) performed a visual artificial grammar learning task and were presented with 60 meaningful noise-vocoded sentences in an auditory recall task. Within age groups, sentence recognition performance over exposure was analyzed as a function of statistical learning performance, and other variables that may predict learning (i.e., hearing, vocabulary, attention switching control, working memory, and processing speed). Younger and older adults showed similar amounts of perceptual learning, but only younger adults showed significant statistical learning. In older adults, improvement in understanding noise-vocoded speech was constrained by age. In younger adults, amount of adaptation was associated with lexical knowledge and with statistical learning ability. Thus, individual differences in general cognitive abilities explain listeners' variability in adapting to noise-vocoded speech. Results suggest that perceptual and statistical learning share mechanisms of implicit regularity detection, but that the ability to detect statistical regularities is impaired in older adults if visual sequences are presented quickly. PMID:25225475

Relationship between perceptual learning in speech and statistical learning in younger and older adults.

PubMed

Neger, Thordis M; Rietveld, Toni; Janse, Esther

2014-01-01

Within a few sentences, listeners learn to understand severely degraded speech such as noise-vocoded speech. However, individuals vary in the amount of such perceptual learning and it is unclear what underlies these differences. The present study investigates whether perceptual learning in speech relates to statistical learning, as sensitivity to probabilistic information may aid identification of relevant cues in novel speech input. If statistical learning and perceptual learning (partly) draw on the same general mechanisms, then statistical learning in a non-auditory modality using non-linguistic sequences should predict adaptation to degraded speech. In the present study, 73 older adults (aged over 60 years) and 60 younger adults (aged between 18 and 30 years) performed a visual artificial grammar learning task and were presented with 60 meaningful noise-vocoded sentences in an auditory recall task. Within age groups, sentence recognition performance over exposure was analyzed as a function of statistical learning performance, and other variables that may predict learning (i.e., hearing, vocabulary, attention switching control, working memory, and processing speed). Younger and older adults showed similar amounts of perceptual learning, but only younger adults showed significant statistical learning. In older adults, improvement in understanding noise-vocoded speech was constrained by age. In younger adults, amount of adaptation was associated with lexical knowledge and with statistical learning ability. Thus, individual differences in general cognitive abilities explain listeners' variability in adapting to noise-vocoded speech. Results suggest that perceptual and statistical learning share mechanisms of implicit regularity detection, but that the ability to detect statistical regularities is impaired in older adults if visual sequences are presented quickly.

View, 2000: Commentaries on Adult Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adult Learning Australia, Inc., Jamison.

This booklet is compiled from all the Adult Learning Australia (ALA) Commentaries produced in 2000. Emailed to ALA members each week, ALA Commentaries are written by people in the field of adult learning in the broadest sense, usually in Australia, sometimes overseas, and designed to stimulate discussion. ALA hosts an online discussion forum about…

A Comparison of Correctional Adult Educators and Formal Adult Educators in Terms of Their Expressed Beliefs in the Collaborative Teaching Mode. Theory and Methods of Adult Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sua, Dangbe Wuo

A study compared correctional adult educators and formal adult educators in terms of their expressed beliefs in the collaborative teaching mode as measured by the Principles of Adult Learning Scale. The sample consisted of 8 correctional adult educators from the Lake Correctional Institution and 10 adult education teachers from the Manatee Area…

How WebQuests Can Enhance Science Learning Principles in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Subramaniam, Karthigeyan

2012-01-01

This article examines the merits of WebQuests in facilitating students' in-depth understanding of science concepts using the four principles of learning gathered from the National Research Council reports "How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School" (1999) and the "How Students Learn: Science in the Classroom" (2005) as an analytic…

Designing the Electronic Classroom: Applying Learning Theory and Ergonomic Design Principles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emmons, Mark; Wilkinson, Frances C.

2001-01-01

Applies learning theory and ergonomic principles to the design of effective learning environments for library instruction. Discusses features of electronic classroom ergonomics, including the ergonomics of physical space, environmental factors, and workstations; and includes classroom layouts. (Author/LRW)

Instructors' Use of the Principles of Teaching and Learning during College Class Sessions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Daniel D.; Whittington, M. Susie

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to measure the frequency of utilization of the Principles of Teaching and Learning (Newcomb, McCracken, Warmbrod, & Whittington, 2004) during college class sessions. Process-product research was implemented (Gage, 1972; Rosenshine & Furst, 1973) using the Principles of Teaching and Learning Assessment (PTLA)…

Thematic Review on Adult Learning: Finland. Background Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris (France).

In international comparisons, participation in adult learning in Finland is high. Work or career development is the main reason for participation. Persons starting with greater educational attainment participate in adult learning opportunities more. Roots of adult education and training (AET) lie in liberal education; those of occupational AET in…

Confirmatory factor analysis of teaching and learning guiding principles instrument among teacher educators in higher education institutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masuwai, Azwani; Tajudin, Nor'ain Mohd; Saad, Noor Shah

2017-05-01

The purpose of this study is to develop and establish the validity and reliability of an instrument to generate teaching and learning guiding principles using Teaching and Learning Guiding Principles Instrument (TLGPI). Participants consisted of 171 Malaysian teacher educators. It is an essential instrument to reflect in generating the teaching and learning guiding principles in higher education level in Malaysia. Confirmatory Factor Analysis has validated all 19 items of TLGPI whereby all items indicated high reliability and internal consistency. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis also confirmed that a single factor model was used to generate teaching and learning guiding principles.

Applying Learning Principles and Theories to Vocational Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loomis, Linda Jacobsen; Prickett, Charlotte

This monograph is intended for use by vocational teachers, state supervisors, administrators, and curriculum developers as a resource guide in the development of sound curriculum for vocational programs in Arizona. It examines learning theories and principles and, where applicable, applies these ideas to vocational education. Chapter 1 introduces…

Adult Learners' Funds of Knowledge: The Case of an English Class for Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larrotta, Clarena; Serrano, Arlene

2012-01-01

This research is rooted in an approach that sees English learning and teaching as practices shaped by adults' funds of knowledge and adult-learning principles. We investigate how English-literacy instruction can build on the funds of knowledge (life experiences, knowledge, skills, and learning habits) that adult learners bring with them. In…

Corporeal elements and principles in the learned German chymical tradition.

PubMed

Klein, Joel A

2014-11-01

This paper explores diverse conceptions of the physicality and tangibility of elements and principles in early modern chymistry. By tracing the development of natural philosophical and corpuscular ideas about material elements and principles among several physicans and chymists, including Thomas Erastus, Andreas Libavius, Daniel Sennert, and Anton Günther Billich, this article locates a learned tradition that developed predominantly in Germany, and which directly challenged a common understanding of matter held by major Paracelsians as well as authors from the French textbook tradition. Likewise, conceptions of incorporeal elements or principles are shown to have developed from the ideas of Paracelsus and Petrus Severinus, whereas authors in the learned tradition emphasised a particular interpretation of Aristotle. The article concludes by suggesting that chymical interpretations of material composition had an important influence throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and that this provides further evidence that the so-called "compositional revolution" in chemistry was well underway prior to the eighteenth century.

Older Adults' Motivation to Learn in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Yi-Yin

2011-01-01

A limited amount of literature has discussed older adults in formal education, especially their motivations to learn in higher education. This study aims to understand older adults' learning in the context of higher education. Specifically, this study argues that higher education can function as a stimulating learning environment that helps older…

Adult Literacy, Learning Identities and Pedagogic Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowther, Jim; Maclachlan, Kathy; Tett, Lyn

2010-01-01

This article discusses the relationship between persistence in adult literacy and numeracy programs, changes in the participants' attitudes to engaging in learning and pedagogic practices using data from eight Scottish literacy education organizations. It argues that literacy learning can act as a resource that enables vulnerable adults to change…

Adult Learning Theories: Implications for Online Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arghode, Vishal; Brieger, Earl W.; McLean, Gary N.

2017-01-01

Purpose: This paper analyzes critically four selected learning theories and their role in online instruction for adults. Design/methodology/approach: A literature review was conducted to analyze the theories. Findings: The theory comparison revealed that no single theory encompasses the entirety of online instruction for adult learning; each…

Game Engagement Theory and Adult Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitton, Nicola

2011-01-01

One of the benefits of computer game-based learning is the ability of certain types of game to engage and motivate learners. However, theories of learning and engagement, particularly in the sphere of higher education, typically fail to consider gaming engagement theory. In this article, the author examines the principles of engagement from games…

Motivation to Learn among Older Adults in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Dian-Fu; Lin, Sung-Po

2011-01-01

This study analyzed the survey on adults administered by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan in 2008, and logistic regression analysis showed a close relationship between learning motivations of older adults. The finding revealed that the higher age or the lower education attainment of older adults, the lower their learning motivation. The…

Adults' and Children's Understanding of How Expertise Influences Learning.

PubMed

Danovitch, Judith H; Shenouda, Christine K

2018-01-01

Adults and children use information about expertise to infer what a person is likely to know, but it is unclear whether they realize that expertise also has implications for learning. We explore adults' and children's understanding that expertise in a particular category supports learning about a closely related category. In four experiments, 5-year-olds and adults (n = 160) judged which of two people would be better at learning about a new category. When faced with an expert and a nonexpert, adults consistently indicated that expertise supports learning in a closely related category; however, children's judgments were inconsistent and were strongly influenced by the description of the nonexpert. The results suggest that although children understand what it means to be an expert, they may judge an individual's learning capacity based on different considerations than adults.

Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, Instructional Design Principles, and Students with Learning Disabilities in Computer-Based and Online Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greer, Diana L.; Crutchfield, Stephen A.; Woods, Kari L.

2013-01-01

Struggling learners and students with Learning Disabilities often exhibit unique cognitive processing and working memory characteristics that may not align with instructional design principles developed with typically developing learners. This paper explains the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and underlying Cognitive Load Theory, and…

Travel and Adult Transformative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindstrom, Steven K.

2011-01-01

This phenomenological research study examines the lived experience of individual adult transformation in the context of travel. Adults throughout history have experienced profound personal and perception changes as a result of significant travel events. Transformative learning occurs through experience, crisis, and reflection, all of which are…

Adult Learning Theory: A Primer. Information Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baumgartner, Lisa M.; Lee, Ming-Yeh; Birden, Susan; Flowers, Doris

The purpose of this monograph is to serve as a primer for practitioners on the foundational theories of adult learning. It begins with an explanation two lenses through which learning theory is viewed: behaviorism and constructivism. The next section defines andragogy and delineates Knowles's five assumptions about adult learners. This is followed…

Learning with the Arts: What Opportunities Are There for Work-Related Adult Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manning, Claire; Verenikina, Irina; Brown, Ian

2010-01-01

What can arts-based learning offer to adult, work-related education? A study was undertaken that explored the benefits of learning with the arts for professional development of an adult learner in Australia. The individual experiences of nine adults who participated in arts-based workshops to build work-related skills were examined using the…

Policy Review on Adult Learning: The Adult Non-Formal Education Policy of Mali, West Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gadio, Moussa

2011-01-01

This article focuses on the issue of policy development for adult learning in Mali, West Africa. On January 2007, the Malian government adopted the "Adult Non-formal Education Policy Document," which was intended to regulate the adult learning sector and federate the actions of policy makers, adult education providers, and adult…

Andragogy through Social Enterprise: Engaging Students in the Learning Process Is Borderless

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Queen, Victoria

2015-01-01

Andragogy is the art and science of helping adults learn. As the number of college students classified as adults increases it is important their learning needs are met. The andragogical principles that frame this model describe how adult students need to know how, what, and why they are learning. Adults also possess the characteristics of…

Learning Efficiency: Identifying Individual Differences in Learning Rate and Retention in Healthy Adults.

PubMed

Zerr, Christopher L; Berg, Jeffrey J; Nelson, Steven M; Fishell, Andrew K; Savalia, Neil K; McDermott, Kathleen B

2018-06-01

People differ in how quickly they learn information and how long they remember it, yet individual differences in learning abilities within healthy adults have been relatively neglected. In two studies, we examined the relation between learning rate and subsequent retention using a new foreign-language paired-associates task (the learning-efficiency task), which was designed to eliminate ceiling effects that often accompany standardized tests of learning and memory in healthy adults. A key finding was that quicker learners were also more durable learners (i.e., exhibited better retention across a delay), despite studying the material for less time. Additionally, measures of learning and memory from this task were reliable in Study 1 ( N = 281) across 30 hr and Study 2 ( N = 92; follow-up n = 46) across 3 years. We conclude that people vary in how efficiently they learn, and we describe a reliable and valid method for assessing learning efficiency within healthy adults.

On Learning Natural-Science Categories That Violate the Family-Resemblance Principle.

PubMed

Nosofsky, Robert M; Sanders, Craig A; Gerdom, Alex; Douglas, Bruce J; McDaniel, Mark A

2017-01-01

The general view in psychological science is that natural categories obey a coherent, family-resemblance principle. In this investigation, we documented an example of an important exception to this principle: Results of a multidimensional-scaling study of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks (Experiment 1) suggested that the structure of these categories is disorganized and dispersed. This finding motivated us to explore what might be the optimal procedures for teaching dispersed categories, a goal that is likely critical to science education in general. Subjects in Experiment 2 learned to classify pictures of rocks into compact or dispersed high-level categories. One group learned the categories through focused high-level training, whereas a second group was required to simultaneously learn classifications at a subtype level. Although high-level training led to enhanced performance when the categories were compact, subtype training was better when the categories were dispersed. We provide an interpretation of the results in terms of an exemplar-memory model of category learning.

Observational Learning among Older Adults Living in Nursing Homes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Story, Colleen D.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate learning by older adults living in nursing homes through observational learning based on Bandura's (1977) social learning theory. This quantitative study investigated if older adults could learn through observation. The nursing homes in the study were located in the midwestern United States. The…

Adult Learning Disorders: Contemporary Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Lorraine E., Ed.; Schreiber, Hope E., Ed.; Wasserstein, Jeanette, Ed.

2008-01-01

Recent advances in neuroimaging and genetics technologies have enhanced our understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders in adults. The authors in this volume not only discuss such advances as they apply to adults with learning disorders, but also address their translation into clinical practice. One cluster of chapters addresses developmental…

Repositioning Ideology Critique in a Critical Theory of Adult Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brookfield, Stephen

2001-01-01

Reexamines critical theory as a response to Marxism and repositions ideology critique as a crucial adult learning process. Argues that a critical theory of adult learning should focus on how adults learn to recognize and challenge ideological domination and manipulation. (Contains 31 references.) (SK)

Integrating Adult Learning and Technologies for Effective Education: Strategic Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Victor C. X.

2010-01-01

As adult learners and educators pioneer the use of technology in the new century, attention has been focused on developing strategic approaches to effectively integrate adult learning and technology in different learning environments. "Integrating Adult Learning and Technologies for Effective Education: Strategic Approaches" provides innovative…

Movement rehabilitation: are the principles of re-learning in the recovery of function the same as those of original learning?

PubMed

Newell, Karl M; Verhoeven, F Martijn

2017-01-01

This paper addresses the change in movement dynamics in rehabilitation through discussing issues that pertain to the question as to whether the principles of re-learning in functional recovery are the same as those of original learning. The many varieties of disease and injury states lead to significant differences in the constraints to action and these impairments in turn influence the pathway of change in re-learning and/or recovery of function. These altered constraints channel the effectiveness of many conditions and strategies of practice that influence learning and performance. Nevertheless, it is proposed that there is a small set of principles for the change in dynamics of motor learning, which drive the continuously evolving stability and instability of movement forms through the lifespan. However, this common set of dynamical principles is realized in individual pathways of change in the movement dynamics of learning, re-learning and recovery of function. The inherent individual differences of humans and environments insure that the coordination, control and skill of movement rehabilitation are challenged in distinct ways by the changing constraints arising from the many manifestations of disease and injury. Implications for rehabilitation The many varieties of disease and injury states lead to significant differences in the constraints to action that in turn influence the pathway of change in re-learning and/or recovery of function, and the effectiveness of the many conditions/strategies of practice to influence learning and performance. There are a small set of principles for the change in dynamics of motor learning that drive the continuously evolving ebb and flow of stability and instability of movement forms through the lifespan. The inherent individual differences of humans and environments insure that the coordination, control and skill of movement rehabilitation are uniquely challenged by the changing constraints arising from the many

Leaders Who Learn: The Intersection of Behavioral Science, Adult Learning and Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabga, Natalya I.

2017-01-01

This study examines if a relationship exists among three rich research streams, specifically the behavioral science of motivation, adult learning and leadership. What motivates adult professionals to continue learning and how is that connected to their style and efficacy as leaders? An extension of literature to connect Andragogy,…

The Varieties of Adult Civic Engagement in Adult Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munoz, Linda; Wrigley, Heide Spruck

2012-01-01

Civic engagement, or the practice of democratic deliberation in adult education and learning, asks that adults use their experiences to cooperatively build solutions to the difficult social, economic, and political problems that affect their lives and communities now and into the future. The articles presented in this issue look at the…

Rehearsal Effects in Adult Word Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaushanskaya, Margarita; Yoo, Jeewon

2011-01-01

The goal of this research was to examine the effects of phonological familiarity and rehearsal method (vocal vs. subvocal) on novel word learning. In Experiment 1, English-speaking adults learned phonologically familiar novel words that followed English phonological structure. Participants learned half the words via vocal rehearsal (saying the…

Helping Adults Learn. Facilitator's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Univ. and Colleges, Long Beach. Office of the Chancellor.

This publication is a guide for those planning and facilitating a "Helping Adults Learn" Workshop designed to assist higher education faculty and staff in promoting greater access and success for adult learners in higher education. An overview of the workshop describes the purpose, goals (to increase understanding of theory and research…

Helping Adults Learn. Participant Workbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Univ. and Colleges, Long Beach. Office of the Chancellor.

This publication is a workbook for those attending a "Helping Adults Learn" Workshop designed to assist higher education faculty and staff in promoting greater access and success for adult learners in higher education. An overview of the workshop describes the purpose, goals (to increase understanding of theory and research on adult…

Teaching Principles of Management through Experiential and Service Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furutan, Omid

2014-01-01

Management faculties often use cases, simulations, and research projects to achieve learning objectives in the Principles of Management class. This class typically aims to introduce students to the topics of "planning, organizing, coordinating, staffing, directing, budgeting, controlling, and evaluating functions of management; leadership…

Adult Learning in Health and Safety: Some Issues and Approaches.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O Fathaigh, Mairtin

This document, which was developed for presentation at a seminar on adult learning and safety, examines approaches to occupational safety and health (OSH) learning/training in the workplace. Section 1 examines selected factors affecting adults' learning in workplace OSH programs. The principal dimensions along which individual adult learners will…

Pilot Project in Computer Assisted Instruction for Adult Basic Education Students. Adult Learning Centers, the Adult Program, 1982-83.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buckley, Elizabeth; Johnston, Peter

In February 1977, computer assisted instruction (CAI) was introducted to the Great Neck Adult Learning Centers (GNALC) to promote greater cognitive and affective growth of educationally disadvantaged adults. The project expanded to include not only adult basic education (ABE) students studying in the learning laboratory, but also ABE students…

Adult Learning in the Workplace.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1999

This document contains four symposium papers on adult learning in the workplace. "The Relationship between Workplace Learning and Employee Satisfaction in Small Businesses" (Robert W. Rowden, Shamsuddin Ahmad) reports the results of a study of the nature and extent of HRD, level of job satisfaction among workers, and correlation between…

Surgical education and adult learning: Integrating theory into practice.

PubMed

Rashid, Prem

2017-01-01

Surgical education continues to evolve from the master-apprentice model. Newer methods of the process need to be used to manage the dual challenges of educating while providing safe surgical care. This requires integrating adult learning concepts into delivery of practical training and education in busy clinical environments. A narrative review aimed at outlining and integrating adult learning and surgical education theory was undertaken. Additionally, this information was used to relate the practical delivery of surgical training and education in day-to-day surgical practice. Concepts were sourced from reference material. Additional material was found using a PubMed search of the words: 'surgical education theory' and 'adult learning theory medical'. This yielded 1351 abstracts, of which 43 articles with a focus on key concepts in adult education theory were used. Key papers were used to formulate structure and additional cross-referenced papers were included where appropriate. Current concepts within adult learning have a lot to offer when considering how to better deliver surgical education and training. Better integration of adult learning theory can be fruitful. Individual teaching surgical units need to rethink their paradigms and consider how each individual can contribute to the education experience. Up skilling courses for trainers can do much to improve the delivery of surgical education. Understanding adult learning concepts and integrating these into day-to-day teaching can be valuable.

Surgical education and adult learning: Integrating theory into practice

PubMed Central

Rashid, Prem

2017-01-01

Surgical education continues to evolve from the master-apprentice model. Newer methods of the process need to be used to manage the dual challenges of educating while providing safe surgical care. This requires integrating adult learning concepts into delivery of practical training and education in busy clinical environments. A narrative review aimed at outlining and integrating adult learning and surgical education theory was undertaken. Additionally, this information was used to relate the practical delivery of surgical training and education in day-to-day surgical practice. Concepts were sourced from reference material. Additional material was found using a PubMed search of the words: ‘surgical education theory’ and ‘adult learning theory medical’. This yielded 1351 abstracts, of which 43 articles with a focus on key concepts in adult education theory were used. Key papers were used to formulate structure and additional cross-referenced papers were included where appropriate. Current concepts within adult learning have a lot to offer when considering how to better deliver surgical education and training. Better integration of adult learning theory can be fruitful. Individual teaching surgical units need to rethink their paradigms and consider how each individual can contribute to the education experience. Up skilling courses for trainers can do much to improve the delivery of surgical education. Understanding adult learning concepts and integrating these into day-to-day teaching can be valuable. PMID:28357046

Waiting to Exhale: African American Women and Adult Learning Through Movies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Elice E.

Scholars have addressed adults and the impact of popular culture on adult learning, but little attention has been directed toward the relationship between adult learning and African Americans. Most specifically, minimal information is related to adult learning that evolves as a result of popular culture influences. Popular culture promotes…

Interdisciplinary Handbook of Adult Lifespan Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinnott, Jan D., Ed.

This book is divided into three parts: theories and models, learning in specific life contexts, and the influence of aging on learning. Chapters include: "Chaos Theory as a Framework for Understanding Adult Lifespan Learning" (John C. Cavanaugh, Lisa C. McGuire); "The Future Impact of the Communication Revolution" (Lynn Johnson); "The Educated…

Screening for Learning Disabilities in Adult Basic Education Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, Sharon L.; Johnson, Jerry D.; Salzman, James A.

2012-01-01

The extant literature offers little to describe the processes for screening students in adult basic education (ABE) programs for potential learning disabilities, referring adult students for diagnostic assessment, or barriers to obtaining diagnostic assessment for a learning disability. Without current documentation of a learning disability, ABE…

General cognitive principles for learning structure in time and space.

PubMed

Goldstein, Michael H; Waterfall, Heidi R; Lotem, Arnon; Halpern, Joseph Y; Schwade, Jennifer A; Onnis, Luca; Edelman, Shimon

2010-06-01

How are hierarchically structured sequences of objects, events or actions learned from experience and represented in the brain? When several streams of regularities present themselves, which will be learned and which ignored? Can statistical regularities take effect on their own, or are additional factors such as behavioral outcomes expected to influence statistical learning? Answers to these questions are starting to emerge through a convergence of findings from naturalistic observations, behavioral experiments, neurobiological studies, and computational analyses and simulations. We propose that a small set of principles are at work in every situation that involves learning of structure from patterns of experience and outline a general framework that accounts for such learning. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Application of Service-Learning Principles to Support Our National Parks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coates, Tom

2005-01-01

Camping and working and learning in national parks may sound like a great way to spend the summer, but for participants enrolled in Rocky Mountain Experience, it is much more. Rocky Mountain Experience is a unique university course that focuses on application of service-learning principles as students travel to, camp in, and complete service…

Simulation debriefing based on principles of transfer of learning: A pilot study.

PubMed

Johnston, Sandra; Coyer, Fiona; Nash, Robyn

2017-09-01

Upon completion of undergraduate nursing courses, new graduates are expected to transition seamlessly into practice. Education providers face challenges in the preparation of undergraduate nurses due to increasing student numbers and decreasing availability of clinical placement sites. High fidelity patient simulation is an integral component of nursing curricula as an adjunct to preparation for clinical placement. Debriefing after simulation is an area where the underlying structure of problems can consciously be explored. When central principles of problems are identified, they can then be used in situations that differ from the simulation experience. Third year undergraduate nursing students participated in a pilot study conducted to test a debriefing intervention where the intervention group (n=7) participated in a simulation, followed by a debriefing based on transfer of learning principles. The control group (n=5) participated in a simulation of the same scenario, followed by a standard debriefing. Students then attended focus group interviews. The results of this pilot test provided preliminary information that the debriefing approach based on transfer of learning principles may be a useful way for student nurses to learn from a simulated experience and consider the application of learning to future clinical encounters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning by stimulation avoidance: A principle to control spiking neural networks dynamics

PubMed Central

Sinapayen, Lana; Ikegami, Takashi

2017-01-01

Learning based on networks of real neurons, and learning based on biologically inspired models of neural networks, have yet to find general learning rules leading to widespread applications. In this paper, we argue for the existence of a principle allowing to steer the dynamics of a biologically inspired neural network. Using carefully timed external stimulation, the network can be driven towards a desired dynamical state. We term this principle “Learning by Stimulation Avoidance” (LSA). We demonstrate through simulation that the minimal sufficient conditions leading to LSA in artificial networks are also sufficient to reproduce learning results similar to those obtained in biological neurons by Shahaf and Marom, and in addition explains synaptic pruning. We examined the underlying mechanism by simulating a small network of 3 neurons, then scaled it up to a hundred neurons. We show that LSA has a higher explanatory power than existing hypotheses about the response of biological neural networks to external simulation, and can be used as a learning rule for an embodied application: learning of wall avoidance by a simulated robot. In other works, reinforcement learning with spiking networks can be obtained through global reward signals akin simulating the dopamine system; we believe that this is the first project demonstrating sensory-motor learning with random spiking networks through Hebbian learning relying on environmental conditions without a separate reward system. PMID:28158309

Learning by stimulation avoidance: A principle to control spiking neural networks dynamics.

PubMed

Sinapayen, Lana; Masumori, Atsushi; Ikegami, Takashi

2017-01-01

Learning based on networks of real neurons, and learning based on biologically inspired models of neural networks, have yet to find general learning rules leading to widespread applications. In this paper, we argue for the existence of a principle allowing to steer the dynamics of a biologically inspired neural network. Using carefully timed external stimulation, the network can be driven towards a desired dynamical state. We term this principle "Learning by Stimulation Avoidance" (LSA). We demonstrate through simulation that the minimal sufficient conditions leading to LSA in artificial networks are also sufficient to reproduce learning results similar to those obtained in biological neurons by Shahaf and Marom, and in addition explains synaptic pruning. We examined the underlying mechanism by simulating a small network of 3 neurons, then scaled it up to a hundred neurons. We show that LSA has a higher explanatory power than existing hypotheses about the response of biological neural networks to external simulation, and can be used as a learning rule for an embodied application: learning of wall avoidance by a simulated robot. In other works, reinforcement learning with spiking networks can be obtained through global reward signals akin simulating the dopamine system; we believe that this is the first project demonstrating sensory-motor learning with random spiking networks through Hebbian learning relying on environmental conditions without a separate reward system.

Developing an English Mobile Learning Attitude Scale for Adult Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Tzu-Ying

2017-01-01

In recent years, with the rapid development of mobile devices, mobile learning (m-learning) has becoming another popular topic. There is a strong need for both researchers and educators to be aware of adult learners' attitudes toward English mobile learning, yet relevant studies on mobile learning to promote English learning for adult learners are…

7 Principles for Effective Work-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cahill, Charlotte

2016-01-01

Americans seeking employment often face a conundrum: relevant work experience is a prerequisite for many jobs, but it is difficult to gain the required experience without being in the workplace. Work-based learning--activities that occur in workplaces through which youth and adults gain the knowledge, skills, and experience needed for entry or…

Efficacy of Learning Strategies Instruction in Adult Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hock, Michael F.; Mellard, Daryl F.

2011-01-01

Results from randomized controlled trials of learning strategies instruction with 375 adult basic education participants are reported. Reading outcomes from whole group strategic instruction in 1 of 4 learning strategies were compared to outcomes of reading instruction delivered in the context of typical adult education units on social studies,…

Compensatory processing during rule-based category learning in older adults.

PubMed

Bharani, Krishna L; Paller, Ken A; Reber, Paul J; Weintraub, Sandra; Yanar, Jorge; Morrison, Robert G

2016-01-01

Healthy older adults typically perform worse than younger adults at rule-based category learning, but better than patients with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. To further investigate aging's effect on rule-based category learning, we monitored event-related potentials (ERPs) while younger and neuropsychologically typical older adults performed a visual category-learning task with a rule-based category structure and trial-by-trial feedback. Using these procedures, we previously identified ERPs sensitive to categorization strategy and accuracy in young participants. In addition, previous studies have demonstrated the importance of neural processing in the prefrontal cortex and the medial temporal lobe for this task. In this study, older adults showed lower accuracy and longer response times than younger adults, but there were two distinct subgroups of older adults. One subgroup showed near-chance performance throughout the procedure, never categorizing accurately. The other subgroup reached asymptotic accuracy that was equivalent to that in younger adults, although they categorized more slowly. These two subgroups were further distinguished via ERPs. Consistent with the compensation theory of cognitive aging, older adults who successfully learned showed larger frontal ERPs when compared with younger adults. Recruitment of prefrontal resources may have improved performance while slowing response times. Additionally, correlations of feedback-locked P300 amplitudes with category-learning accuracy differentiated successful younger and older adults. Overall, the results suggest that the ability to adapt one's behavior in response to feedback during learning varies across older individuals, and that the failure of some to adapt their behavior may reflect inadequate engagement of prefrontal cortex.

Compensatory Processing During Rule-Based Category Learning in Older Adults

PubMed Central

Bharani, Krishna L.; Paller, Ken A.; Reber, Paul J.; Weintraub, Sandra; Yanar, Jorge; Morrison, Robert G.

2016-01-01

Healthy older adults typically perform worse than younger adults at rule-based category learning, but better than patients with Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. To further investigate aging's effect on rule-based category learning, we monitored event-related potentials (ERPs) while younger and neuropsychologically typical older adults performed a visual category-learning task with a rule-based category structure and trial-by-trial feedback. Using these procedures, we previously identified ERPs sensitive to categorization strategy and accuracy in young participants. In addition, previous studies have demonstrated the importance of neural processing in the prefrontal cortex and the medial temporal lobe for this task. In this study, older adults showed lower accuracy and longer response times than younger adults, but there were two distinct subgroups of older adults. One subgroup showed near-chance performance throughout the procedure, never categorizing accurately. The other subgroup reached asymptotic accuracy that was equivalent to that in younger adults, although they categorized more slowly. These two subgroups were further distinguished via ERPs. Consistent with the compensation theory of cognitive aging, older adults who successfully learned showed larger frontal ERPs when compared with younger adults. Recruitment of prefrontal resources may have improved performance while slowing response times. Additionally, correlations of feedback-locked P300 amplitudes with category-learning accuracy differentiated successful younger and older adults. Overall, the results suggest that the ability to adapt one's behavior in response to feedback during learning varies across older individuals, and that the failure of some to adapt their behavior may reflect inadequate engagement of prefrontal cortex. PMID:26422522

Full time adult credential students' instructional preferences at California State University, Long Beach: pedagogy orandragogy?

PubMed

Wang, Victor

2004-03-01

This study investigated the instructional preferences of full time adult credential students after they took a live course called Principles of Adult Education at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) in the fall semester of 2002. These full time adult credential students had been working on their adult teaching credentials to meet the competencies specified by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. The course introduced students to Andragogy developed by Malcolm Knowles out of the andragogical model developed by Lindeman (1926). The study used Principles of Adult Learning Scales (PALS), advanced by Gary Conti in 1983 to measure instructional preferences. Data were collected from 30 (100% of 30) full time adult credential students enrolled in a live course to determine their instructional preferences of helping adults learn. The results of the study showed in most cases these adult learning professionals taught adult students andragogically; in some cases they taught adult students pedagogically.

Sleep benefits consolidation of visuo-motor adaptation learning in older adults.

PubMed

Mantua, Janna; Baran, Bengi; Spencer, Rebecca M C

2016-02-01

Sleep is beneficial for performance across a range of memory tasks in young adults, but whether memories are similarly consolidated in older adults is less clear. Performance benefits have been observed following sleep in older adults for declarative learning tasks, but this benefit may be reduced for non-declarative, motor skill learning tasks. To date, studies of sleep-dependent consolidation of motor learning in older adults are limited to motor sequence tasks. To examine whether reduced sleep-dependent consolidation in older adults is generalizable to other forms of motor skill learning, we examined performance changes over intervals of sleep and wake in young (n = 62) and older adults (n = 61) using a mirror-tracing task, which assesses visuo-motor adaptation learning. Participants learned the task either in the morning or in evening, and performance was assessed following a 12-h interval containing overnight sleep or daytime wake. Contrary to our prediction, both young adults and older adults exhibited sleep-dependent gains in visuo-motor adaptation. There was a correlation between performance improvement over sleep and percent of the night in non-REM stage 2 sleep. These results indicate that motor skill consolidation remains intact with increasing age although this relationship may be limited to specific forms of motor skill learning.

Lifelong Learning: Making It Work. An Adult Learning Australia Discussion Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Tony, Ed.

This discussion paper is from the Adult Learners Week National Seminar on Lifelong Learning Policy (Canberra, Australia, September 1999) that identified a number of ideas about how to foster national policy development on lifelong learning. It consists of three sections. Part 1 contains "A National Lifelong Learning Policy for…

Involvement of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Learning and Forgetting

PubMed Central

Yau, Suk-yu; Li, Ang; So, Kwok-Fai

2015-01-01

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is a process involving the continuous generation of newborn neurons in the hippocampus of adult animals. Mounting evidence has suggested that hippocampal neurogenesis contributes to some forms of hippocampus-dependent learning and memory; however, the detailed mechanism concerning how this small number of newborn neurons could affect learning and memory remains unclear. In this review, we discuss the relationship between adult-born neurons and learning and memory, with a highlight on recently discovered potential roles of neurogenesis in pattern separation and forgetting. PMID:26380120

Practice of Adult Education--Older Adults, Tourism, and Learning in Yellowstone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberson, Donald N., Jr.

2005-01-01

The purpose of this article is to present a program of learning for older adults in a national park. Because of the growing trend of tourism among retirees this learning during leisure is gaining prominence. The paper brings together the concepts of aging, self-directed learning, and tourism and leisure. In addition this paper presents a…

Integrated and Contextual Basic Science Instruction in Preclinical Education: Problem-Based Learning Experience Enriched with Brain/Mind Learning Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gülpinar, Mehmet Ali; Isoglu-Alkaç, Ümmühan; Yegen, Berrak Çaglayan

2015-01-01

Recently, integrated and contextual learning models such as problem-based learning (PBL) and brain/mind learning (BML) have become prominent. The present study aimed to develop and evaluate a PBL program enriched with BML principles. In this study, participants were 295 first-year medical students. The study used both quantitative and qualitative…

Comparing Adult Learning Systems: An Emerging Political Economy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rees, Gareth

2013-01-01

Adult learning systems have come to be dominated by the view that the essential role of adult learning is to generate the high levels of skills deemed necessary for competitiveness and growth in the globalised economy. This 'education gospel' is underpinned by human capital theory (HCT) and its contemporary conceptualisation in terms of…

Development of a supported self-management intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes and a learning disability.

PubMed

House, Allan; Latchford, Gary; Russell, Amy M; Bryant, Louise; Wright, Judy; Graham, Elizabeth; Stansfield, Alison; Ajjan, Ramzi

2018-01-01

Although supported self-management is a well-recognised part of chronic disease management, it has not been routinely used as part of healthcare for adults with a learning disability. We developed an intervention for adults with a mild or moderate learning disability and type 2 diabetes, building on the principles of supported self-management with reasonable adjustments made for the target population. In five steps, we:Clarified the principles of supported self-management as reported in the published literatureIdentified the barriers to effective self-management of type 2 diabetes in adults with a learning disabilityReviewed existing materials that aim to support self-management of diabetes for people with a learning disabilitySynthesised the outputs from the first three phases and identified elements of supported self-management that were (a) most relevant to the needs of our target population and (b) most likely to be acceptable and useful to themImplemented and field tested the intervention. The final intervention had four standardised components: (1) establishing the participant's daily routines and lifestyle, (2) identifying supporters and their roles, (3) using this information to inform setting realistic goals and providing materials to the patient and supporter to help them be achieved and (4) monitoring progress against goals.Of 41 people randomised in a feasibility RCT, thirty five (85%) completed the intervention sessions, with over three quarters of all participants (78%) attending at least three sessions.Twenty-three out of 40 (58%) participants were deemed to be very engaged with the sessions and 12/40 (30%) with the materials; 30 (73%) participants had another person present with them during at least one of their sessions; 15/41 (37%) were reported to have a very engaged main supporter, and 18/41 (44%) had a different person who was not their main supporter but who was engaged in the intervention implementation. The intervention was feasible to

Learning Journeys: A Resource Handbook on Adult Learning and Mental Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mather, Joy; Atkinson, Sue

This document explains how tutors and managers in adult education programs across the United Kingdom can smooth the journeys of adults with mental health difficulties who are returning to learning. The handbook begins with suggestions for its use and case studies of two adult learners with mental health difficulties. Sections 1 through 4 discuss…

Assessment of a Professional Development Program on Adult Learning Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malik, Melinda

2016-01-01

Librarians at colleges and universities invested in graduate education must understand and incorporate adult learning theories in their reference and instruction interactions with graduate students to more effectively support the students' learning. After participating in a professional development program about adult learning theory, librarians…

Informal Adult Learning and Everyday Literacy Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Maurice C.

2006-01-01

This study investigated the types of informal learning activities that adults with low literacy skills engage in outside of formal literacy programs and how these activities relate to their literacy practices. Key informants for the study included 10 adults identified at International Adult Literacy Survey levels 1 and 2. Using ethnographic…

Using lean principles to improve outpatient adult infusion clinic chemotherapy preparation turnaround times.

PubMed

Lamm, Matthew H; Eckel, Stephen; Daniels, Rowell; Amerine, Lindsey B

2015-07-01

The workflow and chemotherapy preparation turnaround times at an adult infusion clinic were evaluated to identify opportunities to optimize workflow and efficiency. A three-phase study using Lean Six Sigma methodology was conducted. In phase 1, chemotherapy turnaround times in the adult infusion clinic were examined one year after the interim goal of a 45-minute turnaround time was established. Phase 2 implemented various experiments including a five-day Kaizen event, using lean principles in an effort to decrease chemotherapy preparation turnaround times in a controlled setting. Phase 3 included the implementation of process-improvement strategies identified during the Kaizen event, coupled with a final refinement of operational processes. In phase 1, the mean turnaround time for all chemotherapy preparations decreased from 60 to 44 minutes, and a mean of 52 orders for adult outpatient chemotherapy infusions was received each day. After installing new processes, the mean turnaround time had improved to 37 minutes for each chemotherapy preparation in phase 2. In phase 3, the mean turnaround time decreased from 37 to 26 minutes. The overall mean turnaround time was reduced by 26 minutes, representing a 57% decrease in turnaround times in 19 months through the elimination of waste and the implementation of lean principles. This reduction was accomplished through increased efficiencies in the workplace, with no addition of human resources. Implementation of Lean Six Sigma principles improved workflow and efficiency at an adult infusion clinic and reduced the overall chemotherapy turnaround times from 60 to 26 minutes. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Adult Learning in the Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Stacey Margarita

2015-01-01

This book explores connections between the fields of foreign/second language teaching and adult learning. This interdisciplinary approach serves as a framework in order to: (a) understand the teaching methods that promote the deeper, more critical sort of language learning advocated by scholars and professional organizations, (b) understand how…

Expanded Learning Time and Opportunities: Key Principles, Driving Perspectives, and Major Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blyth, Dale A.; LaCroix-Dalluhn, Laura

2011-01-01

If expanded learning is going to make a real difference, then three key principles must inform how communities overcome challenges and assure equitable access to learning opportunities. Much of today's debate is framed in the language of formal education systems--students, classrooms, schools--even though part of the expansion seeks to engage a…

Measuring Self-Directed Learning: A Diagnostic Tool for Adult Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khiat, Henry

2015-01-01

Self-directed learning is an important form of adult learning (Caffarella, 1993; Knowles, 1975; Knowles, Holton & Swanson, 2005; Merriam, 2001; Merriam & Caffarella, 1999). The strategies of self-directed learning allow adult learners to cope better with their studies while fulfilling family, work and other commitments. This study…

The Application of Adult Learning Principles in Effective Preaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeVille, Randall C.

2012-01-01

Evidence suggests that a disconnect is growing between the information provided in Christian sermons and the life challenges faced by those church attendees. To bridge that divide, the purpose of this study was to better understand the characteristics of a sermon that enhance learning for churchgoers in Christian churches. The guiding question…

Learning and Doing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Jane

2005-01-01

For those working in adult learning, supporting active citizenship has become one of those principles-turned-platitudes they like to recite, but they need to search hard in the small print of recent White Papers to be sure that the Government cares about the wider purposes of learning beyond functional training for employment. "Active…

Environmental health and nursing: piloting a technology-enhanced distance learning module.

PubMed

Olson, Debra; Stedman-Smith, Maggie; Fredrickson, Ann

2005-08-01

The results of a pilot study evaluating a technology-enhanced distance learning module to impart environmental health core concepts to nurses are presented in this article. The internet-based module was developed for continuing professional education and imparts principles of adult education through interactive features including simulated clinical vignettes, an environmental justice case study, and hyperlinks to websites related to environmental protection and health regulation. Mean gains between pre- and post-tests; participant identification of adult learning principles as advanced by Knowles, Holton, and Swanson (1998); and satisfaction were measured among participating RNs (N = 34). A 6% mean gain in learning occurred between pre- and post-tests (95% CI .51 to 1.37, p < .0001). No significant differences in learning occurred for those who prefer face-to-face instruction and those who tend to procrastinate. Ninety-four percent of respondents indicated they were satisfied or very satisfied with the module. A strong association was found between recognition of adult learning principles as enhancing the assimilation of knowledge and competencies of environmental health and high satisfaction with the module. Distance learning via the Internet shows promise as a format to promote environmental health education for nurses.

Interrupting Adult Learning through Online Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuart-Buttle, Ros

2014-01-01

This paper considers online pedagogy in relation to Christian adult learning and asks how this might be interpreted by theological educators. The online community of inquiry is proposed as one recognized pedagogical approach and illustrated by reference to a continuing professional development programme for online adult learners across the church…

Adult Learning for Social Change in Museums: An Exploration of Sociocultural Learning Approaches to Community Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Junghwan; You, Jieun; Yeon Park, Soo

2016-01-01

This integrative literature review critically examined how scholars were articulating the work of museums to make a space for "adult learning for social change through community engagement". We applied sociocultural adult learning theories (situated learning and cultural-historical activity theory), to 25 theoretical and empirical…

Adult Learning and Naval Leadership Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

Jerome Bruner , R. M. Jones and others look at learning as a means to modify behavior while others see behavior modification as a means to increase the...informal learning , the chief purpose of which is to discover the meaning of experience; a quest of the mind which digs down to the roots of the...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited ADULT LEARNING AND

Conceptual Learning in a Principled Design Problem Solving Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prusak, Naomi; Hershkowitz, Rina; Schwarz, Baruch B.

2013-01-01

To what extent can instructional design be based on principles for instilling a culture of problem solving and conceptual learning? This is the main focus of the study described in this paper, in which third grade students participated in a one-year course designed to foster problem solving and mathematical reasoning. The design relied on five…

Learning Characteristics of Small Business Managers: Principles for Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeffrey, Lynn M.; Hide, Sophie; Legg, Stephen

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to report on the second half of a two-part study that identified relevant content for safety audit training in small businesses. The specific aim of the paper is to determine the preferred learning styles and approaches of managers in these businesses in order to identify some principles which could be used to tailor…

Open Education 2030: Planning the Future of Adult Learning in Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castaño Muñoz, Jonatan; Redecker, Christine; Vuorikari, Riina; Punie, Yves

2013-01-01

Adult learning and open education have become key elements on the European Agenda. This paper presents the first results of a foresight activity that aims to contribute to an understanding of how "Opening up Education" can improve adult learning in Europe in the future. It argues that to open up adult learning two main challenges must be…

Computer Game-Based Learning: Perceptions and Experiences of Senior Chinese Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Feihong; Lockee, Barbara B.; Burton, John K.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate senior Chinese adults' potential acceptance of computer game-based learning (CGBL) by probing their perceptions of computer game play and their perceived impacts of game play on their learning of computer skills and life satisfaction. A total of 60 senior adults from a local senior adult learning center…

Experiential Learning Theory as One of the Foundations of Adult Learning Practice Worldwide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dernova, Maiya

2015-01-01

The paper presents the analysis of existing theory, assumptions, and models of adult experiential learning. The experiential learning is a learning based on a learning cycle guided by the dual dialectics of action-reflection and experience-abstraction. It defines learning as a process of knowledge creation through experience transformation, so…

Does Combining the Embodiment and Personalization Principles of Multimedia Learning Affect Learning the Culture of a Foreign Language?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Yanlin; Crooks, Steven M.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate how social cues associated with the personalization and embodiment principles in multimedia learning affect the learning and attitude of students studying the culture of a foreign language. University students were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions that consisted of an…

Toward a Learner-Centered System for Adult Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hermans, Henry; Kalz, Marco; Koper, Rob

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present an e-learning system that integrates the use of concepts of virtual learning environments, personal learning environments, and social network sites. The system is based on a learning model which comprises and integrates three learning contexts for the adult learner: the formal, instructional…

Child first language and adult second language are both tied to general-purpose learning systems.

PubMed

Hamrick, Phillip; Lum, Jarrad A G; Ullman, Michael T

2018-02-13

Do the mechanisms underlying language in fact serve general-purpose functions that preexist this uniquely human capacity? To address this contentious and empirically challenging issue, we systematically tested the predictions of a well-studied neurocognitive theory of language motivated by evolutionary principles. Multiple metaanalyses were performed to examine predicted links between language and two general-purpose learning systems, declarative and procedural memory. The results tied lexical abilities to learning only in declarative memory, while grammar was linked to learning in both systems in both child first language and adult second language, in specific ways. In second language learners, grammar was associated with only declarative memory at lower language experience, but with only procedural memory at higher experience. The findings yielded large effect sizes and held consistently across languages, language families, linguistic structures, and tasks, underscoring their reliability and validity. The results, which met the predicted pattern, provide comprehensive evidence that language is tied to general-purpose systems both in children acquiring their native language and adults learning an additional language. Crucially, if language learning relies on these systems, then our extensive knowledge of the systems from animal and human studies may also apply to this domain, leading to predictions that might be unwarranted in the more circumscribed study of language. Thus, by demonstrating a role for these systems in language, the findings simultaneously lay a foundation for potentially important advances in the study of this critical domain.

Adult Learning and Literacy in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shohet, Linda

2001-01-01

In Chapter Six, Linda Shohet offers a description of the adult literacy and learning system in Canada. In providing a historical overview of the development of the field, Shohet notes key political events that have influenced the funding and development of services for adults. Through her description, the author reveals the complexity and…

Effective Literacy Instruction for Adults with Specific Learning Disabilities: Implications for Adult Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hock, Michael F.

2012-01-01

Adults with learning disabilities (LD) attending adult basic education, GED programs, or community colleges are among the lowest performers on measures of literacy. For example, on multiple measures of reading comprehension, adults with LD had a mean reading score at the third grade level, whereas adults without LD read at the fifth grade level.…

Review of Adult Learning and Literacy, Volume 5. Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice: A Project of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comings, John, Ed.; Garner, Barbara, Ed.; Smith, Cristine, Ed.

2005-01-01

"The Review of Adult Learning and Literacy: Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice, Volume 5" is a volume in a series of annual publications of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) that address major issues, the latest research, and the best practices in the field of adult literacy and learning.…

Review of Adult Learning and Literacy, Volume 4. Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice: A Project of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comings, John, Ed.; Garner, Barbara, Ed.; Smith, Cristine, Ed.

2004-01-01

"The Review of Adult Learning and Literacy: Connecting Research Policy, and Practice, Volume 4" is an addition to a series of annual publications of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) that address major issues, the latest research, and the best practices in the field of adult literacy and learning.…

Electronic Pathways. Adult Learning and the New Communication Technologies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Field, Jane, Ed.

This book, which is intended as a practical resource for individuals who are professionally concerned with adult learning, contains 21 papers and 3 checklists concerning the new communication and information technologies (IT) and adult learning. The following papers and checklists are included: "Introduction" (Jane Field); "The Use…

Building a Dynamic Online Learning Community among Adult Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Minjuan; Sierra, Christina; Folger, Terre

2003-01-01

Examines the nature of learning communities constructed among a diverse group of adult learners in an international online graduate-level course. Discusses independent work, team tasks, the variety of computer-mediated communication tools used, and implications for promoting adult learners' active participation in online learning and instructional…

Understanding Adult Lifelong Learning Participation as a Layered Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boeren, Ellen

2017-01-01

This paper discusses the layered nature of lifelong learning participation, bringing together fragmented insights in why adults do or do not participate in lifelong learning activities. The paper will discuss the roles and responsibilities of individual adults, education and training providers and countries' social education policies, often…

The Effect of Constructivist Learning Principles Based Learning Materials to Students' Attitudes, Success and Retention in Social Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karaduman, Hidir; Gultekin, Mehmet

2007-01-01

The present study aims to investigate whether the learning materials that based on constructivist learning principles have an effect on fifth grade Social Studies students' attitudes, their academic success and their retention. The study was conducted at Sehit Ali Gaffar Okkan Elementary School, Eskisehir. The participants of the study were 5th…

Toward a New Motivation to Learn Framework for Older Adult Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Yi-Yin; Sandmann, Lorilee R.

2012-01-01

Although existing literature addresses adults' motivation to learn, and some specifically focuses on older adults, it is now recognized that older adults are more heterogeneous and complex than other age groups. Therefore, this study seeks to provide an alternative theoretical framework to investigate motivation to learn for older adult learners…

Toward an Interdisciplinary Perspective: A Review of Adult Learning Frameworks and Theoretical Models of Motor Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roessger, Kevin M.

2012-01-01

Researchers have yet to agree on an approach that supports how adults best learn novel motor skills in formal educational contexts. The literature fails to adequately discuss adult motor learning from the standpoint of adult education. Instead, the subject is addressed by other disciplines. This review attempts to integrate perspectives across…

Enhancing Digital Literacy and Learning among Adults with Blogs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, Laurie A.

2017-01-01

Digital literacy and learning among adults has been identified as an area requiring research. The purpose of the present study was to explore technology acceptance and digital collaborative learning experiences with blogs among adult learners. This analysis employed a quasi-experimental mixed-methods approach guided by a sociocultural theoretical…

Salvaging the Self in Adult Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Celia; West, Linden

2009-01-01

This paper stems from a dialogue on the subjects of learning and learners: one forged out of experiences in research and teaching, and the application of psychodynamic insights, developmental psychology and recent work in the neurosciences, to thinking about adult learning and subjectivity. We argue that some notion of the self needs to be…

Veterans as Adult Learners in Composition Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Navarre Cleary, Michelle; Wozniak, Kathryn

2013-01-01

Considering veterans in the context of research on adult and nontraditional students in college writing classes, this article proposes Malcolm Knowles's six principles for adult learning as an asset-based heuristic for investigating how writing programs and writing teachers might build upon existing resources to support veteran students.

Delivering Instruction to Adult Learners. Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cantor, Jeffrey A.

This one-stop guide for trainers and educators of adults in industry, business, or the professions details a results-oriented instructional strategy that is based on the following principles for instructing adults effectively: (1) act as a leader, helper, guide, change agent, coordinator, and facilitator of learning; (2) promote active…

Understanding and Managing Learning Disabilities in Adults. Professional Practices in Adult Education and Human Resource Development Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, Dale R.

This book reviews learning disabilities (LD) in adults and makes suggestions for helping adults cope with these disabilities. Each chapter covers a type of learning disability or related syndrome or explains characteristics of the brain. Chapter 1 explains several types of specific learning disabilities that make classroom performance difficult…

The Analysis of Adult Immigrants' Learning System in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mukan, Nataliya; Barabash, Olena; Busko, Maria

2015-01-01

In the article the problem of adult immigrants' learning in Canada has been studied. The main objectives of the article are defined as: analysis of scientific and pedagogical literature which highlights different aspects of the research problem; analysis of the adult immigrants' learning system in Canada; and the perspectives for creative…

ESL Instruction and Adults with Learning Disabilities. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwarz, Robin; Terrill, Lynda

This digest reviews what is known about adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners and learning disabilities, suggests ways to identify and assess ESL adults who may have learning disabilities, and offers practical methods for both instruction and teacher training. Topics covered in some detail include identifying and diagnosing learning…

Assessing the Reading Comprehension of Adults with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, F. W.; Long, K.; Finlay, W. M. L.

2006-01-01

Background: This study's aim was to begin the process of measuring the reading comprehension of adults with mild and borderline learning disabilities, in order to generate information to help clinicians and other professionals to make written material for adults with learning disabilities more comprehensible. Methods: The Test for the Reception of…

Adult Learning in Vocational Education. EEE700 Adults Learning: The Changing Workplace A.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, David; And Others

This monograph is part of the study materials for the one-semester distance education unit, Adults Learning: The Changing Workplace A, in the Open Campus Program at Deakin University (Australia). It explores four complex and interrelated issues: how vocational educators view their own practice, the characteristics and aspirations that distinguish…

Learning to Be Drier: A Case Study of Adult and Community Learning in the Australian Riverland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Mike; Schulz, Christine

2009-01-01

This article explores the adult and community learning associated with "learning to be drier" in the Riverland region of South Australia. Communities in the Riverland are currently adjusting and making changes to their understandings and practices as part of learning to live with less water. The analysis of adult and community learning…

Lifelong Learning and Adult Education: Russia Meets the West

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zajda, Joseph

2003-03-01

This article examines the impact of social change and economic transformation on adult education and lifelong learning in post-Soviet Russia. The article begins with a brief economic and historical background to lifelong learning and adult education in terms of its significance as a feature of the Russian cultural heritage. An analysis of Ministerial education policy and curriculum changes reveals that these policies reflect neo-liberal and neo-conservative paradigms in the post-Soviet economy and education. Current issues and trends in adult education are also discussed, with particular attention to the Adult Education Centres, which operate as a vast umbrella framework for a variety of adult education and lifelong learning initiatives. The Centres are designed to promote social justice by means of compensatory education and social rehabilitation for individuals dislocated by economic restructuring. The article comments on their role in helping to develop popular consciousness of democratic rights and active citizenship in a participatory and pluralistic democracy.

Phonological similarity influences word learning in adults learning Spanish as a foreign language

PubMed Central

Stamer, Melissa K.; Vitevitch, Michael S.

2013-01-01

Neighborhood density—the number of words that sound similar to a given word (Luce & Pisoni, 1998)—influences word-learning in native English speaking children and adults (Storkel, 2004; Storkel, Armbruster, & Hogan, 2006): novel words with many similar sounding English words (i.e., dense neighborhood) are learned more quickly than novel words with few similar sounding English words (i.e., sparse neighborhood). The present study examined how neighborhood density influences word-learning in native English speaking adults learning Spanish as a foreign language. Students in their third-semester of Spanish language classes learned advanced Spanish words that sounded similar to many known Spanish words (i.e., dense neighborhood) or sounded similar to few known Spanish words (i.e., sparse neighborhood). In three word-learning tasks, performance was better for Spanish words with dense rather than sparse neighborhoods. These results suggest that a similar mechanism may be used to learn new words in a native and a foreign language. PMID:23950692

Equilibrium I: Principles. Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry (ILPAC). Unit P2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inner London Education Authority (England).

This unit on the principles of equilibrium is one of 10 first year units produced by the Independent Learning Project for Advanced Chemistry (ILPAC). The unit consists of two levels. After a treatment of non-mathematical aspects in level one (the idea of a reversible reaction, characteristics of an equilibrium state, the Le Chatelier's principle),…

CLASSROOM EPISODES FOR TEACHING PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS OF LEARNING.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

SULLIVAN, HOWARD J.; AND OTHERS

THE 16 CLASSROOM EPISODES PRESENTED IN THIS REPORT WERE SELECTED BECAUSE (1) THEY RELATE CLOSELY TO IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS OF LEARNING AND (2) THEY HAVE HIGH INSTRUCTIONAL VALUE FOR PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS. IN DEVELOPING THE EPISODE MATERIALS, THE INVESTIGATORS PHOTOGRAPHED AND TAPE RECORDED WIDE VARIETIES OF CLASSROOM EVENTS FROM ONGOING…

The Social-Interaction Learning Styles of Irish Adult Learners: Some Empirical Findings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O Fathaigh, Mairtin

An action research project was conducted to understand the learning style profile of Irish adult learners better and to integrate the findings into development seminars for adult education teachers and tutors. The Grasha-Riechmann Student Learning Styles Scale (GRSLSS) was chosen as the research instrument to explore Irish adults' learning styles…

Adult Learners: Considerations for Education and Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kistler, Mark J.

2011-01-01

As more and more adults seek out education and training programs to help them become more competitive in the job market, it provides an opportunity for career and technical education. Those who teach adult learners should take into consideration their particular learning traits. This article highlights a framework of core principles to be…

Theoretical Principles to Guide the Teaching of Adjectives to Children Who Struggle With Word Learning: Synthesis of Experimental and Naturalistic Research With Principles of Learning Theory.

PubMed

Ricks, Samantha L; Alt, Mary

2016-07-01

The purpose of this tutorial is to provide clinicians with a theoretically motivated and evidence-based approach to teaching adjectives to children who struggle with word learning. Given that there are almost no treatment studies to guide this topic, we have synthesized findings from experimental and theoretical literature to come up with a principles-based approach to treatment. We provide a sample lesson plan, incorporating our 3 theoretical principles, and describe the materials chosen and methods used during treatment and assessment. This approach is theoretically motivated, but it needs to be empirically tested.

Twenty cultural and learning principles to guide the development of pharmacy curriculum in Pacific Island countries.

PubMed

Brown, Andrew N; McCormack, Coralie

2014-01-01

A lack of education capacity to support the development of medical supply management competency is a major issue affecting Pacific Islands countries (PICs). Limited human resources and underdeveloped medicines supply management competency are two significant impediments to reaching the health-related Millennium Development Goals in many countries in this rural and remote region. Two recent review publications have provided relevant background documenting factors affecting learning and teaching. These articles have presented available information regarding competency and training requirements for health personnel involved in essential medicine supply management in the region. This background research has provided a platform from which tangible principles can be developed to aid educators and professionals in PICs in the development and delivery of appropriate pharmacy curriculum. Specifically the aim of the present article is to identify culturally meaningful learning and teaching principles to guide the development and delivery of pharmaceutical curriculum in PICs. Subsequently, this information will be applied to develop and trial new pedagogical approaches to the training of health personnel involved in essential medicines supply management, to improve medicine availability for patients in their own environment. This article forms part of a wider research project involving the United Nations Population Fund Suva subregional office, the University of Canberra, Ministry of Health officials and health personnel within identified PICs. Two previous reviews, investigating Pacific culture, learning approaches, and training requirements affecting pharmaceutical personnel, were synthesised into a set of principles that could be applied to the development of pharmaceutical curriculum. These principles were validated through focus groups of health personnel using action research methods. An initial set of 16 principles was developed from the synthesis of the two reviews

Marketing Your Adult Literacy Program. A "How to" Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Barbara; And Others

This guide, which was originally developed for use in a training workshop, is intended to assist adult educators in learning to market their adult literacy programs. The first chapter outlines the main principles of social marketing and public relations. An overview of the operation of a social marketing campaign on adult literacy is provided…

Reflections on Adult Learning in Cultural Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parrish, Marilyn McKinley

2010-01-01

Cultural institutions are rich locations for adult learning. Despite apparent differences in mission, they are similar in many ways. Similarities include social and historical development, educational philosophy and objectives, epistemological tensions and contestations, and challenges associated when attracting and educating adult visitors. In an…

Adult Graduate Student Voices: Good and Bad Learning Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reiff, Marianne; Ballin, Amy

2016-01-01

During their master's degree work, cohorts of adult graduate students participated in a common learning task in which they listed their factors of good and bad learning experiences. The lead author collected these factors from students over the course of 3 years. The purpose of our inquiry was to examine and document what adult graduate students…

Adult learning and social inequalities: Processes of equalisation or cumulative disadvantage?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilpi-Jakonen, Elina; Vono de Vilhena, Daniela; Blossfeld, Hans-Peter

2015-08-01

Adult learning is an increasingly important form of education in globalised and aging societies. While current policy recommendations tend to focus on increasing participation rates, the authors of this article argue that higher participation rates do not necessarily lead to lower social/educational inequalities in participation. The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between social inequalities and adult learning by exploring cross-national patterns of participation in different adult learning activities and the consequences of participation on individual labour market trajectories. The empirical basis of the paper is an analysis of 13 country studies (as well as two cross-national analyses) brought together by the international comparative research project "Education as a lifelong process - comparing educational trajectories in modern societies" ( eduLIFE). Despite wide variations in participation rates across countries, mechanisms of social/educational inequality in engagement in job-related adult learning tend to be relatively similar across countries, in particular with regard to non-formal learning. Effects tend most frequently to be a presence of cumulative advantage, though in some countries a certain degree of equalisation is noticeable with regard to formal adult education. The authors conclude that it is relatively clear that currently almost no country is truly able to reduce social inequalities through adult learning. Their recommendation is that public policy makers should place greater emphasis on making adult learning more accessible (in terms of entry requirements, affordability as well as motivation) to underrepresented groups, in particular those who are educationally disadvantaged.

Implicit Learning of Arithmetic Regularities Is Facilitated by Proximal Contrast

PubMed Central

Prather, Richard W.

2012-01-01

Natural number arithmetic is a simple, powerful and important symbolic system. Despite intense focus on learning in cognitive development and educational research many adults have weak knowledge of the system. In current study participants learn arithmetic principles via an implicit learning paradigm. Participants learn not by solving arithmetic equations, but through viewing and evaluating example equations, similar to the implicit learning of artificial grammars. We expand this to the symbolic arithmetic system. Specifically we find that exposure to principle-inconsistent examples facilitates the acquisition of arithmetic principle knowledge if the equations are presented to the learning in a temporally proximate fashion. The results expand on research of the implicit learning of regularities and suggest that contrasting cases, show to facilitate explicit arithmetic learning, is also relevant to implicit learning of arithmetic. PMID:23119101

How Do Adults Learn to Read? A Communities of Practice Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Negassa, Tolera; Rogers, Alan; Warkineh, Turuwark Zalalam

2016-01-01

This article explores whether looking at adult literacy teaching through the lens of Lave and Wenger's "community of practice" approach to learning provides useful additional insights into adults learning to read, especially the role of the adult literacy facilitator. Using some case studies of facilitators from the Ethiopian Integrated…

Beyond Universal Design for Learning: Guiding Principles to Reduce Barriers to Digital & Media Literacy Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalton, Elizabeth M.

2017-01-01

Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework for designing instruction to address the wide range of learner variation in today's inclusive classrooms, can be applied effectively to broaden access, understanding, and engagement in digital and media literacy learning for ALL. UDL supports constructivist learning principles. UDL strategies and…

Implicit Learning Deficits among Adults with Developmental Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahta, Shani; Schiff, Rachel

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate implicit learning processes among adults with developmental dyslexia (DD) using a visual linguistic artificial grammar learning (AGL) task. Specifically, it was designed to explore whether the intact learning reported in previous studies would also occur under conditions including minimal training…

Effective Home Visiting Training: Key Principles and Findings to Guide Training Developers and Evaluators.

PubMed

Schultz, David; Jones, Shelby S; Pinder, Wendy M; Wiprovnick, Alicia E; Groth, Elisabeth C; Shanty, Lisa M; Duggan, Anne

2018-06-23

Purpose Home visiting programs have produced inconsistent outcomes. One challenge for the field is the design and implementation of effective training to support home visiting staff. In part due to a lack of formal training, most home visitors need to develop the majority of their skills on the job. Home visitors typically receive training in their agency's specific model (e.g., HFA, NFP) and, if applicable, curriculum. Increasingly, states and other home visiting systems are developing and/or coordinating more extensive training and support systems beyond model-specific and curricula trainings. To help guide these training efforts and future evaluations of them, this paper reviews research on effective training, particularly principles of training transfer and adult learning. Description Our review summarizes several meta-analyses, reviews, and more recent publications on training transfer and adult learning principles. Assessment Effective training involves not only the introduction and modeling of concepts and skills but also the practice of, evaluation of, and reflection upon these skills. Further, ongoing encouragement of, reward for, and reflection upon use of these skills, particularly by a home visitor's supervisor, are critical for the home visitor's continued use of these skills with families. Conclusion Application of principles of adult learning and training transfer to home visiting training will likely lead to greater transfer of skills from the training environment to work with families. The involvement of both home visitors and their supervisors in training is likely important for this transfer to occur.

The Art and Science of Learning, Teaching, and Delivering Feedback in Psychosomatic Medicine.

PubMed

Lokko, Hermioni N; Gatchel, Jennifer R; Becker, Madeleine A; Stern, Theodore A

2016-01-01

The teaching and learning of psychosomatic medicine has evolved with the better understanding of effective teaching methods and feedback delivery in medicine and psychiatry. We sought to review the variety of teaching methods used in psychosomatic medicine, to present principles of adult learning (and how these theories can be applied to students of psychosomatic medicine), and to discuss the role of effective feedback delivery in the process of teaching and learning psychosomatic medicine. In addition to drawing on the clinical and teaching experiences of the authors of the paper, we reviewed the literature on teaching methods, adult learning theories, and effective feedback delivery methods in medicine to draw parallels for psychosomatic medicine education. We provide a review of teaching methods that have been employed to teach psychosomatic medicine over the past few decades. We outline examples of educational methods using the affective, behavioral, and cognitive domains. We provide examples of learning styles together with the principles of adult learning theory and how they can be applied to psychosomatic medicine learners. We discuss barriers to feedback delivery and offer suggestions as to how to give feedback to trainees on a psychosomatic medicine service. The art of teaching psychosomatic medicine is dynamic and will continue to evolve with advances in the field. Psychosomatic medicine educators must familiarize themselves with learning domains, learning styles, and principles of adult learning in order to be impactful. Effective feedback delivery methods are critical to fostering a robust learning environment for psychosomatic medicine. Copyright © 2016 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Comparison of Learning Outcomes for Adult Students in On-Site and Online Service-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwehm, Jeremy S.; Lasker-Scott, Tennille; Elufiede, Oluwakemi

2017-01-01

As noted by Kolb's (1984) experiential learning theory, adults learn best through experiences. Typically delivered in a traditional, face-to-face classroom setting, service-learning integrates the knowledge learned in the classroom with real-world experience and community service. E-service-learning, service-learning delivered in part or entirely…

10 Years of "Adult Learning": Content Analysis of an Academic Journal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cherrstrom, Catherine A.; Robbins, Stacey E.; Bixby, John

2017-01-01

Academic publications provide insights into a discipline's history, knowledge base, and research norms, and thus analyzing publication activity provides learning about the field of study. To learn more about the field of adult and continuing education, this study used content analysis to examine 10 years of "Adult Learning" from 2006…

Centering Marxist-Feminist Theory in Adult Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carpenter, Sara

2012-01-01

Using feminist extensions of Marxist theory, this article argues that a Marxist-feminist theory of adult learning offers a significant contribution to feminist pedagogical debates concerning the nature of experience and learning. From this theoretical perspective, the individual and the social are understood to exist in a mutually determining…

Learning at Every Age? Life Cycle Dynamics of Adult Education in Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beblavy, Miroslav; Thum, Anna-Elisabeth; Potjagailo, Galina

2014-01-01

Adult learning is seen as a key factor for enhancing employment, innovation and growth. The aim of this paper is to understand the points in the life cycle at which adult learning takes place and whether it leads to reaching a medium or high level of educational attainment. We perform a synthetic panel analysis of adult learning for cohorts aged…

Retaining the Learning Disabled Adult. A Handbook for Adult Basic Education Instructors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkins, Diane, Comp.

This handbook is designed to address teachers' most common concerns about learning disabilities (LDs) and teaching adults with LDs. Section 1 defines LDs by describing traits that adults with LDs share. Section 2 focuses on identification of students with LDs. LD characteristics are divided into eight categories: academics, speech/language, motor…

Developing the Adult Learning Sector: Lot 3: Opening Higher Education to Adults. Contract EAC 2012-0074. English Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dollhausen, Karin; Lattke, Susanne; Scheliga, Felicia; Wolters, Andrä; Spexard, Anna; Geffers, Johannes; Banscherus, Ulf

2013-01-01

Widening adult participation in higher education as part of the development of lifelong learning strategies has been promoted by the European Union since the 1990s. Only recently, the 2011 Council resolution on a renewed European agenda for adult learning underlined the need to encourage higher education institutions to embrace adult learners. The…

Artificial Grammar Learning in Dyslexic and Nondyslexic Adults: Implications for Orthographic Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samara, Anna; Caravolas, Markéta

2017-01-01

Potential implicit orthographic learning deficits were investigated in adults with dyslexia. An artificial grammar learning paradigm served to assess dyslexic and typical readers' ability to exploit information about chunk frequency, letter-position patterns, and specific string similarity, all of which have analogous constructs in real…

Adult Play-Learning: Observing Informal Family Education at a Science Museum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanhadilok, Peeranut; Watts, Mike

2014-01-01

This paper discusses some of the issues surrounding the nature of adult play. More specifically, we explore "family play-learning", where play activities result in forms of added knowledge or insight for the adults involved. Adult play itself is an under-researched area, and play-learning even more so. We discuss related research and, in…

Statistical learning of novel graphotactic constraints in children and adults.

PubMed

Samara, Anna; Caravolas, Markéta

2014-05-01

The current study explored statistical learning processes in the acquisition of orthographic knowledge in school-aged children and skilled adults. Learning of novel graphotactic constraints on the position and context of letter distributions was induced by means of a two-phase learning task adapted from Onishi, Chambers, and Fisher (Cognition, 83 (2002) B13-B23). Following incidental exposure to pattern-embedding stimuli in Phase 1, participants' learning generalization was tested in Phase 2 with legality judgments about novel conforming/nonconforming word-like strings. Test phase performance was above chance, suggesting that both types of constraints were reliably learned even after relatively brief exposure. As hypothesized, signal detection theory d' analyses confirmed that learning permissible letter positions (d'=0.97) was easier than permissible neighboring letter contexts (d'=0.19). Adults were more accurate than children in all but a strict analysis of the contextual constraints condition. Consistent with the statistical learning perspective in literacy, our results suggest that statistical learning mechanisms contribute to children's and adults' acquisition of knowledge about graphotactic constraints similar to those existing in their orthography. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Overcoming Exclusion through Adult Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nash, Ian; Walshe, John

Strategies for overcoming exclusion through adult learning were identified through case studies of 19 initiatives in the following countries: Belgium; Mexico; the Netherlands; Norway; Portugal; and the United Kingdom. The study programs involved a diverse array of formal, nonformal, and informal public sector, community, and enterprise-based…

Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers on the Design of a Learning Environment Based on the Seven Principles of Good Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Furaih, Suad Abdul Aziz

2017-01-01

This study explored the perceptions of 88 pre-service teachers on the design of a learning environment using the Seven Principles of Good Practice and its effect on participants' abilities to create their Cloud Learning Environment (CLE). In designing the learning environment, a conceptual model under the name 7 Principles and Integrated Learning…

Assessing the reading comprehension of adults with learning disabilities.

PubMed

Jones, F W; Long, K; Finlay, W M L

2006-06-01

This study's aim was to begin the process of measuring the reading comprehension of adults with mild and borderline learning disabilities, in order to generate information to help clinicians and other professionals to make written material for adults with learning disabilities more comprehensible. The Test for the Reception of Grammar (TROG), with items presented visually rather than orally, and the Reading Comprehension sub-test of the Wechsler Objective Reading Dimensions (WORD) battery were given to 24 service-users of a metropolitan community learning disability team who had an estimated IQ in the range 50-79. These tests were demonstrated to have satisfactory split-half reliability and convergent validity with this population, supporting both their use in this study and in clinical work. Data are presented concerning the distribution across the sample of reading-ages and the comprehension of written grammatical constructions. These data should be useful to those who are preparing written material for adults with learning disabilities.

From Hamburg to Belem: The Limits of Technocratic Thinking in Adult Learning Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torres, Carlos Alberto

2015-01-01

This article discusses some of the generalized analyses of adult learning education, mostly informed by technocratic thinking, highlighting perceived trends in adult learning education between CONFINTEA V and CONFITEA VI. Those trends could be understood as challenges. Employing a political sociology of adult learning education as a critique of…

Adult Learning and Learners. PREL Briefing Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Timarong, Alvina; Temaungil, Marianne; Sukrad, Wilma

A survey of literature on adult learning and learners conducted for Palau Community College (PCC), Koror, Palau, found a lack of literature specific to the United States-affiliated Pacific region. Background information was compiled on development of formal education in Palau. A survey was administered in fall 2001 to adult learners working toward…

An Examination of the Factors That Influence the Transfer of Learning among K-12 Educators Participating in Professional Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCullum, Charcelor Channing

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate and identify the factors that either support or inhibit learning transfer among educators within K-12 professional learning communities (PLCs) as well as to obtain a better understanding of how adult education principles relate to teacher learning and job satisfaction within this environment. Although…

A Theoretical Basis for Adult Learning Facilitation: Review of Selected Articles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muneja, Mussa S.

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to synthesize a theoretical basis for adult learning facilitation in order to provide a valuable systematic resource in the field of adult education. The paper has reviewed 6 journal articles with topics ranging from theory of andragogy; the effect of globalization on adult learning; the contribution of Malcolm Knowles;…

Name and face learning in older adults: effects of level of processing, self-generation, and intention to learn.

PubMed

Troyer, Angela K; Häfliger, Andrea; Cadieux, Mélanie J; Craik, Fergus I M

2006-03-01

Many older adults are interested in strategies to help them learn new names. We examined the learning conditions that provide maximal benefit to name and face learning. In Experiment 1, consistent with levels-of-processing theory, name recall and recognition by 20 younger and 20 older adults was poorest with physical processing, intermediate with phonemic processing, and best with semantic processing. In Experiment 2, name and face learning in 20 younger and 20 older adults was maximized with semantic processing of names and physical processing of faces. Experiment 3 showed a benefit of self-generation and of intentional learning of name-face pairs in 24 older adults. Findings suggest that memory interventions should emphasize processing names semantically, processing faces physically, self-generating this information, and keeping in mind that memory for the names will be needed in the future.

Social incentives improve deliberative but not procedural learning in older adults.

PubMed

Gorlick, Marissa A; Maddox, W Todd

2015-01-01

Age-related deficits are seen across tasks where learning depends on asocial feedback processing, however plasticity has been observed in some of the same tasks in social contexts suggesting a novel way to attenuate deficits. Socioemotional selectivity theory suggests this plasticity is due to a deliberative motivational shift toward achieving well-being with age (positivity effect) that reverses when executive processes are limited (negativity effect). The present study examined the interaction of feedback valence (positive, negative) and social salience (emotional face feedback - happy; angry, asocial point feedback - gain; loss) on learning in a deliberative task that challenges executive processes and a procedural task that does not. We predict that angry face feedback will improve learning in a deliberative task when executive function is challenged. We tested two competing hypotheses regarding the interactive effects of deliberative emotional biases on automatic feedback processing: (1) If deliberative emotion regulation and automatic feedback are interactive we expect happy face feedback to improve learning and angry face feedback to impair learning in older adults because cognitive control is available. (2) If deliberative emotion regulation and automatic feedback are not interactive we predict that emotional face feedback will not improve procedural learning regardless of valence. Results demonstrate that older adults show persistent deficits relative to younger adults during procedural category learning suggesting that deliberative emotional biases do not interact with automatic feedback processing. Interestingly, a subgroup of older adults identified as potentially using deliberative strategies tended to learn as well as younger adults with angry relative to happy feedback, matching the pattern observed in the deliberative task. Results suggest that deliberative emotional biases can improve deliberative learning, but have no effect on procedural learning.

Exploring "American History X" through Transformational Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharma, Sonia

2013-01-01

Adult educators often struggle with finding creative ways to help students understand adult learning theories and applications of those theories in professional practice. Media analysis of popular culture can uncomplicate this task by engaging learners in understanding concepts, principles or theories (Baumgartner & Merriam, 1999). The purpose of…

E-Learning Teams and Their Adult Learning Efforts in Corporate Settings: A Cross Analysis of Four Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Barbara; Waight, Consuelo

2008-01-01

Four cases relating to the efforts of e-learning teams in valuing adult learners in their e-learning solutions were examined to better understand how e-learning teams value their adult learners within corporate settings. Two questions guided the analysis of the cases, they are: (1) What is the nature of the e-learning solutions in these cases? (2)…

Exploring the Self-concept of Adults with Mild Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pestana, Claudio

2015-01-01

This qualitative study aimed to add to the research on the self-concept of adults with mild learning disabilities and to generate a deeper understanding of their self-perceptions rather than draw generalised quantitative conclusions. Eight adults diagnosed with mild learning disabilities receiving support from a supported living project were…

Online Education and Adult Learning: New Frontiers for Teaching Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidd, Terry T., Ed.

2010-01-01

The expanding field of adult learning encompasses the study and practice of utilizing sound instructional design principals, technology, and learning theory as a means to solve educational challenges and human performance issues relating to adults, often occurring online. This book disseminates current issues and trends emerging in the field of…

Combining Adult Learning Theory with Occupational Therapy Intervention for Bladder and Bowel Management after Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Report.

PubMed

Gallagher, Gina; Bell, Alison

2016-01-01

Bladder and bowel management is an important goal of rehabilitation for clients with spinal cord injury. Dependence is these areas have been linked to a variety of secondary complications, including decreased quality of life, urinary tract infections and pressure ulcers (Hammell, 2010; Hicken et al, 2001). Occupational therapists have been identified as important members of the health care team in spinal cord injury rehabilitation; however, specific roles and interventions have not been clearly described. This case report will describe occupational therapy interventions embedded with principles of adult learning theory to address bladder and bowel management with an adult client who sustained an incomplete thoracic level spinal cord injury.

Learning Cities for All: Directions to a New Adult Education and Learning Movement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Leodis

2015-01-01

This chapter features a conceptual framework that considers the practical characteristics of learning cities, pointing to the field of adult and continuing education to lead a movement for the purposes of education, learning, and engagement for all.

Web-based Learning Environments Guided by Principles of Good Teaching Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chizmar, John F.; Walbert, Mark S.

1999-01-01

Describes the preparation and execution of a statistics course, an undergraduate econometrics course, and a microeconomic theory course that all utilize Internet technology. Reviews seven principles of teaching practice in order to demonstrate how to enhance the quality of student learning using Web technologies. Includes reactions by Steve Hurd…

The effects of timing of exposure to principles and procedural instruction specificity on learning an electrical troubleshooting skill.

PubMed

Eiriksdottir, Elsa; Catrambone, Richard

2015-12-01

Domain principles provided in task instructions are assumed to help performance as learners can later apply this knowledge when faced with new tasks. The goal of the research was to investigate whether the timing of the exposure to principles-studying the principles before or while completing training tasks-and the specificity in the accompanying step-by-step procedural instructions would influence learning to troubleshoot a simulated electrical circuit. The results of a pilot study suggested that timing of principle exposure and specificity might interact. This was investigated by comparing the performance of 4 groups of participants (n = 24) who received either general or detailed procedural instructions and were either exposed to the principles before or during the training. The results showed that studying the principles before training benefited test task performance when the procedural instructions were detailed but not when they were general. The results also showed that using general procedural instructions benefited test task performance while using detailed procedural instructions benefited training task performance. Overall the results reveal how the learning situation as a whole must be considered when determining the efficacy of instructional materials, and how conditions can be created where principles enhance learning. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Learning of grammar-like visual sequences by adults with and without language-learning disabilities.

PubMed

Aguilar, Jessica M; Plante, Elena

2014-08-01

Two studies examined learning of grammar-like visual sequences to determine whether a general deficit in statistical learning characterizes this population. Furthermore, we tested the hypothesis that difficulty in sustaining attention during the learning task might account for differences in statistical learning. In Study 1, adults with normal language (NL) or language-learning disability (LLD) were familiarized with the visual artificial grammar and then tested using items that conformed or deviated from the grammar. In Study 2, a 2nd sample of adults with NL and LLD were presented auditory word pairs with weak semantic associations (e.g., groom + clean) along with the visual learning task. Participants were instructed to attend to visual sequences and to ignore the auditory stimuli. Incidental encoding of these words would indicate reduced attention to the primary task. In Studies 1 and 2, both groups demonstrated learning and generalization of the artificial grammar. In Study 2, neither the NL nor the LLD group appeared to encode the words presented during the learning phase. The results argue against a general deficit in statistical learning for individuals with LLD and demonstrate that both NL and LLD learners can ignore extraneous auditory stimuli during visual learning.

Adult Learning Development in Poland in the 20th Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boiarska-Khomenko, Anna

2017-01-01

The article presents a retrospective analysis of adult learning development in Poland in the 20th century. Based on the study and analysis of historical and pedagogical literature, normative documents of the official bodies of Polish government, the periodical press of the 20th century, several stages of adult learning development, in the…

Specific Quality Criteria for Research Papers on Adults Learning Mathematics?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wedege, Tine

2009-01-01

Since 1997, the identity of the research field of adults learning mathematics has been debated; the research field has grown in quantity and quality; and the research forum Adults Learning Mathematics (ALM) has established an international journal. In practice, the researchers answer the question about identity and quality of research papers in…

Adult Learning and Development. Perspectives from Educational Psychology. The Educational Psychology Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, M. Cecil, Ed.; Pourchot, Thomas, Ed.

Leading educational psychologists address problems in adult development and learning in this book. "What Does Educational Psychology Know about Adult Learning and Development?" (M. Cecil Smith, Thomas Pourchot) is the introduction. "We Learn, Therefore We Develop" (Nira Granott) tackles the problem of distinguishing between…

Learning-Within-Relationship as Context and Process in Adult Education: Impact on Transformative Learning and Social Change Agency.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barlas, Carole

The impact of adult learning-within-relationship on transformative learning and social change agency was explored in a descriptive case study of the learning experiences of 20 adults who identified themselves as significantly transformed by their participation in a doctoral program. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify…

How name descriptiveness impacts proper name learning in young and older adults.

PubMed

Fogler, Kethera A; James, Lori E; Crandall, Elizabeth A

2010-09-01

To elucidate the impact of name descriptiveness and aging on learning new names, 26 young and 26 healthy older participants learned visibly-descriptive (e.g., Lengthy for a giraffe), psychologically-descriptive (e.g., Classy), and non-descriptive (e.g., Sam) proper names for previously-unknown cartoon characters. More visibly-descriptive names were learned than psychologically- or non-descriptive names, which did not differ from each other. There was also a differential benefit for older adults when the name was visibly-descriptive of the referent, such that older adults learned visibly-descriptive names as well as young adults but there were substantial age-related deficits in learning psychologically- and non-descriptive names.

Academic Performance and the Practice of Self-Directed Learning: The Adult Student Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khiat, Henry

2017-01-01

The practice of self-directed learning is important to adult students as it allows them to learn effectively while juggling work, family and other commitments. This study set out to examine the self-directed learning characteristics present in the adult students' study process at the case university. The relationship between the adult students'…

Does the Modality Principle for Multimedia Learning Apply to Science Classrooms?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harskamp, Egbert G.; Mayer, Richard E.; Suhre, Cor

2007-01-01

This study demonstrated that the modality principle applies to multimedia learning of regular science lessons in school settings. In the first field experiment, 27 Dutch secondary school students (age 16-17) received a self-paced, web-based multimedia lesson in biology. Students who received lessons containing illustrations and narration performed…

The effects of emotion on younger and older adults' monitoring of learning.

PubMed

Tauber, Sarah K; Dunlosky, John; Urry, Heather L; Opitz, Philipp C

2017-09-01

Age-related differences in memory monitoring appear when people learn emotional words. Namely, younger adults' judgments of learning (JOLs) are higher for positive than neutral words, whereas older adults' JOLs do not discriminate between positive versus neutral words. In two experiments, we evaluated whether this age-related difference extends to learning positive versus neutral pictures. We also evaluated the contribution of two dimensions of emotion that may impact younger and older adults' JOLs: valence and arousal. Younger and older adults studied pictures that were positive or neutral and either high or low in arousal. Participants made immediate JOLs and completed memory tests. In both experiments, the magnitude of older adults' JOLs was influenced by emotion, and both younger and older adults demonstrated an emotional salience effect on JOLs. As important, the magnitude of participants' JOLs was influenced by valence, and not arousal. Emotional salience effects were also evident on participants' free recall, and older adults recalled as many pictures as did younger adults. Taken together, these data suggest that older adults do not have a monitoring deficit when learning positive (vs. neutral) pictures and that emotional salience effects on younger and older adults' JOLs are produced more by valence than by arousal.

The Adult Learning Open University Determinants (ALOUD) Study: Biological and Psychological Factors Associated with Learning Performance in Adult Distance Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neroni, Joyce; Gijselaers, Hieronymus J. M.; Kirschner, Paul A.; Groot, Renate H. M.

2015-01-01

Learning is crucial for everyone. The association between biological (eg, sleep, nutrition) and psychological factors (eg, test anxiety, goal orientation) and learning performance has been well established for children, adolescents and college students in traditional education. Evidence for these associations for adult distance students is lacking…

Concrescent Conversations: Generating a Cooperative Learning Experience in Principles of Management--A Postmodern Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akan, Obasi Haki

2005-01-01

By taking a postmodern ontology that elevates becoming over the modern ontology of being, the author of this article proposes a theory and describes a method that teachers can use to enhance students' cooperative learning of management principles. The author asserts that the social construction of learning groups is an effect of organizing…

Vicarious Learning and Reduction of Fear in Children via Adult and Child Models.

PubMed

Dunne, Güler; Askew, Chris

2017-06-01

Children can learn to fear stimuli vicariously, by observing adults' or peers' responses to them. Given that much of school-age children's time is typically spent with their peers, it is important to establish whether fear learning from peers is as effective or robust as learning from adults, and also whether peers can be successful positive models for reducing fear. During a vicarious fear learning procedure, children (6 to 10 years; N = 60) were shown images of novel animals together with images of adult or peer faces expressing fear. Later they saw their fear-paired animal again together with positive emotional adult or peer faces. Children's fear beliefs and avoidance for the animals increased following vicarious fear learning and decreased following positive vicarious counterconditioning. There was little evidence of differences in learning from adults and peers, demonstrating that for this age group peer models are effective models for both fear acquisition and reduction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Blended learning: strengths, challenges, and lessons learned in an interprofessional training program.

PubMed

Lotrecchiano, G R; McDonald, P L; Lyons, L; Long, T; Zajicek-Farber, M

2013-11-01

This field report outlines the goals of providing a blended learning model for an interdisciplinary training program for healthcare professionals who care for children with disabilities. The curriculum blended traditional face-to-face or on-site learning with integrated online interactive instruction. Credit earning and audited graduate level online coursework, community engagement experiences, and on-site training with maternal and child health community engagement opportunities were blended into a cohesive program. The training approach emphasized adult learning principles in different environmental contexts integrating multiple components of the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities Program. This paper describes the key principles adopted for this blended approach and the accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learned. The discussion offers examples from training content, material gathered through yearly program evaluation, as well as university course evaluations. The lessons learned consider the process and the implications for the role of blended learning in this type of training program with suggestions for future development and adoption by other programs.

Patient education. Timeless principles of learning: a solid foundation for enhancing chronic disease self-management.

PubMed

Suter, Paula M; Suter, W Newton

2008-02-01

The use of evidence-based principles of learning can contribute to the empowerment of patients as they adopt self-management skills aligned with healthy behaviors. This article, jointly written by a nurse and an educator, describes these timeless principles and how home care clinicians and patients benefit from their use.

Impaired fear extinction learning in adult heterozygous BDNF knock-out mice.

PubMed

Psotta, Laura; Lessmann, Volkmar; Endres, Thomas

2013-07-01

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a crucial regulator of neuroplasticity, which underlies learning and memory processes in different brain areas. To investigate the role of BDNF in the extinction of amygdala-dependent cued fear memories, we analyzed fear extinction learning in heterozygous BDNF knock-out mice, which possess a reduction of endogenous BDNF protein levels to ~50% of wild-type animals. Since BDNF expression has been shown to decline with aging of animals, we tested the performance in extinction learning of these mice at 2 months (young adults) and 7 months (older adults) of age. The present study shows that older adult heterozygous BDNF knock-out mice, which have a chronic 50% lack of BDNF, also possess a deficit in the acquisition of extinction memory, while extinction learning remains unaffected in young adult heterozygous BDNF knock-out mice. This deficit in extinction learning is accompanied by a reduction of BDNF protein in the hippocampus, amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neurogenesis enhancer RO 25-6981 facilitates repeated spatial learning in adult rats.

PubMed

Soloviova, O A; Proshin, A T; Storozheva, Z I; Sherstnev, V V

2012-09-01

The effects of Ro 25-6981 (selective NMDA receptor blocker) in a dose stimulating neurogenesis on repeated learning, reversal learning, and memory reconsolidation were studied in adult rats in Morris water maze. Ro 25-6981 facilitated repeated learning 13 days after injection, but did not influence reversal learning. The blocker injected directly before reminder did not disturb repeated learning and reversal learning in Morris water maze. These effects of Ro 25-6981 on the dynamics of repeated learning seemed to be due to its effects on neurogenesis processes in adult brain.

Multimedia Principle in Teaching Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kari Jabbour, Khayrazad

2012-01-01

Multimedia learning principle occurs when we create mental representations from combining text and relevant graphics into lessons. This article discusses the learning advantages that result from adding multimedia learning principle into instructions; and how to select graphics that support learning. There is a balance that instructional designers…

Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis Modulates Fear Learning through Associative and Nonassociative Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Seo, Dong-oh; Carillo, Mary Ann; Chih-Hsiung Lim, Sean; Tanaka, Kenji F.

2015-01-01

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is believed to support hippocampus-dependent learning and emotional regulation. These putative functions of adult neurogenesis have typically been studied in isolation, and little is known about how they interact to produce adaptive behavior. We used trace fear conditioning as a model system to elucidate mechanisms through which adult hippocampal neurogenesis modulates processing of aversive experience. To achieve a specific ablation of neurogenesis, we generated transgenic mice that express herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase specifically in neural progenitors and immature neurons. Intracerebroventricular injection of the prodrug ganciclovir caused a robust suppression of neurogenesis without suppressing gliogenesis. Neurogenesis ablation via this method or targeted x-irradiation caused an increase in context conditioning in trace but not delay fear conditioning. Data suggest that this phenotype represents opposing effects of neurogenesis ablation on associative and nonassociative components of fear learning. Arrest of neurogenesis sensitizes mice to nonassociative effects of fear conditioning, as evidenced by increased anxiety-like behavior in the open field after (but not in the absence of) fear conditioning. In addition, arrest of neurogenesis impairs associative trace conditioning, but this impairment can be masked by nonassociative fear. The results suggest that adult neurogenesis modulates emotional learning via two distinct but opposing mechanisms: it supports associative trace conditioning while also buffering against the generalized fear and anxiety caused by fear conditioning. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The role of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in fear learning is controversial, with some studies suggesting neurogenesis is needed for aspects of fear learning and others suggesting it is dispensable. We generated transgenic mice in which neural progenitors can be selectively and inducibly ablated. Our data suggest that adult

Civil Society, Adult Learning and Action in India.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tandon, Rajesh

2000-01-01

Five case studies of individual and collective learning projects in India demonstrate that (1) the impetus for civic action arises from local conditions; (2) transformative action requires sustained adult learning; and (3) civil society is a complex concept reflecting diverse priorities and perspectives. (SK)

Action Learning: Images and Pathways. Professional Practices in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dilworth, Robert L.; Willis, Verna J.

This book provides information and strategies on how adult educators can integrate action learning concepts in their teaching practice. The book defines action learning as going beyond the traditional idea of "learn by doing" and applies it to various organizational cultures and educational contexts. Chapter 1 introduces the origins of action…

Building Vibrant Learning Communities: Framework and Actions to Strengthen Community Adult Learning Councils and Community Literacy Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Advanced Education and Technology, 2007

2007-01-01

Because of the important role played by community learning providers, Premier Ed Stelmach asked Canadian Minister of Advanced Education and Technology to increase support for community education and literacy programs. Community Adult Learning Councils and other community providers of adult literacy and family literacy programming are primarily…

Metacognitive Training at Home: Does It Improve Older Adults' Learning?

PubMed Central

Bailey, Heather; Dunlosky, John; Hertzog, Christopher

2010-01-01

Background Previous research has described the success of an intervention aimed at improving older adults' ability to regulate their learning. This metacognitive approach involves teaching older adults to allocate their study time more efficiently by testing themselves and restudying items that are less well learned. Objective Although this type of memory intervention has shown promise, training older adults to test themselves in the laboratory can be very time-intensive. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to transport the self-testing training method from the laboratory to home use. Methods A standard intervention design was used that included a pretraining session, multiple training sessions, and a posttraining session. Participants were randomly assigned to either the training group (n = 29) or the waiting list control group (n = 27). Moreover, we screened participants for whether they used the self-testing strategy during their pretraining test session. Results Compared to the performance of the control group, the training group displayed significant gains, which demonstrates that older adults can benefit from training themselves to use these skills at home. Moreover, the results of the present study indicate that this metacognitive approach can effectively improve older adults' learning, even in those who spontaneously self-test prior to training. Conclusions Training metacognitive skills, such as self-testing and efficient study allocation, can improve the ability to learn new information in healthy older adults. More importantly, older adult clients can be supplied with an at-home training manual, which will ease the burden on practitioners. PMID:20016124

Providing Deep Learning through Active Engagement of Adult Learners in Blended Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonough, Darlene

2014-01-01

Malcolm Knowles (2011) indicates that adult learners are most likely to be actively engaged in learning when they are given some choice and control over the learning process. When the curriculum relates to the adult learner's interests, is individualized, and authentic; the adult learner becomes actively engaged in the process by making a…

Learning Style Patterns among Special Needs Adult Students at King Saud University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alshuaibi, Abdulrahman

2017-01-01

Few studies of learning styles among adults with special needs exist worldwide. Even though there are large numbers of adults with special needs, this population in university education has been largely ignored in educational research. Therefore, this study aimed to gather and analyze learning styles of adult special needs students and to provide…

Active Adult Lives for Persons with Learning Disabilities--The Perspectives of Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witsø, Aud Elisabeth; Kittelsaa, Anna M.

2018-01-01

Background: Living active adult lives is both a value and a right, but the right to do so is associated with restrictions among adults with learning disabilities. This research aimed to capture professionals' understanding and perception of active adult living for people with learning disabilities living in clustered housing in a Norwegian…

Departing from PowerPoint default mode: Applying Mayer's multimedia principles for enhanced learning of parasitology.

PubMed

Nagmoti, Jyoti Mahantesh

2017-01-01

PowerPoint (PPT™) presentation has become an integral part of day-to-day teaching in medicine. Most often, PPT™ is used in its default mode which in fact, is known to cause boredom and ineffective learning. Research has shown improved short-term memory by applying multimedia principles for designing and delivering lectures. However, such evidence in medical education is scarce. Therefore, we attempted to evaluate the effect of multimedia principles on enhanced learning of parasitology. Second-year medical students received a series of lectures, half of the lectures used traditionally designed PPT™ and the rest used slides designed by Mayer's multimedia principles. Students answered pre and post-tests at the end of each lecture (test-I) and an essay test after six months (test-II) which assessed their short and long term knowledge retention respectively. Students' feedback on quality and content of lectures were collected. Statistically significant difference was found between post test scores of traditional and modified lectures (P = 0.019) indicating, improved short-term memory after modified lectures. Similarly, students scored better in test II on the contents learnt through modified lectures indicating, enhanced comprehension and improved long-term memory (P < 0.001). Many students appreciated learning through multimedia designed PPT™ and suggested for their continued use. It is time to depart from default PPT™ and adopt multimedia principles to enhance comprehension and improve short and long term knowledge retention. Further, medical educators may be trained and encouraged to apply multimedia principles for designing and delivering effective lectures.

Adult Development, Learning and Teaching. Newland Papers Number Twelve.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bright, Barry

Numerous models have been developed to analyze the relationship between adult education, adult learning, and adult development. Squires' contingency model postulates that the how of teaching is determined by the nature and characteristics of the participants (the who), the content (the what), and the setting (the where) in which teaching takes…

Adult Learning in the Digital Age: Perspectives on Online Technologies and Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidd, Terry T., Ed.; Keengwe, Jared, Ed.

2010-01-01

As instructors move further into the incorporation of 21st century technologies in adult education, a new paradigm of digitally-enriched mediated learning has emerged. This book provides a comprehensive framework of trends and issues related to adult learning for the facilitation of authentic learning in the age of digital technology. This…

Exploring Play/Playfulness and Learning in the Adult and Higher Education Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanis, David J.

2012-01-01

Play and playfulness and their role in learning are researched extensively in early childhood education. However, as the child matures into an adult, play and playfulness are given less attention in the teaching and learning process. In adult education, there is very little research about play/playfulness and its significance for learning. Despite…

Chronology of Milestones for Libraries and Adult Lifelong Learning and Literacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCook, Kathleen de la Pena; Barber, Peggy

This chronology highlights milestones for libraries and adult lifelong learning and literacy from 1924-2001, including the following events: William S. Learned's "The American Public Library and the Diffusion of Knowledge" is published (1924); establishment of the ALA (American Library Association) Adult Education Section (1946); the…

Category Learning Strategies in Younger and Older Adults: Rule Abstraction and Memorization

PubMed Central

Wahlheim, Christopher N.; McDaniel, Mark A.; Little, Jeri L.

2016-01-01

Despite the fundamental role of category learning in cognition, few studies have examined how this ability differs between younger and older adults. The present experiment examined possible age differences in category learning strategies and their effects on learning. Participants were trained on a category determined by a disjunctive rule applied to relational features. The utilization of rule- and exemplar-based strategies was indexed by self-reports and transfer performance. Based on self-reported strategies, both age groups had comparable frequencies of rule- and exemplar-based learners, but older adults had a higher frequency of intermediate learners (i.e., learners not identifying with a reliance on either rule- or exemplar-based strategies). Training performance was higher for younger than older adults regardless of the strategy utilized, showing that older adults were impaired in their ability to learn the correct rule or to remember exemplar-label associations. Transfer performance converged with strategy reports in showing higher fidelity category representations for younger adults. Younger adults with high working memory capacity were more likely to use an exemplar-based strategy, and older adults with high working memory capacity showed better training performance. Age groups did not differ in their self-reported memory beliefs, and these beliefs did not predict training strategies or performance. Overall, the present results contradict earlier findings that older adults prefer rule- to exemplar-based learning strategies, presumably to compensate for memory deficits. PMID:26950225

Wisdom, the Body, and Adult Learning: Insights from Neuroscience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swartz, Ann L.

2011-01-01

In adult education, there has recently been a recognition of the body's role in adult learning. Attention to neuroscience is somewhat limited, though is emerging. These two perspectives are not integrated. With this article, the author argues that adult education must look to science to achieve a deeper understanding of the evolving…

Where Now for Adult Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keep, Ewart; Rogers, David; Hunt, Sally; Walden, Christopher; Fryer, Bob; Gorard, Stephen; Williams, Ceri; Jones, Wendy; Hartley, Ralph

2010-01-01

With 6 billion British pounds of public spending reductions already on the table, and far deeper cuts inevitable, what are the prospects for adult learning in the new Parliament? Some of the regular contributors of this journal were asked what they expected and what they would like to see. Ewart Keep warns that the coalition parties' commitments…

The Economic Benefits of Adult Learning to Low-Qualified Young Adults: Do Participation and Qualification Decrease the Risk of Unemployment?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knipprath, Heidi; De Rick, Katleen

2014-01-01

Policymakers worldwide consider participation in adult learning beneficial for employability, in particular for specific target groups. However, still little is known about the effect of adult learning pursued by low-qualified young adults on their employment prospects. On the basis of a Flemish longitudinal database, we study the determinants and…

Inclusive Adult Learning Environments. ERIC Digest No. 162.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Imel, Susan

Adult educators are recognizing that factors in the learning environment related to psychological, social, and cultural conditions exert a powerful influence on learners' growth and development. Current discussions on learning environments have broadened to include the need to confront issues of sexism and racism, interlocking systems of power and…

Older Adults, in Lebanon, Committed to Learning: Contextualizing the Challenges and the Benefits of Their Learning Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hachem, Hany; Vuopala, Essi

2016-01-01

The University for the Third Age, a relatively new concept in Lebanon, provides educational and social opportunities for older adults. The goal of later-life educational institutions supposedly covers more than a mere provision of learning. This being said, highlighting the significance of rewards associated with older adult learning--and the…

Reviewing the Evidence on How Adult Students Learn: An Examination of Knowles' Model of Andragogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrath, Valerie

2009-01-01

While there may be similarities between adults and children in how they learn (such as language, interaction and communication), many writers argue that adult learners are different from child learners in a number of ways. This article aims to review how adults learn through examining one particular theory of adult learning. Two conflicting…

Work-Related Learning Guide for Family Literacy and Adult Education Organizations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jobs for the Future, Boston, MA.

This guide assists family literacy and adult education organizations considering ways in which work and learning can be integrated in their educational programs. Part I addresses influences motivating the family literacy and adult education fields to incorporate work-related learning into their efforts. Part II provides a framework for designing…

Motivation Management of Project-Based Learning for Business English Adult Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Xiaoqin

2016-01-01

The paper finds out poor engagement in business English training program prevents adult learners at College of Continuing Education of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies from improving their communication skills. PBL (Project-Based Learning) is proposed to motivate adult learners to get involved with learning a lot. Based on the perspective…

Adult Learners' Preferred Methods of Learning Preventative Heart Disease Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alavi, Nasim

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the preferred method of learning about heart disease by adult learners. This research study also investigated if there was a statistically significant difference between race/ethnicity, age, and gender of adult learners and their preferred method of learning preventative heart disease care. This…

Adult Learning, Transformative Education, and Indigenous Epistemology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEachern, Diane

2016-01-01

This chapter describes an innovative program that weaves together adult learning, transformative education, and indigenous epistemology in order to prepare Alaskan rural indigenous social service providers to better serve their communities.

Unequal Chances to Participate in Adult Learning: International Perspectives. Fundamentals of Educational Planning 83

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desjardins, Richard; Rubenson, Kjell; Milana, Marcella

2006-01-01

The purpose of this booklet is to document cross-national patterns of adult learning, and in particular the unequal chances to participate in adult learning. In so doing, an effort is made to identify important motivating factors for participating in adult learning. The specific objectives of the booklet are to: (1) make available the…

Two Years into the Journey: AACSB Assessment of Learning in a "Principles of Marketing" Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clinton, Steven R.; Marco, Gayle; Chu, Yun

2009-01-01

Using a "Principles of Marketing" course, the authors demonstrate how compliance with AACSB standards and assessment of learning has been undertaken at Robert Morris University over a two-year period. Learning goals and objectives are tied to a specific assessment instrument to provide an illustration of how broad conceptual ideas are…

Using Principles of Learning to Inform Language Therapy Design for Children with Specific Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alt, Mary; Meyers, Christina; Ancharski, Alexandra

2012-01-01

Background: Language treatment for children with specific language impairment (SLI) often takes months to achieve moderate results. Interventions often do not incorporate the principles that are known to affect learning in unimpaired learners. Aims: To outline some key findings about learning in typical populations and to suggest a model of how…

A Sense of Achievement: Outcomes of Adult Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Pablo; Howard, Ursula; Reisenberger, Anna

1997-01-01

This report, which is an outgrowth of the Further Education Development Agency's (FEDA's) Learning Outcomes study, explores ways of identifying, recording, and valuing adult learners' goals and achievements in learning opportunities that are not designed to lead to qualifications. The following topics are discussed in the report's six chapters:…

Input Variability Facilitates Unguided Subcategory Learning in Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eidsvåg, Sunniva Sørhus; Austad, Margit; Plante, Elena; Asbjørnsen, Arve E.

2015-01-01

Purpose: This experiment investigated whether input variability would affect initial learning of noun gender subcategories in an unfamiliar, natural language (Russian), as it is known to assist learning of other grammatical forms. Method: Forty adults (20 men, 20 women) were familiarized with examples of masculine and feminine Russian words. Half…

Principles of Automation for Patient Safety in Intensive Care: Learning From Aviation.

PubMed

Dominiczak, Jason; Khansa, Lara

2018-06-01

The transition away from written documentation and analog methods has opened up the possibility of leveraging data science and analytic techniques to improve health care. In the implementation of data science techniques and methodologies, high-acuity patients in the ICU can particularly benefit. The Principles of Automation for Patient Safety in Intensive Care (PASPIC) framework draws on Billings's principles of human-centered aviation (HCA) automation and helps in identifying the advantages, pitfalls, and unintended consequences of automation in health care. Billings's HCA principles are based on the premise that human operators must remain "in command," so that they are continuously informed and actively involved in all aspects of system operations. In addition, automated systems need to be predictable, simple to train, to learn, and to operate, and must be able to monitor the human operators, and every intelligent system element must know the intent of other intelligent system elements. In applying Billings's HCA principles to the ICU setting, PAPSIC has three key characteristics: (1) integration and better interoperability, (2) multidimensional analysis, and (3) enhanced situation awareness. PAPSIC suggests that health care professionals reduce overreliance on automation and implement "cooperative automation" and that vendors reduce mode errors and embrace interoperability. Much can be learned from the aviation industry in automating the ICU. Because it combines "smart" technology with the necessary controls to withstand unintended consequences, PAPSIC could help ensure more informed decision making in the ICU and better patient care. Copyright © 2018 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radicalizing Learning: Adult Education for a Just World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brookfield, Stephen D.; Holst, John D.

2010-01-01

This book offers new readings of the theory, politics, policy, and practice of radical adult education and learning where people's lives are understood as complex and interrelated matters. Brookfield and Holst's poetics and deeply human prose sound rebellious; the authors confront some of the main radical trends in the field of adult education…

Mechanisms underlying perceptual learning of contrast detection in adults with anisometropic amblyopia

PubMed Central

Huang, Chang-Bing; Lu, Zhong-Lin; Zhou, Yifeng

2010-01-01

What underlies contrast sensitivity improvements in adults with anisometropic amblyopia following perceptual learning in grating contrast detection? In this paper, we adopted the external noise approach (Z.-L. Lu & B. A. Dosher, 1998) to identify the mechanisms underlying perceptual learning in adults with anisometropic amblyopia. By measuring contrast thresholds in a range of external noise conditions at two performance levels (79.3% and 70.7%), we found that a mixture of internal additive noise reduction and external noise exclusion underlay training induced contrast sensitivity improvements in adults with anisometropic amblyopia. In comparison, normal adults exhibited only small amount of external noise exclusion under the same training conditions. The results suggest that neural plasticity may be more robust in amblyopia, lending further support of perceptual learning as a potential treatment for adult amblyopia. PMID:20053087

Using Participatory Action Research to Increase Learning Transfer of Recovery-Based Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barish, Diane J.

2009-01-01

This study questions whether or not participatory action research is an effective and practical method for increasing learning transfer of recovery-based principles. The participants (N = 250) were ethnically and educationally diverse clinicians, in an urban state mental health institute. The Self-Assessment of Recovery-Based Behaviors survey ( n…

Reexamining Theories of Adult Learning and Adult Development through the Lenses of Public Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandlin, Jennifer A.; Wright, Robin Redmon; Clark, Carolyn

2013-01-01

The authors examine the modernist underpinnings of traditional adult learning and development theories and evaluate elements of those theories through more contemporary lenses. Drawing on recent literature focused on "public pedagogy," the authors argue that much learning takes place outside of formal educational institutions. They look beyond…

Category learning strategies in younger and older adults: Rule abstraction and memorization.

PubMed

Wahlheim, Christopher N; McDaniel, Mark A; Little, Jeri L

2016-06-01

Despite the fundamental role of category learning in cognition, few studies have examined how this ability differs between younger and older adults. The present experiment examined possible age differences in category learning strategies and their effects on learning. Participants were trained on a category determined by a disjunctive rule applied to relational features. The utilization of rule- and exemplar-based strategies was indexed by self-reports and transfer performance. Based on self-reported strategies, the frequencies of rule- and exemplar-based learners were not significantly different between age groups, but there was a significantly higher frequency of intermediate learners (i.e., learners not identifying with a reliance on either rule- or exemplar-based strategies) in the older than younger adult group. Training performance was higher for younger than older adults regardless of the strategy utilized, showing that older adults were impaired in their ability to learn the correct rule or to remember exemplar-label associations. Transfer performance converged with strategy reports in showing higher fidelity category representations for younger adults. Younger adults with high working memory capacity were more likely to use an exemplar-based strategy, and older adults with high working memory capacity showed better training performance. Age groups did not differ in their self-reported memory beliefs, and these beliefs did not predict training strategies or performance. Overall, the present results contradict earlier findings that older adults prefer rule- to exemplar-based learning strategies, presumably to compensate for memory deficits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Developing Mentors: Adult participation, practices, and learning in an out-of-school time STEM program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scipio, Deana Aeolani

the conclusion, I offer a set of design principles for mentor learning gleaned from empirical findings from the last two empirical chapters on how mentors can productively support the science learning of youth. The findings from this dissertation offer implications for designers of learning environments seeking to leverage experts for mentoring while engaging youth in contemporary science practices in order to broaden participation for youth and adult participants from non-dominant communities in STEM disciplines.

The Relationship between Learning Styles and Learning Outcomes for Adults in an Informal Educational Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Larry N.

2013-01-01

With more adults seeking unique and meaningful learning experiences in both recreational and professional arenas, informal learning institutions, such as museums, zoos, and botanical gardens are a natural source. Informal learning opportunities are the business of these institutions; moreover, a goal in education mission statements of many of…

Outcomes of Adult Learning: Taking the Debate Forward.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Huw, Ed.; Mace, Jackie, Ed.

The four papers in this collection are intended to stimulate debate in the adult education sector and to set the agenda for further development work. "Learning Outcomes: Towards a Synthesis of Progress" (Peter Lavender) provides a summary of recent efforts to identify, record, and value learning that does not lead to qualifications.…

Business Simulation Exercises in Small Business Management Education: Using Principles and Ideas from Action Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabrielsson, Jonas; Tell, Joakim; Politis, Diamanto

2010-01-01

Recent calls to close the rigour-relevance gap in business school education have suggested incorporating principles and ideas from action learning in small business management education. In this paper we discuss how business simulation exercises can be used as a platform to trigger students' learning by providing them with a platform where they…

Shame and Transformation in the Theory and Practice of Adult Learning and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Jude

2017-01-01

Shame both stymies and motivates learning; it prevents adults from participating in educational programs yet, with accompanied self-examination, it can be the catalyst for transformation. While fundamental for understanding adult learning, shame is (shamefully) inadequately theorized in the field of adult education: We don't talk enough about…

Adult Age Differences in Learning from Positive and Negative Probabilistic Feedback

PubMed Central

Simon, Jessica R.; Howard, James H.; Howard, Darlene V.

2010-01-01

Objective Past research has investigated age differences in frontal-based decision making, but few studies have focused on the behavioral effects of striatal-based changes in healthy aging. Feedback learning has been found to vary with dopamine levels; increases in dopamine facilitate learning from positive feedback, whereas decreases facilitate learning from negative feedback. Given previous evidence of striatal dopamine depletion in healthy aging, we investigated behavioral differences between college-aged and healthy old adults using a feedback learning task that is sensitive to both frontal and striatal processes. Method Seventeen college-aged (M = 18.9 years) and 24 healthy, older adults (M = 70.3 years) completed the Probabilistic selection task, in which participants are trained on probabilistic stimulus-outcome information and then tested to determine whether they learned more from positive or negative feedback. Results As a group, the old adults learned equally well from positive and negative feedback, whereas the college-aged group learned more from positive than negative feedback, F(1, 39) = 4.10, p < .05, reffect = .3. However, these group differences were not due to the older individuals being more balanced learners. Most individuals of both ages were balanced learners, but while all of the remaining young learners had a positive bias, the remaining older learners were split between those with positive and negative learning biases (χ2(2) = 6.12, p<.047). Conclusions These behavioral results are consistent with the dopamine theory of striatal aging, and suggest there might be adult age differences in the kinds of information people use when faced with a current choice. PMID:20604627

Adults' Participation in Informal Learning Activities: Key Findings from the Adult Education Participation Survey in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Horng-Ji; Wu, Ming-Lieh; Li, Ai-Tzu

2011-01-01

This study investigated the informal learning experiences expressed by Taiwanese adults (aged from 16 to 97) and examined their involvement related to selected socio-demographic characteristics. Data of the 2008 Adult Education Participation Survey in Taiwan and Fujian Area were used to look at different variables of adults' demographic…

Emotional Intelligence and Collaborative Learning in Adult Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Luz M.

2011-01-01

The changing social and economic reality of our world continues to shape how learning is conducted and acquired in the adult classroom and beyond. Given the pivotal importance for an adult to develop a variety of cognitive and emotional skills and given the need to work in collaboration with others, within educational environments and the…

Left Brain/Right Brain Learning for Adult Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garvin, Barbara

1986-01-01

Contrasts and compares the theory and practice of adult education as it relates to the issue of right brain/left brain learning. The author stresses the need for a whole-brain approach to teaching and suggests that adult educators, given their philosophical directions, are the perfect potential users of this integrated system. (Editor/CT)

Thematic Review on Adult Learning: Spain. Background Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Florentino Sanz; Prudenciano, Julio Lancho

This report on adult learning in Spain first establishes a series of socioeconomic, historical, and conceptual coordinates. Chapter 1 has three parts dedicated to the context. Part 1 has a conceptual map showing the different terms and categories used in adult education and training (AET). Part 2 shows the present socioeconomic context in which…

The Learning Needs of Older Adults.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purdie, Nola; Boulton-Lewis, Gillian

2003-01-01

Interviews with 17 older adults about learning needs and barriers resulted in a questionnaire completed by 160 elders. Most important needs were associated with transportation, health, and safety. Physical disabilities were the chief barrier. They felt most confident addressing health, safety, leisure, and transportation needs but not…

Online Learning from Input versus Offline Memory Evolution in Adult Word Learning: Effects of Neighborhood Density and Phonologically Related Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storkel, Holly L.; Bontempo, Daniel E.; Pak, Natalie S.

2014-01-01

Purpose: In this study, the authors investigated adult word learning to determine how neighborhood density and practice across phonologically related training sets influence online learning from input during training versus offline memory evolution during no-training gaps. Method: Sixty-one adults were randomly assigned to learn low- or…

Adult Learning and Change: An Autobiographical Portrait of a Chinese Woman in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Chun Ge

2007-01-01

The themes of adult learning, cross-cultural learning, and transformative learning are common to many continuing educators working at universities across Canada. In this essay, I narrate my experiences as a mature, adult learner returning to university. Following a literature review and discussion of methodology, I begin this autobiographical…

Learning and altering behaviours by reinforcement: neurocognitive differences between children and adults.

PubMed

Shephard, E; Jackson, G M; Groom, M J

2014-01-01

This study examined neurocognitive differences between children and adults in the ability to learn and adapt simple stimulus-response associations through feedback. Fourteen typically developing children (mean age=10.2) and 15 healthy adults (mean age=25.5) completed a simple task in which they learned to associate visually presented stimuli with manual responses based on performance feedback (acquisition phase), and then reversed and re-learned those associations following an unexpected change in reinforcement contingencies (reversal phase). Electrophysiological activity was recorded throughout task performance. We found no group differences in learning-related changes in performance (reaction time, accuracy) or in the amplitude of event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with stimulus processing (P3 ERP) or feedback processing (feedback-related negativity; FRN) during the acquisition phase. However, children's performance was significantly more disrupted by the reversal than adults and FRN amplitudes were significantly modulated by the reversal phase in children but not adults. These findings indicate that children have specific difficulties with reinforcement learning when acquired behaviours must be altered. This may be caused by the added demands on immature executive functioning, specifically response monitoring, created by the requirement to reverse the associations, or a developmental difference in the way in which children and adults approach reinforcement learning. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Invite! Excite! Ignite! 13 Principles for Teaching, Learning, and Leading, K-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fogarty, Robin J.

2016-01-01

Teacher-to-teacher collaboration is more than a survival tactic; it is the social interaction that propels professional learning. In her new book, master teacher and educational consultant Robin Fogarty offers "13 guiding principles" for new teachers and school leaders. These seminal ideas, along with the stories that accompany them,…

[Learning how to learn for specialist further education].

PubMed

Breuer, G; Lütcke, B; St Pierre, M; Hüttl, S

2017-02-01

The world of medicine is becoming from year to year more complex. This necessitates efficient learning processes, which incorporate the principles of adult education but with unchanged periods of further education. The subject matter must be processed, organized, visualized, networked and comprehended. The learning process should be voluntary and self-driven with the aim of learning the profession and becoming an expert in a specialist field. Learning is an individual process. Despite this, the constantly cited learning styles are nowadays more controversial. An important factor is a healthy mixture of blended learning methods, which also use new technical possibilities. These include a multitude of e‑learning options and simulations, which partly enable situative learning in a "shielded" environment. An exemplary role model of the teacher and feedback for the person in training also remain core and sustainable aspects in medical further education.

Adult Undergraduate Students: Patterns of Learning Involvement. Final Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kasworm, Carol E.; Blowers, Sally S.

A research study examined the complex roles of adult life in relation to the student role, the nature of adult undergraduate engagement in learning, and adult perceptions of involvement. Adult students were interviewed in three types of institutions: 38 at two liberal arts colleges, 29 at two community colleges, and 23 at two public universities.…

Innovation in learning and development in multilingual and multicultural contexts: Principles learned from a higher educational study programme in Luxembourg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziegler, Gudrun

2011-12-01

Multilingualism in education is a conceptual as well as a pedagogical challenge of the 21st century. Luxembourg, with its three statutory official languages (Luxembourgish, French and German), is an especially complex setting. The gap between traditional principles of language education on the one hand and the challenging impacts of today's multilingualisms on the other led the University of Luxembourg (founded in 2003) to set up a developmentally-driven Master's programme in 2007, entitled "Learning and Development in Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts". After a presentation of the general multilingual settings in Luxembourg, this paper discusses the constellation of the multilingual University's staff and students and provides an analysis of the concept of the course by outlining its innovative approach, its principles and lessons learned with regard to running a trilingual higher education programme.

Learning to Read from a Social Practice View: Ethnography, Schooling and Adult Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Street, Brian

2016-01-01

This paper looks at some issues around "learning to read" from the viewpoint of a social practice concept of literacy for both child and adult literacy. This calls for an ethnographic approach that, although increasingly common in the field of adult literacy, is less common in the policy and practice of schooling; there, a more…

Adult Learning Methods: A Guide for Effective Instruction. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galbraith, Michael W., Ed.

This book contains 21 papers devoted to understanding and facilitating adult learning. After "Foreword to the Second Edition" (Malcolm S. Knowles) and other introductory materials, the papers are: "Becoming an Effective Teacher of Adults" (Michael W. Galbraith); "Understanding Adult Learners" (Huey B. Long); "Identifying Your Philosophical…

Applying Adult Learning Theory through a Character Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baskas, Richard S.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to analyze the behavior of a character, Celie, in a movie, 'The Color Purple," through the lens of two adult learning theorists to determine the relationships the character has with each theory. The development and portrayal of characters in movies can be explained and understood by the analysis of adult learning…

Relationship between the Self-Efficacy and Self-Directed Learning of Adults in Undergraduate Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langshaw, Shelly J.

2017-01-01

In the current adult education environment, self-directed learning (SDL) is becoming a necessary learning characteristic and an academic process of learning to allow adult learners to complete programs and further enhance lifelong learning. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between self-efficacy and SDL in…

A Model for Designing Instructional Narratives for Adult Learners: Connecting the Dots

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Debra M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a research-based model for designing and deploying instructional narratives based on principles derived from narrative theory, development theory, communication theory, learning theory and instructional design theory to enable adult learning and retention and the effective transfer of that retained learning…

How evolution learns to generalise: Using the principles of learning theory to understand the evolution of developmental organisation.

PubMed

Kouvaris, Kostas; Clune, Jeff; Kounios, Loizos; Brede, Markus; Watson, Richard A

2017-04-01

One of the most intriguing questions in evolution is how organisms exhibit suitable phenotypic variation to rapidly adapt in novel selective environments. Such variability is crucial for evolvability, but poorly understood. In particular, how can natural selection favour developmental organisations that facilitate adaptive evolution in previously unseen environments? Such a capacity suggests foresight that is incompatible with the short-sighted concept of natural selection. A potential resolution is provided by the idea that evolution may discover and exploit information not only about the particular phenotypes selected in the past, but their underlying structural regularities: new phenotypes, with the same underlying regularities, but novel particulars, may then be useful in new environments. If true, we still need to understand the conditions in which natural selection will discover such deep regularities rather than exploiting 'quick fixes' (i.e., fixes that provide adaptive phenotypes in the short term, but limit future evolvability). Here we argue that the ability of evolution to discover such regularities is formally analogous to learning principles, familiar in humans and machines, that enable generalisation from past experience. Conversely, natural selection that fails to enhance evolvability is directly analogous to the learning problem of over-fitting and the subsequent failure to generalise. We support the conclusion that evolving systems and learning systems are different instantiations of the same algorithmic principles by showing that existing results from the learning domain can be transferred to the evolution domain. Specifically, we show that conditions that alleviate over-fitting in learning systems successfully predict which biological conditions (e.g., environmental variation, regularity, noise or a pressure for developmental simplicity) enhance evolvability. This equivalence provides access to a well-developed theoretical framework from

Verbal learning changes in older adults across 18 months.

PubMed

Zimprich, Daniel; Rast, Philippe

2009-07-01

The major aim of this study was to investigate individual changes in verbal learning across a period of 18 months. Individual differences in verbal learning have largely been neglected in the last years and, even more so, individual differences in change in verbal learning. The sample for this study comes from the Zurich Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Aging (ZULU; Zimprich et al., 2008a) and comprised 336 older adults in the age range of 65-80 years at first measurement occasion. In order to address change in verbal learning we used a latent change model of structured latent growth curves to account for the non-linearity of the verbal learning data. The individual learning trajectories were captured by a hyperbolic function which yielded three psychologically distinct parameters: initial performance, learning rate, and asymptotic performance. We found that average performance increased with respect to initial performance, but not in learning rate or in asymptotic performance. Further, variances and covariances remained stable across both measurement occasions, indicating that the amount of individual differences in the three parameters remained stable, as did the relationships among them. Moreover, older adults differed reliably in their amount of change in initial performance and asymptotic performance. Eventually, changes in asymptotic performance and learning rate were strongly negatively correlated. It thus appears as if change in verbal learning in old age is a constrained process: an increase in total learning capacity implies that it takes longer to learn. Together, these results point to the significance of individual differences in change of verbal learning in the elderly.

Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice. Review of Adult Learning and Literacy, Volume 7

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comings, John, Ed.; Garner, Barbara, Ed.; Smith, Christine, Ed.

2007-01-01

"Review of Adult Learning and Literacy: Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice, Volume 7" is the newest volume in a series of annual publications of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) that address major issues, the latest research, and the best practices in the field of adult literacy and…

Effective literacy instruction for adults with specific learning disabilities: implications for adult educators.

PubMed

Hock, Michael F

2012-01-01

Adults with learning disabilities (LD) attending adult basic education, GED programs, or community colleges are among the lowest performers on measures of literacy. For example, on multiple measures of reading comprehension, adults with LD had a mean reading score at the third grade level, whereas adults without LD read at the fifth grade level. In addition, large numbers of adults perform at the lowest skill levels on quantitative tasks. Clearly, significant instructional challenges exist for adults who struggle with literacy issues, and those challenges can be greater for adults with LD. In this article, the literature on adults with LD is reviewed, and evidenced-based instructional practices that significantly narrow the literacy achievement gap for this population are identified. Primary attention is given to instructional factors that have been shown to affect literacy outcomes for adults with LD. These factors include the use of explicit instruction, instructional technology, and intensive tutoring in skills and strategies embedded in authentic contexts.

Mentoring Doctoral Students through Scholastic Engagement: Adult Learning Principles in Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullen, Carol A.; Fish, Valorie L.; Hutinger, Janice L.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this discussion is to explore a graduate intervention that was aimed at promoting the understanding, empowerment, and skills building of doctoral students in education. Addressed are mentoring and learning frameworks, background issues, the pedagogical context, study details, thematic results, and implications. The authors offer a…

The Brain and Consciousness: Sources of Information for Understanding Adult Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Lilian H.

2001-01-01

Reviews current knowledge of the brain in the areas of neurobiology, aging, and consciousness as conceived by different cultures. Derives learning principles that take into account the brain's plasticity, ability to respond to learning throughout life, and the involvement of emotional and sensory experience. (Contains 27 references.) (SK)

Effective Educational Videos: Principles and Guidelines for Maximizing Student Learning from Video Content

PubMed Central

Brame, Cynthia J.

2016-01-01

Educational videos have become an important part of higher education, providing an important content-delivery tool in many flipped, blended, and online classes. Effective use of video as an educational tool is enhanced when instructors consider three elements: how to manage cognitive load of the video; how to maximize student engagement with the video; and how to promote active learning from the video. This essay reviews literature relevant to each of these principles and suggests practical ways instructors can use these principles when using video as an educational tool. PMID:27789532

Adult Learning, Education, and the Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clover, Darlene E.; Hill, Robert

2013-01-01

The environment is now a common theme in adult education. However, conversations that swirled around the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June 2012 suggested major environmental challenges persist, demanding that education, learning, advocacy and activism be augmented to ensure the survival of the planet. In adult…

Effectiveness of an adult-learning, self-directed model compared with traditional lecture-based teaching methods in out-of-hospital training.

PubMed

De Lorenzo, Robert A; Abbott, Cynthia A

2004-01-01

Until recently, the U.S. Army Combat Medic School used a traditional teaching model with heavy emphasis on large group lectures. Skills were taught separately with minimal links to didactics. To evaluate whether the adult learning model improves student learning in terms of cognitive performance and perception of proficiency in military medic training. The study population was two sequential groups of randomly selected junior, enlisted, active duty soldiers with no prior formal emergency medical training who were enrolled in an experimental model of a U.S. Army Combat Medic School. The control population was a similar group of students enrolled in the traditional curriculum. Instructors were drawn from the same pool, with experimental group instructors receiving two weeks of training in adult-learning strategies. The study population was enrolled in the experimental program that emphasized the principles of adult learning, including small-group interactive approach, self-directed study, multimedia didactics, and intensive integrated practice of psychomotor skills. Instructors and students were also surveyed at the end of the course as to their confidence in performing four critical skills. The survey instrument used a five-point scale ranging from "strongly disagree" through "undecided" to "strongly agree." Proficiency for this survey was defined as the sum of the top two ratings of "agree" or "strongly agree" to questions regarding the particular skill. Both experimental and control programs lasted ten weeks and covered the same academic content and nonacademic (e.g., physical fitness) requirements, and the two groups of students had similar duty days. Evaluations included performance on internal and National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) written examinations and other measures of academic and nonacademic performance. One hundred fifty students (experimental n = 81, control n = 69) were enrolled in 1999-2000. The scores for internal course

Motor Learning Versus StandardWalking Exercise in Older Adults with Subclinical Gait Dysfunction: A Randomized Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Brach, Jennifer S.; Van Swearingen, Jessie M.; Perera, Subashan; Wert, David M.; Studenski, Stephanie

2013-01-01

Background Current exercise recommendationsfocus on endurance and strength, but rarely incorporate principles of motor learning. Motor learning exerciseis designed to address neurological aspects of movement. Motor learning exercise has not been evaluated in older adults with subclinical gait dysfunction. Objectives Tocompare motor learning versus standard exercise on measures of mobility and perceived function and disability. Design Single-blind randomized trial. Setting University research center. Participants Olderadults (n=40), mean age 77.1±6.0 years), who had normal walking speed (≥1.0 m/s) and impaired motor skill (Figure of 8 walk time > 8 s). Interventions The motor learning program (ML) incorporated goal-oriented stepping and walking to promote timing and coordination within the phases of the gait cycle. The standard program (S) employed endurance training by treadmill walking.Both included strength training and were offered twice weekly for one hour for 12 weeks. Measurements Primary outcomes included mobility performance (gait efficiency, motor skill in walking, gait speed, and walking endurance)and secondary outcomes included perceived function and disability (Late Life Function and Disability Instrument). Results 38 of 40 participants completed the trial (ML, n=18; S, n=20). ML improved more than Sin gait speed (0.13 vs. 0.05 m/s, p=0.008) and motor skill (−2.2 vs. −0.89 s, p<0.0001). Both groups improved in walking endurance (28.3 and 22.9m, but did not differ significantly p=0.14). Changes in gait efficiency and perceived function and disability were not different between the groups (p>0.10). Conclusion In older adults with subclinical gait dysfunction, motor learning exercise improved some parameters of mobility performance more than standard exercise. PMID:24219189

Developing Community-Based Learning Centers for Older Adults. A Technical Assistance Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sprouse, Betsy M.; Brown, Karen

Designed for community groups and organizations, groups of older adults, senior clubs, and agencies, this manual documents the process of developing community education programs for older adults. The first section introduces the concept of a community learning center, while the second section considers whether a learning center should be…

The Three-Part Harmony of Adult Learning, Critical Thinking, and Decision-Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Kyle

2010-01-01

Adult learning, critical thinking, and decision-making are fields that receive attention individually, although they are interspersed with elements of each other's theories and philosophies. In addressing adult learning precepts, it is essential to include critical thinking and decision-making. One without the other creates weakness; all must be…

"An Elusive Bird": Perceptions of Music Learning among Canadian and American Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruse, Nathan B.

2009-01-01

Discovering the perceptions that non-professional adult musicians hold regarding their participation in community ensembles may help improve instruction as well as the ability to more fully understand the implications of lifelong music making. Andragogy, or the teaching and learning strategies associated with adult learning, provided the impetus…

Dichoptic training enables the adult amblyopic brain to learn.

PubMed

Li, Jinrong; Thompson, Benjamin; Deng, Daming; Chan, Lily Y L; Yu, Minbin; Hess, Robert F

2013-04-22

Adults with amblyopia, a common visual cortex disorder caused primarily by binocular disruption during an early critical period, do not respond to conventional therapy involving occlusion of one eye. But it is now clear that the adult human visual cortex has a significant degree of plasticity, suggesting that something must be actively preventing the adult brain from learning to see through the amblyopic eye. One possibility is an inhibitory signal from the contralateral eye that suppresses cortical inputs from the amblyopic eye. Such a gating mechanism could explain the apparent lack of plasticity within the adult amblyopic visual cortex. Here we provide direct evidence that alleviating suppression of the amblyopic eye through dichoptic stimulus presentation induces greater levels of plasticity than forced use of the amblyopic eye alone. This indicates that suppression is a key gating mechanism that prevents the amblyopic brain from learning to see. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Provision of Economics Education for Adults in the U.K. with Special Reference to the London Area. Research Papers in Economics Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freedman, L. T.

The nature of adult economics education provided in the United Kingdom is outlined, and a framework within which it might be investigated is suggested. Androgogical learning principles are critically appraised and are compared and contrasted to pedagogical principles. An adult economics course model is developed, against which actual courses may…

Adult Learning and the New Austerity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adults Learning, 2010

2010-01-01

The spending review brought a promise to protect adult and community learning as well as swingeing cuts to further and higher education and local government. In this article, some of the key players--Lynne Sedgmore, Christopher Brooks, Graham Hoyle, Maggie Galliers, Louise Hazel, Richard Bolsin, Maggi Dawson, Ruth Bond, Stuart Etherington, Brendan…

Child-Adult Differences in Implicit and Explicit Second Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lichtman, Karen Melissa

2012-01-01

Mainstream linguistics has long held that there is a fundamental difference between adult and child language learning (Bley-Vroman, 1990; Johnson & Newport, 1989; DeKeyser, 2000; Paradis, 2004). This difference is often framed as a change from implicit language learning in childhood to explicit language learning in adulthood, which is…

Characteristics of Adults That Facilitate and/or Interfere with Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norris, Robert G.

Teachers of adults, if they are to be really effective, must be sensitive to the particular characteristics and needs of adult learners. Adults have many physiological, psychological, and social characteristics that are the result of normal aging. In determining which characteristics interfere with learning, it is found that all have an impact on…

The cost of selective attention in category learning: Developmental differences between adults and infants

PubMed Central

Best, Catherine A.; Yim, Hyungwook; Sloutsky, Vladimir M.

2013-01-01

Selective attention plays an important role in category learning. However, immaturities of top-down attentional control during infancy coupled with successful category learning suggest that early category learning is achieved without attending selectively. Research presented here examines this possibility by focusing on category learning in infants (6–8 months old) and adults. Participants were trained on a novel visual category. Halfway through the experiment, unbeknownst to participants, the to-be-learned category switched to another category, where previously relevant features became irrelevant and previously irrelevant features became relevant. If participants attend selectively to the relevant features of the first category, they should incur a cost of selective attention immediately after the unknown category switch. Results revealed that adults demonstrated a cost, as evidenced by a decrease in accuracy and response time on test trials as well as a decrease in visual attention to newly relevant features. In contrast, infants did not demonstrate a similar cost of selective attention as adults despite evidence of learning both to-be-learned categories. Findings are discussed as supporting multiple systems of category learning and as suggesting that learning mechanisms engaged by adults may be different from those engaged by infants. PMID:23773914

The Effect of Content Representation Design Principles on Users' Intuitive Beliefs and Use of E-Learning Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Samarraie, Hosam; Selim, Hassan; Zaqout, Fahed

2016-01-01

A model is proposed to assess the effect of different content representation design principles on learners' intuitive beliefs about using e-learning. We hypothesized that the impact of the representation of course contents is mediated by the design principles of alignment, quantity, clarity, simplicity, and affordance, which influence the…

Teaching adults-best practices that leverage the emerging understanding of the neurobiology of learning.

PubMed

Mahan, John D; Stein, David S

2014-07-01

It is important in teaching adults to recognize the essential characteristics of adult learners and how these characteristics define their learning priorities and activities. The seven key premises and practices for teaching adults provide a good guide for those interested in helping adults learn. The emerging science of the neurobiology of learning provides powerful new insights into how learning occurs in the complex integrated neural network that characterizes the adult. Differentiation of the two types of thinking: System 1 (fast, intuitive, and, often, emotional) and System 2 (slower, deliberate, and logical). System 1 thinking helps explain the basis for quick decisions and reliance of humans on heuristics (or rules of thumb) that leads to the type of convenient thinking associated with errors of thinking and judgment. We now know that the learning experience has an objective location-in the temporal and parietal lobes-as persistent dynamic networks of neurons and neuronal connections. Learning is initially stored in transient working memory (relatively limited capacity and time frame) and then moved under the right conditions to more long-lasting/stable memory (with larger capacity) that is stored for future access and development. It is clear that memories are not static and are not destined, once developed, to forever remain as stable constructs; rather, memories are dynamic, always available for modulation and alteration, and heavily invested with context, emotion, and other operant factors. The framework for such neural networks involves new neuronal connections, enhanced neuronal synaptic transmission, and neuron generation. Ten key teaching and learning concepts derived from recent neurobiology studies on learning and memory are presented. As the neurobiology of learning is better defined, the basis for how adults best learn, and even the preferences they display, can be employed as the physiological foundation for our best methods to effectively teach

Autobiography and Selfhood in the Practice of Adult Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michelson, Elana

2011-01-01

This article problematizes the role of autobiographical narratives in adult learning and suggests that the life histories produced by adult learners in our classrooms are, in important senses, fictions. Rather than being the free expressions of experience and selfhood, students' narratives are multiply overdetermined, both by the cultural frames…

Applying Cognitive Psychology Based Instructional Design Principles in Mathematics Teaching and Learning: Introduction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verschaffel, Lieven; Van Dooren, W.; Star, J.

2017-01-01

This special issue comprises contributions that address the breadth of current lines of recent research from cognitive psychology that appear promising for positively impacting students' learning of mathematics. More specifically, we included contributions (a) that refer to cognitive psychology based principles and techniques, such as explanatory…

Adult Learners Understanding in Learning Islam Using the Andragogy Approach in Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kadir, Mohd Amin Bin

2016-01-01

This study describes adult learners understanding in learning Islam using the andragogy approach in Singapore comprising multicultural and multi-religious society. Singapore is a secular state where freedom of religion is encrypted in the constitution and Malay/Muslim comprises 13.3% of the population. Adults learn Islam to deepen their…

Dissemination of an innovative mastery learning curriculum grounded in implementation science principles: a case study.

PubMed

McGaghie, William C; Barsuk, Jeffrey H; Cohen, Elaine R; Kristopaitis, Theresa; Wayne, Diane B

2015-11-01

Dissemination of a medical education innovation, such as mastery learning, from a setting where it has been used successfully to a new and different medical education environment is not easy. This article describes the uneven yet successful dissemination of a simulation-based mastery learning (SBML) curriculum on central venous catheter (CVC) insertion for internal medicine and emergency medicine residents across medical education settings. The dissemination program was grounded in implementation science principles. The article begins by describing implementation science which addresses the mechanisms of medical education and health care delivery. The authors then present a mastery learning case study in two phases: (1) the development, implementation, and evaluation of the SBML CVC curriculum at a tertiary care academic medical center; and (2) the dissemination of the SBML CVC curriculum to an academic community hospital setting. Contextual information about the drivers and barriers that affected the SBML CVC curriculum dissemination is presented. This work demonstrates that dissemination of mastery learning curricula, like all other medical education innovations, will fail without active educational leadership, personal contacts, dedication, hard work, rigorous measurement, and attention to implementation science principles. The article concludes by presenting a set of lessons learned about disseminating an SBML CVC curriculum across different medical education settings.

Systemic Family Therapy Using the Reflecting Team: The Experiences of Adults with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anslow, Katharine

2014-01-01

This research aimed to illuminate the experiences of adults with learning disabilities of the reflecting team, in the context of their systemic family therapy. Five adults with learning disabilities were recruited from one community learning disability team. A qualitative design using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was appropriate…

The response of the anterior striatum during adult human vocal learning

PubMed Central

Leech, Robert; Iverson, Paul; Wise, Richard J. S.

2014-01-01

Research on mammals predicts that the anterior striatum is a central component of human motor learning. However, because vocalizations in most mammals are innate, much of the neurobiology of human vocal learning has been inferred from studies on songbirds. Essential for song learning is a pathway, the homolog of mammalian cortical-basal ganglia “loops,” which includes the avian striatum. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated adult human vocal learning, a skill that persists throughout life, albeit imperfectly given that late-acquired languages are spoken with an accent. Monolingual adult participants were scanned while repeating novel non-native words. After training on the pronunciation of half the words for 1 wk, participants underwent a second scan. During scanning there was no external feedback on performance. Activity declined sharply in left and right anterior striatum, both within and between scanning sessions, and this change was independent of training and performance. This indicates that adult speakers rapidly adapt to the novel articulatory movements, possibly by using motor sequences from their native speech to approximate those required for the novel speech sounds. Improved accuracy correlated only with activity in motor-sensory perisylvian cortex. We propose that future studies on vocal learning, using different behavioral and pharmacological manipulations, will provide insights into adult striatal plasticity and its potential for modification in both educational and clinical contexts. PMID:24805076

Supporting Adults to Address Their Literacy Needs Using E-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fletcher, Jo; Nicholas, Karen; Davis, Niki

2011-01-01

Many adults need help with literacy learning. This is extremely challenging for the tertiary education sector and workplace-situated learning organisations. E-learning may be an effective and efficient way to improve the delivery of teaching of basic skills to learners. Our research study included five embedded case studies within one tertiary…

Lifelong Learning. A Guide to Adult Education in the Church.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grothe, Rebecca, Ed.

This book contains eight papers about lifelong learning in the Christian church. The preface and foreword are written by Rebecca Groth and H. George Anderson, respectively. (1) "The Gospel Calls Us" (Margaret A. Krych) examines five theological themes of lifelong learning. Adult development and learning styles are considered in (2) "What Teachers…

Reviewing and Critiquing Computer Learning and Usage among Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Young Sek

2008-01-01

By searching the keywords of "older adult" and "computer" in ERIC, Academic Search Premier, and PsycINFO, this study reviewed 70 studies published after 1990 that address older adults' computer learning and usage. This study revealed 5 prominent themes among reviewed literature: (a) motivations and barriers of older adults' usage of computers, (b)…

Adult Learning and Qualifications in Britain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Andrew

2017-01-01

The importance of people gaining new, and high-level, qualifications in adulthood has been much emphasised in policy rhetoric. It is widely assumed that adults should engage in learning throughout their working life in order to adapt to changing conditions in the labour market and to ensure that national economies remain competitive in a global…

Enhanced visual statistical learning in adults with autism

PubMed Central

Roser, Matthew E.; Aslin, Richard N.; McKenzie, Rebecca; Zahra, Daniel; Fiser, József

2014-01-01

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often characterized as having social engagement and language deficiencies, but a sparing of visuo-spatial processing and short-term memory, with some evidence of supra-normal levels of performance in these domains. The present study expanded on this evidence by investigating the observational learning of visuospatial concepts from patterns of covariation across multiple exemplars. Child and adult participants with ASD, and age-matched control participants, viewed multi-shape arrays composed from a random combination of pairs of shapes that were each positioned in a fixed spatial arrangement. After this passive exposure phase, a post-test revealed that all participant groups could discriminate pairs of shapes with high covariation from randomly paired shapes with low covariation. Moreover, learning these shape-pairs with high covariation was superior in adults with ASD than in age-matched controls, while performance in children with ASD was no different than controls. These results extend previous observations of visuospatial enhancement in ASD into the domain of learning, and suggest that enhanced visual statistical learning may have arisen from a sustained bias to attend to local details in complex arrays of visual features. PMID:25151115

Results of Innovative and Supportive Learning Programs for Homeless Children and Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinatra, Richard; Eschenauer, Robert

2012-01-01

Four-week summer academy programs served homeless children and adults in two contiguous innovative learning programs. The programs may be the first of their kind in the homeless literature in which both adults and children were exposed to career, academic, and leadership opportunities in the supportive learning environment of a university campus,…

Fathers of Adults Who Have a Learning Disability: Roles, Needs and Concerns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davys, Deborah; Mitchell, Duncan; Martin, Rachel

2017-01-01

Background: There is little research that specifically relates to fathers of adults with a learning disability despite the social expectation that fathers will provide a supportive role over the lifespan. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with seven fathers of adults with a learning disability to explore their roles, needs and…

The "Double-Edged Sword" of the Adult Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Sara; Mitchell, Jane

2013-01-01

The vocational education and training sector plays a critical role in the provision of educational opportunities for young adults who have left school prior to completing a qualification. Some research has found that a major factor that supports student re-engagement in formal education is the "adult learning environment" that…

Nonlinear Hebbian Learning as a Unifying Principle in Receptive Field Formation.

PubMed

Brito, Carlos S N; Gerstner, Wulfram

2016-09-01

The development of sensory receptive fields has been modeled in the past by a variety of models including normative models such as sparse coding or independent component analysis and bottom-up models such as spike-timing dependent plasticity or the Bienenstock-Cooper-Munro model of synaptic plasticity. Here we show that the above variety of approaches can all be unified into a single common principle, namely nonlinear Hebbian learning. When nonlinear Hebbian learning is applied to natural images, receptive field shapes were strongly constrained by the input statistics and preprocessing, but exhibited only modest variation across different choices of nonlinearities in neuron models or synaptic plasticity rules. Neither overcompleteness nor sparse network activity are necessary for the development of localized receptive fields. The analysis of alternative sensory modalities such as auditory models or V2 development lead to the same conclusions. In all examples, receptive fields can be predicted a priori by reformulating an abstract model as nonlinear Hebbian learning. Thus nonlinear Hebbian learning and natural statistics can account for many aspects of receptive field formation across models and sensory modalities.

Nonlinear Hebbian Learning as a Unifying Principle in Receptive Field Formation

PubMed Central

Gerstner, Wulfram

2016-01-01

The development of sensory receptive fields has been modeled in the past by a variety of models including normative models such as sparse coding or independent component analysis and bottom-up models such as spike-timing dependent plasticity or the Bienenstock-Cooper-Munro model of synaptic plasticity. Here we show that the above variety of approaches can all be unified into a single common principle, namely nonlinear Hebbian learning. When nonlinear Hebbian learning is applied to natural images, receptive field shapes were strongly constrained by the input statistics and preprocessing, but exhibited only modest variation across different choices of nonlinearities in neuron models or synaptic plasticity rules. Neither overcompleteness nor sparse network activity are necessary for the development of localized receptive fields. The analysis of alternative sensory modalities such as auditory models or V2 development lead to the same conclusions. In all examples, receptive fields can be predicted a priori by reformulating an abstract model as nonlinear Hebbian learning. Thus nonlinear Hebbian learning and natural statistics can account for many aspects of receptive field formation across models and sensory modalities. PMID:27690349

Gender Differences in Formal, Non-Formal and Informal Adult Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boeren, Ellen

2011-01-01

At first sight, participation rates in adult learning do not differ strongly between men and women. Further exploration, however, makes clear that differences exist at the level of the type of learning. Men participate more in work-related learning and experience more job-related motives to participate. Women take on the main responsibilities in…

Chemotherapy disrupts learning, neurogenesis and theta activity in the adult brain.

PubMed

Nokia, Miriam S; Anderson, Megan L; Shors, Tracey J

2012-12-01

Chemotherapy, especially if prolonged, disrupts attention, working memory and speed of processing in humans. Most cancer drugs that cross the blood-brain barrier also decrease adult neurogenesis. Because new neurons are generated in the hippocampus, this decrease may contribute to the deficits in working memory and related thought processes. The neurophysiological mechanisms that underlie these deficits are generally unknown. A possible mediator is hippocampal oscillatory activity within the theta range (3-12 Hz). Theta activity predicts and promotes efficient learning in healthy animals and humans. Here, we hypothesised that chemotherapy disrupts learning via decreases in hippocampal adult neurogenesis and theta activity. Temozolomide was administered to adult male Sprague-Dawley rats in a cyclic manner for several weeks. Treatment was followed by training with different types of eyeblink classical conditioning, a form of associative learning. Chemotherapy reduced both neurogenesis and endogenous theta activity, as well as disrupted learning and related theta-band responses to the conditioned stimulus. The detrimental effects of temozolomide only occurred after several weeks of treatment, and only on a task that requires the association of events across a temporal gap and not during training with temporally overlapping stimuli. Chemotherapy did not disrupt the memory for previously learned associations, a memory independent of (new neurons in) the hippocampus. In conclusion, prolonged systemic chemotherapy is associated with a decrease in hippocampal adult neurogenesis and theta activity that may explain the selective deficits in processes of learning that describe the 'chemobrain'. © 2012 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Adult Health Learning and Transformation: A Case Study of a Canadian Community-Based Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coady, Maureen

2013-01-01

This article describes a case study of adult learning in a Canadian multisite Community Cardiovascular Hearts in Motion program. The researcher highlights the informal learning of 40 adult participants in this 12-week community-based cardiac rehabilitation/education program in five rural Nova Scotia communities. The effects of this learning and…

List Memory in Young Adults with Language Learning Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheng, Li; Byrd, Courtney T.; McGregor, Karla K.; Zimmerman, Hannah; Bludau, Kadee

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to characterize the verbal memory limitations of young adults with language learning disability (LLD). Method: Sixteen young adults with LLD and 34 age- and education-matched controls with typical language participated in a Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM; Deese, 1959; Roediger & McDermott, 1995) list…

Meeting Older Adults Learning Needs When Using Information Technologies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, Don

As in other countries, older adults in Australia could benefit from acquiring information technology (IT) skills in many ways, including improved access to information on health issues and development of the skills needed for employment in high-demand IT-related occupations. The research on adult learning and the problems faced by many older…

Reinforcement Learning in Young Adults with Developmental Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Joanna C.; Tomblin, J. Bruce

2012-01-01

The aim of the study was to examine reinforcement learning (RL) in young adults with developmental language impairment (DLI) within the context of a neurocomputational model of the basal ganglia-dopamine system (Frank, Seeberger, & O'Reilly, 2004). Two groups of young adults, one with DLI and the other without, were recruited. A probabilistic…

The cost of selective attention in category learning: developmental differences between adults and infants.

PubMed

Best, Catherine A; Yim, Hyungwook; Sloutsky, Vladimir M

2013-10-01

Selective attention plays an important role in category learning. However, immaturities of top-down attentional control during infancy coupled with successful category learning suggest that early category learning is achieved without attending selectively. Research presented here examines this possibility by focusing on category learning in infants (6-8months old) and adults. Participants were trained on a novel visual category. Halfway through the experiment, unbeknownst to participants, the to-be-learned category switched to another category, where previously relevant features became irrelevant and previously irrelevant features became relevant. If participants attend selectively to the relevant features of the first category, they should incur a cost of selective attention immediately after the unknown category switch. Results revealed that adults demonstrated a cost, as evidenced by a decrease in accuracy and response time on test trials as well as a decrease in visual attention to newly relevant features. In contrast, infants did not demonstrate a similar cost of selective attention as adults despite evidence of learning both to-be-learned categories. Findings are discussed as supporting multiple systems of category learning and as suggesting that learning mechanisms engaged by adults may be different from those engaged by infants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Designing for Discovery Learning of Complexity Principles of Congestion by Driving Together in the TrafficJams Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, Sharona T.; Peleg, Ran; Ofeck, Eyal; Tabor, Naamit; Dubovi, Ilana; Bluestein, Shiri; Ben-Zur, Hadar

2018-01-01

We propose and evaluate a framework supporting collaborative discovery learning of complex systems. The framework blends five design principles: (1) individual action: amidst (2) social interactions; challenged with (3) multiple tasks; set in (4) a constrained interactive learning environment that draws attention to (5) highlighted target…

A Comparison of Traditional and Blended Learning in Introductory Principles of Accounting Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Du, Chan

2011-01-01

This paper examines whether a blended course that introduces lower-level education online learned by students before they come into class and after class online assignments and online discussions enhances student performance for an introductory principles of accounting course over the period 2009-2010. The blended course design includes (1)…

Reframing the Principle of Specialisation in Legitimation Code Theory: A Blended Learning Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owusu-Agyeman, Yaw; Larbi-Siaw, Otu

2017-01-01

This study argues that in developing a robust framework for students in a blended learning environment, Structural Alignment (SA) becomes the third principle of specialisation in addition to Epistemic Relation (ER) and Social Relation (SR). We provide an extended code: (ER+/-, SR+/-, SA+/-) that present strong classification and framing to the…

Context or Key? Language in Four Adult Learning Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Clinton

2007-01-01

Context is a key factor in designing and delivering adult learning programmes, and in multilingual environments the choice of language plays a decisive role. Four programmes, two in Asia (Bhutan Myanmar) and two in Africa (Ghana and Uganda), which focus on learning for development, integrate language considerations in different ways, related both…

Adult Learning in a Computer-Based ESL Acquisition Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez, Karen Renee

2013-01-01

This study explores the self-efficacy of students learning English as a Second Language on the computer-based Rosetta Stone program. The research uses a qualitative approach to explore how a readily available computer-based learning program, Rosetta Stone, can help adult immigrant students gain some English competence and so acquire a greater…

Simulation Methodology in Nursing Education and Adult Learning Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutherford-Hemming, Tonya

2012-01-01

Simulation is often used in nursing education as a teaching methodology. Simulation is rooted in adult learning theory. Three learning theories, cognitive, social, and constructivist, explain how learners gain knowledge with simulation experiences. This article takes an in-depth look at each of these three theories as each relates to simulation.…

The application of brain-based learning principles aided by GeoGebra to improve mathematical representation ability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priatna, Nanang

2017-08-01

The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in mathematics instruction will help students in building conceptual understanding. One of the software products used in mathematics instruction is GeoGebra. The program enables simple visualization of complex geometric concepts and helps improve students' understanding of geometric concepts. Instruction applying brain-based learning principles is one oriented at the efforts of naturally empowering the brain potentials which enable students to build their own knowledge. One of the goals of mathematics instruction in school is to develop mathematical communication ability. Mathematical representation is regarded as a part of mathematical communication. It is a description, expression, symbolization, or modeling of mathematical ideas/concepts as an attempt of clarifying meanings or seeking for solutions to the problems encountered by students. The research aims to develop a learning model and teaching materials by applying the principles of brain-based learning aided by GeoGebra to improve junior high school students' mathematical representation ability. It adopted a quasi-experimental method with the non-randomized control group pretest-posttest design and the 2x3 factorial model. Based on analysis of the data, it is found that the increase in the mathematical representation ability of students who were treated with mathematics instruction applying the brain-based learning principles aided by GeoGebra was greater than the increase of the students given conventional instruction, both as a whole and based on the categories of students' initial mathematical ability.

Journal Writing as an Adult Learning Tool. Practice Application Brief No. 22.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerka, Sandra

Journals can be valuable tools for fostering adult learning and experience. Research has supported the following assumptions about learning from journals: (1) articulating connections between new and existing knowledge improves learning; (2) writing about learning is a way of demonstrating what has been learned; (3) journal writing accentuates…

E-learning in neurology education: Principles, opportunities and challenges in combating neurophobia.

PubMed

Chhetri, Suresh Kumar

2017-10-01

Neurophobia, the fear of clinical neurology, affects not only medical students but also non-career neurologists globally. This can have significant implications on patient care, especially given the increasing burden of chronic neurological disorders. The negative perception and lack of confidence amongst general practitioners and hospital physicians may lead to increased referrals to neurology, thereby increasing waiting times and inpatient stay. The onus, therefore, should be on improving training and stimulating interest in neurology. There is emerging evidence that integrating e-learning to traditional pedagogies can improve delivery of neurology education and help combat neurophobia. However, embracing e-learning may be challenging for contemporary neurologists, mostly 'digital immigrants', involved in the training of tomorrow's doctors who are largely 'digital natives'. This paper reviews the principles, opportunities and challenges of incorporating e-learning in neurology education to help improve learners' perception of clinical neurology, facilitate delivery of self-directed experiential learning and perhaps breed 'neurophilia'. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adults Learning Languages: A CILT Guide to Good Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harnisch, Henriette, Ed.; Swanton, Pauline, Ed.

2004-01-01

"Adults Learning Languages" is aimed at those responsible for teaching languages across AE, FE and HE. In the much-changed world of post-19 languages, new funding and inspection regimes with revised needs for quality assurance are challenging practitioners to adapt and review approaches. This book offers teachers of languages to adults tools to…

Utilizing media arts principles for developing effective interactive neurorehabilitation systems.

PubMed

Rikakis, Thanassis

2011-01-01

This paper discusses how interactive neurorehabilitation systems can increase their effectiveness through systematic integration of media arts principles and practice. Media arts expertise can foster the development of complex yet intuitive extrinsic feedback displays that match the inherent complexity and intuitive nature of motor learning. Abstract, arts-based feedback displays can be powerful metaphors that provide re-contextualization, engagement and appropriate reward mechanisms for mature adults. Such virtual feedback displays must be seamlessly integrated with physical components to produce mixed reality training environments that promote active, generalizable learning. The proposed approaches are illustrated through examples from mixed reality rehabilitation systems developed by our team.

Unweaving misconceptions: Guided learning, simulations, and misconceptions in learning principles of natural selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weeks, Brian E.

College students often come to the study of evolutionary biology with many misconceptions of how the processes of natural selection and speciation occur. How to relinquish these misconceptions with learners is a question that many educators face in introductory biology courses. Constructivism as a theoretical framework has become an accepted and promoted model within the epistemology of science instruction. However, constructivism is not without its skeptics who see some problems of its application in lacking necessary guidance for novice learners. This study within a quantitative, quasi-experimental format tested whether guided online instruction in a video format of common misconceptions in evolutionary biology produced higher performance on a survey of knowledge of natural selection versus more constructivist style learning in the form of student exploration of computer simulations of the evolutionary process. Performances on surveys were also explored for a combination of constructivist and guided techniques to determine if a consolidation of approaches produced higher test scores. Out of the 94 participants 95% displayed at least one misconception of natural selection in the pre-test while the study treatments produced no statistically significant improvements in post-test scores except within the video (guided learning treatment). These overall results demonstrated the stubbornness of misconceptions involving natural selection for adult learners and the difficulty of helping them overcome them. It also bolsters the idea that some misconceptions of natural selection and evolution may be hardwired in a neurological sense and that new, more long-term teaching techniques may be warranted. Such long-term strategies may not be best implemented with constructivist techniques alone, and it is likely that some level of guidance may be necessary for novice adult learners. A more substantial, nuanced approach for undergraduates is needed that consolidates successful

Fundamentals of Adult Education: Issues and Practices for Lifelong Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poonwassie, Deo H., Ed.; Poonwassie, Anne, Ed.

This document contains 20 papers on the fundamentals of adult education and foundations, practices, and issues for lifelong learning. The following papers are included: "The Metamorphoses of Andragogy" (James A. Draper); "Stages in the Development of Canadian Adult Education" (Gordon Selman); "Philosophical…

The Promise of Lifelong Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gouthro, Patricia A.

2017-01-01

This paper explores how Peter Jarvis's work offers a comprehensive grounding in many of the key principles and insights offered through the field of adult education. His work directs us to the different factors--psychological, social, economic and political required for understanding lifelong learning contexts. As scholars and educators, he…

The Readiness of Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder for Self-Directed Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Melissa Sue

2011-01-01

This study investigated the readiness for self-directed learning of adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as well as their overall educational experiences. Using Guglielmino's Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale for Adults (SDLRS-A), the researcher investigated whether the following factors were significantly related to…

Learning about Computer-Based Education in Adult Basic Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fahy, Patrick J.

In 1979 the adult basic education department at the Alberta Vocational Centre (AVC), Edmonton, began to use the Control Data PLATO system. Results of the first PLATO project showed students using PLATO learned at least as much as students in regular classes. Students learned faster and reported great satisfaction with PLATO experiences. Staff and…

Problem-based learning in public health workforce training: a discussion of educational principles and evidence.

PubMed

Trevena, Lyndal J

2007-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been implemented within numerous undergraduate health curricula but less so in workforce training. Public health practice requires many of the skills that PBL aims to develop such as teamwork, self-directed learning and the integration of multiple sources of information within problem solving. This paper summarises the historical development of PBL and the educational principles underpinning it. It hypothesises that the public health workforce would benefit from some exposure to this type of learning and highlights some of the practical issues for its implementation.

Foster interaction by the integration of ICT with sociocultural and constructivist learning principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Nhung; Williams, P. John

2018-01-01

Research shows that it is challenging to introduce an interactive way of teaching and learning into Asian classrooms where Confucian philosophy has considerable influence. This study was conducted within the context of an ASEAN undergraduate physics course. A goal of the study was to use information communication technology (ICT) to integrate sociocultural and constructivist learning principles to foster interaction within the learning environment. Ninety-three students, a lecturer and a teaching assistant participated in the study. The study employed a mixed method approach, using a questionnaire and interviews with students, the lecturer and the teaching assistant to collect the data, to triangulate, complement and explain the findings. Data was also collected from different groups of people in order to investigate, compare and synthesize perspectives from each group (i.e. students, lecturer, and teaching assistant). SPSS was used to analyze quantitative data from the questionnaire, and NVivo was used to analyze qualitative data from the interviews. The findings of this study obtained from the different sources showed that the interactions within the learning environment were enhanced using this framework. Interviews with the lecturer and the teaching assistant showed that interaction was fostered, and the integration of ICT with the learning principles provided opportunities for new ways of teaching and learning. The lecturer designed learning tasks that required the participant students to search and study different learning resources, and then design group presentation on the topic of optics to explain these topics to their classmates. The lecturer also provided support and motivation for this process. In this way, the lecturer believed that he had created opportunities for the students to interact with learning resources, work in groups, discuss physics content and working processes. Data analysis of the students' interviews revealed this undergraduate ASEAN

Global Organizations and E-Learning: Leveraging Adult Learning in Different Cultures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nathan, Edward P.

2008-01-01

This article examines a number of issues regarding the leveraged use of global training within multinational organizations. Given a common purpose and using technology that may minimize cultural differences, is it possible for these organizations to overcome some of the cultural barriers to adult learning? In examining this concept, this article…

Discourses on Empowerment in Adult Learning: A View on Renewed Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniele, Luisa

2017-01-01

The paper examines critically the dimension of empowerment in the European discourse, starting from some operational definitions used in official documents. The author analyses the shift in the European documents from 2000 to recent years, from a lifelong learning vision to an adult education approach, basically labour market-oriented, thus…

Ego Is a Hurdle in Second Language Learning: A Contrastive Study between Adults and Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdullah, Shumaila; Akhter, Javed

2015-01-01

The aim of this research paper is to find out by comparing and contrasting between the adults and children in second language learning process how language ego of adult learners affects them to learn second language, and how it becomes a barrier for them in second language learning process. Nowadays learning English as foreign and second language…

[Adult learning, professional autonomy and individual commitment].

PubMed

Pardell-Alentá, H

The concept of 'andragogy' is the basis of the adult education which is different from pedagogy in several aspects, particularly in the autonomy of the adult learner in choosing the educational programmes and the methodologies and sites in where learning occurs. This happens very often in the worksite. The professionals have to learn permanently during their active lives in order to maintain their competence updated. In this sense, continuing education correlates with continuing professional development, which is an attempt to enlarge the traditional domains of continuing education. Continuing education must be clearly differentiated from formal education, which is a requirement for granting professional degrees or titles. Very often it arises from the changing health needs and for this reason is necessary to avoid the institutionalization of continuing education programmes. Professional associations should be actively involved in providing and accrediting continuing education-continuing professional development programmes, because this involvement is an essential component of the professionals' self-regulation in the context of the current medical professionalism ideology.

Transformation for Adults in an Internet-Based Learning Environment--Is It Necessary to Be Self-Directed?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chu, Regina Juchun; Chu, Anita Zichun; Weng, Cathy; Tsai, Chin-Chung; Lin, Chia-chun

2012-01-01

This research explores the relationships between self-directed learning readiness and transformative learning theory (TLT) reflected by the Constructivist Internet-based Learning Environment Scale (CILES). A questionnaire survey about adult learner's perceptions of Internet-based learning was administered to adults enrolled in classes in community…

An adult learner's learning style should inform but not limit educational choices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barry, Margot; Egan, Arlene

2017-12-01

Adult learners are attracted to learning opportunities (e.g. course offers) which seem promising in terms of allowing them to match their choices to their own perceived predispositions. To find out more about their personal learning style, some adult learners may fill in a questionnaire designed by researchers who aim (and claim) to enable both course providers and learners to optimise learning outcomes. The evaluation of these questionnaires measures learning styles using indicators developed for this purpose, but the results are not conclusive and their utility is therefore questionable. This narrative review critically examines some of the research which explores the usefulness of considering students' learning styles in adult education. The authors present a discussion - which remains hypothetical - on why the use of learning styles measures continues to be popular despite the absence of rigorous research findings to support this practice. Factors discussed by the authors include confirmation bias (making choices which confirm our prejudices) and user qualification (limiting availability to trained users, e.g. psychologists) as well as limited resources and skills in evaluating research, paired with educators' quest to implement evidence-focused techniques. The authors conclude that while learning styles assessments can be useful for the purpose of reflection on strengths and weaknesses, they should play a limited role in educational choices.

An adult learner's learning style should inform but not limit educational choices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barry, Margot; Egan, Arlene

2018-02-01

Adult learners are attracted to learning opportunities (e.g. course offers) which seem promising in terms of allowing them to match their choices to their own perceived predispositions. To find out more about their personal learning style, some adult learners may fill in a questionnaire designed by researchers who aim (and claim) to enable both course providers and learners to optimise learning outcomes. The evaluation of these questionnaires measures learning styles using indicators developed for this purpose, but the results are not conclusive and their utility is therefore questionable. This narrative review critically examines some of the research which explores the usefulness of considering students' learning styles in adult education. The authors present a discussion - which remains hypothetical - on why the use of learning styles measures continues to be popular despite the absence of rigorous research findings to support this practice. Factors discussed by the authors include confirmation bias (making choices which confirm our prejudices) and user qualification (limiting availability to trained users, e.g. psychologists) as well as limited resources and skills in evaluating research, paired with educators' quest to implement evidence-focused techniques. The authors conclude that while learning styles assessments can be useful for the purpose of reflection on strengths and weaknesses, they should play a limited role in educational choices.

Lifelong Learning, Lifelong Education and Adult Education in Higher Institutions of Learning in Eastern Africa: The Case of Makerere University Institute of Adult and Continuing Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Openjuru, George L.

2011-01-01

This paper advocates for policy recognition of lifelong learning by institutions of higher learning and governments in Eastern Africa. Lifelong learning and lifelong education are two concepts that aim at widening access to and the participation of adult learners in the acquisition of new knowledge, skills, values and attitudes. There are many…

Experimenting with Theory of Change for Interculturality and Mutual Learning in Adult Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raymer, Annalisa L.

2016-01-01

With a goal of creating conditions wherein college students of adult learning paired with international adult learners form mutual partnerships for educational mentoring, where to begin? How to take into account the contextual factors and priorities of multiple stakeholders in creating academic courses and learning-focused partnerships while…

Operant learning (R-S) principles applied to nail-biting.

PubMed

McClanahan, T M

1995-10-01

The principles of R-S learning were applied to a 32-yr.-old Caucasian woman to reduce the frequency and duration of fingernail-biting activity in a reversal-replication (ABAB) research design. The undesirable behavior, fingernail-biting which included frequency and duration, antecedents, and setting events, was recorded during a 28-day study. Self-monitoring recordings indicated that anxiety was the most prevalent antecedent. Through the use of a preliminary questionnaire and interview, increase in self-awareness was judged to be most effective in the extinction of the undesired behavior. The systematic desensitization techniques of deep muscle relaxation and Transcendental Meditation were used during the treatment phase.

Museums and Adults Learning: Perspectives from Europe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chadwick, Alan, Ed.; Stannett, Annette, Ed.

This book contains 28 papers presenting perspectives from Europe on museums and adult learning. The papers, each of which is devoted to a specific country, examine topics such as the following: further education and inservice training; programs for unemployed individuals; lectures and open days; elderly visitors; immigrants; refugees; disabled…

Student Problems. Adult Literacy Independent Learning Packet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koefer, Ann M.

This independent learning packet, which is designed for administrators, teachers, counselors, and tutors in Pennsylvania's Region 7 Tri-Valley Literacy Staff Development area as well as for their adult students, examines the following seven problems encountered by students: the job market, child care, single parenting/parenting skills, divorce,…

Leapfrogging Over the Status Quo: E-Learning and the Challenge of Adult Literacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCain, Mary

E-learning's potential for responding to the challenges of adult literacy was explored through a review of research and input from program managers, developers, and funders. The study identified adult literacy e-learning products, programs, and resources that are available or in development. Challenges to greater use of technology in adult…

Principled Narrative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacBeath, John; Swaffield, Sue; Frost, David

2009-01-01

This article provides an overview of the "Carpe Vitam: Leadership for Learning" project, accounting for its provenance and purposes, before focusing on the principles for practice that constitute an important part of the project's legacy. These principles framed the dialogic process that was a dominant feature of the project and are presented,…

Annual Review of Adult Learning and Literacy. Volume 1. The Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comings, John, Ed.; Garner, Barbara, Ed.; Smith, Cristine, Ed.

This book contains eight papers on adult learning and literacy. "The Year 1998 in Review" (Fran Tracy-Mumford) examines educational legislation and policy and developments in adult education program development, program accountability, strategic alliances and partnerships, and instructional methodologies and technologies. "Lessons…

Probabilistic Reinforcement Learning in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

PubMed Central

Solomon, Marjorie; Smith, Anne C.; Frank, Michael J.; Ly, Stanford; Carter, Cameron S.

2017-01-01

Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) can be conceptualized as disorders of learning, however there have been few experimental studies taking this perspective. Methods We examined the probabilistic reinforcement learning performance of 28 adults with ASDs and 30 typically developing adults on a task requiring learning relationships between three stimulus pairs consisting of Japanese characters with feedback that was valid with different probabilities (80%, 70%, and 60%). Both univariate and Bayesian state–space data analytic methods were employed. Hypotheses were based on the extant literature as well as on neurobiological and computational models of reinforcement learning. Results Both groups learned the task after training. However, there were group differences in early learning in the first task block where individuals with ASDs acquired the most frequently accurately reinforced stimulus pair (80%) comparably to typically developing individuals; exhibited poorer acquisition of the less frequently reinforced 70% pair as assessed by state–space learning curves; and outperformed typically developing individuals on the near chance (60%) pair. Individuals with ASDs also demonstrated deficits in using positive feedback to exploit rewarded choices. Conclusions Results support the contention that individuals with ASDs are slower learners. Based on neurobiology and on the results of computational modeling, one interpretation of this pattern of findings is that impairments are related to deficits in flexible updating of reinforcement history as mediated by the orbito-frontal cortex, with spared functioning of the basal ganglia. This hypothesis about the pathophysiology of learning in ASDs can be tested using functional magnetic resonance imaging. PMID:21425243

Knowledge of Results after Good Trials Enhances Learning in Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiviacowsky, Suzete; Wulf, Gabriele; Wally, Raquel; Borges, Thiago

2009-01-01

In recent years, some researchers have examined motor learning in older adults. Some of these studies have specifically looked at the effectiveness of different manipulations of extrinsic feedback, or knowledge of results (KR). Given that many motor tasks may already be more challenging for older adults compared to younger adults, making KR more…

Characteristics and Consequences of Adult Learning Methods and Strategies. Practical Evaluation Reports, Volume 2, Number 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trivette, Carol M.; Dunst, Carl J.; Hamby, Deborah W.; O'Herin, Chainey E.

2009-01-01

The effectiveness of four adult learning methods (accelerated learning, coaching, guided design, and just-in-time training) constituted the focus of this research synthesis. Findings reported in "How People Learn" (Bransford et al., 2000) were used to operationally define six adult learning method characteristics, and to code and analyze…

Evaluating the Impacts of Professional Development: A Mixed Method Study of Adult Education Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dilworth, Jessica S.

2010-01-01

Adult education programs providing classes to students preparing for high school equivalency and learning English that demonstrate characteristics of learning organizations may be better able to thrive when confronted with less-than-ideal circumstances. Many of these programs organize adult educators into learning communities as the context for…

The Learning of the Elderly and the Profile of the Adult Educator

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Requejo Osorio, Agustin

2008-01-01

This paper deals with specific characteristics of elders,1 bearing in mind both their cognitive and their non-cognitive aspects. Regarding their way of learning, the paper refers to basic principles for this group of people: active learning, situational analysis, their experience, awareness that they have--and need--specific time and rhythm for…

Application of Problem Based Learning ((PBL) in a Course on Financial Accounting Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manaf, Nor Aziah Abdul; Ishak, Zuaini; Hussin, Wan Nordin Wan

2011-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to share experiences in teaching a Financial Accounting Principles course using a hybrid problem based learning (PBL) method. The three specific objectives of this paper are to document how the PBL project for this course was developed and managed in class, to compare the academic performance of PBL students with non-PBL…

Non-consensual sterilization of the adult with learning disabilities.

PubMed

Knifton, C

Community nurses may be asked for advice on sterilization operations for adults with learning disabilities by worried parents/carers. This article sets out the legal position advocated by the English courts. Sterilization for adults with learning disabilities is generally non-consensual. The courts cannot consent on behalf of the adult but can rule on the lawfulness of the operation. Cases need not be brought before the court when the operation is to be carried out to treat a specific menstrual malady and where sterilization is an incidental result. However, the Law Commission (1995) has set guidelines which recommend that such operations require a certificate from an independent medical practitioner. In operations where the sole purpose is contraception the courts will always need to be involved. Their decision on the lawfulness of the operation will be based on what is in the person's best interests which in turn will be determined by reference to standards set by a responsible body of medical practitioners.

Neuronal mechanisms of motor learning and motor memory consolidation in healthy old adults.

PubMed

Berghuis, K M M; Veldman, M P; Solnik, S; Koch, G; Zijdewind, I; Hortobágyi, T

2015-06-01

It is controversial whether or not old adults are capable of learning new motor skills and consolidate the performance gains into motor memory in the offline period. The underlying neuronal mechanisms are equally unclear. We determined the magnitude of motor learning and motor memory consolidation in healthy old adults and examined if specific metrics of neuronal excitability measured by magnetic brain stimulation mediate the practice and retention effects. Eleven healthy old adults practiced a wrist extension-flexion visuomotor skill for 20 min (MP, 71.3 years), while a second group only watched the templates without movements (attentional control, AC, n = 11, 70.5 years). There was 40 % motor learning in MP but none in AC (interaction, p < 0.001) with the skill retained 24 h later in MP and a 16 % improvement in AC. Corticospinal excitability at rest and during task did not change, but when measured during contraction at 20 % of maximal force, it strongly increased in MP and decreased in AC (interaction, p = 0.002). Intracortical inhibition at rest and during the task decreased and facilitation at rest increased in MP, but these metrics changed in the opposite direction in AC. These neuronal changes were especially profound at retention. Healthy old adults can learn a new motor skill and consolidate the learned skill into motor memory, processes that are most likely mediated by disinhibitory mechanisms. These results are relevant for the increasing number of old adults who need to learn and relearn movements during motor rehabilitation.

The Characteristics of Resiliency Development and Adult Learning: Examining Teacher Perspective through Narrative Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Painter, Rachel L.

2013-01-01

Originating from the literature on resiliency, adult learning, and professional development, this qualitative study investigated how the relationship between resiliency and adult learning influenced professional development in one suburban-rural school district in Litchfield County, Connecticut. Data represent findings on the perceptions of…

Adult Learning in Nonformal Settings: Cultural Festivals as Spaces for Socially Situated Cognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ambrosino, Audrey M.

2009-01-01

Recent years have witnessed a renewed interest in the role of museums and cultural festivals in adult learning. Once considered the keepers of physical and cultural history, there was only limited concern for if and how adults learned from these settings. The conventional view held that museums provided knowledge, and it was an individual's…

Learning viewpoint invariant object representations using a temporal coherence principle.

PubMed

Einhäuser, Wolfgang; Hipp, Jörg; Eggert, Julian; Körner, Edgar; König, Peter

2005-07-01

Invariant object recognition is arguably one of the major challenges for contemporary machine vision systems. In contrast, the mammalian visual system performs this task virtually effortlessly. How can we exploit our knowledge on the biological system to improve artificial systems? Our understanding of the mammalian early visual system has been augmented by the discovery that general coding principles could explain many aspects of neuronal response properties. How can such schemes be transferred to system level performance? In the present study we train cells on a particular variant of the general principle of temporal coherence, the "stability" objective. These cells are trained on unlabeled real-world images without a teaching signal. We show that after training, the cells form a representation that is largely independent of the viewpoint from which the stimulus is looked at. This finding includes generalization to previously unseen viewpoints. The achieved representation is better suited for view-point invariant object classification than the cells' input patterns. This property to facilitate view-point invariant classification is maintained even if training and classification take place in the presence of an--also unlabeled--distractor object. In summary, here we show that unsupervised learning using a general coding principle facilitates the classification of real-world objects, that are not segmented from the background and undergo complex, non-isomorphic, transformations.

Learning for the Future: Neighborhood Renewal through Adult and Community Learning. A Guide for Local Authorities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merton, Bryan; Turner, Cheryl; Ward, Jane; White, Lenford

This guide is intended to assist managers within England's local authority adult and community education services in supporting neighborhood renewal through adult and community learning (ACL). The guide's overall aim is to promote the skills, knowledge, and understanding that underpin the following items: (1) identification and development of…

The base rate principle and the fairness principle in social judgment

PubMed Central

Cao, Jack; Banaji, Mahzarin R.

2016-01-01

Meet Jonathan and Elizabeth. One person is a doctor and the other is a nurse. Who is the doctor? When nothing else is known, the base rate principle favors Jonathan to be the doctor and the fairness principle favors both individuals equally. However, when individuating facts reveal who is actually the doctor, base rates and fairness become irrelevant, as the facts make the correct answer clear. In three experiments, explicit and implicit beliefs were measured before and after individuating facts were learned. These facts were either stereotypic (e.g., Jonathan is the doctor, Elizabeth is the nurse) or counterstereotypic (e.g., Elizabeth is the doctor, Jonathan is the nurse). Results showed that before individuating facts were learned, explicit beliefs followed the fairness principle, whereas implicit beliefs followed the base rate principle. After individuating facts were learned, explicit beliefs correctly aligned with stereotypic and counterstereotypic facts. Implicit beliefs, however, were immune to counterstereotypic facts and continued to follow the base rate principle. Having established the robustness and generality of these results, a fourth experiment verified that gender stereotypes played a causal role: when both individuals were male, explicit and implicit beliefs alike correctly converged with individuating facts. Taken together, these experiments demonstrate that explicit beliefs uphold fairness and incorporate obvious and relevant facts, but implicit beliefs uphold base rates and appear relatively impervious to counterstereotypic facts. PMID:27325760

The base rate principle and the fairness principle in social judgment.

PubMed

Cao, Jack; Banaji, Mahzarin R

2016-07-05

Meet Jonathan and Elizabeth. One person is a doctor and the other is a nurse. Who is the doctor? When nothing else is known, the base rate principle favors Jonathan to be the doctor and the fairness principle favors both individuals equally. However, when individuating facts reveal who is actually the doctor, base rates and fairness become irrelevant, as the facts make the correct answer clear. In three experiments, explicit and implicit beliefs were measured before and after individuating facts were learned. These facts were either stereotypic (e.g., Jonathan is the doctor, Elizabeth is the nurse) or counterstereotypic (e.g., Elizabeth is the doctor, Jonathan is the nurse). Results showed that before individuating facts were learned, explicit beliefs followed the fairness principle, whereas implicit beliefs followed the base rate principle. After individuating facts were learned, explicit beliefs correctly aligned with stereotypic and counterstereotypic facts. Implicit beliefs, however, were immune to counterstereotypic facts and continued to follow the base rate principle. Having established the robustness and generality of these results, a fourth experiment verified that gender stereotypes played a causal role: when both individuals were male, explicit and implicit beliefs alike correctly converged with individuating facts. Taken together, these experiments demonstrate that explicit beliefs uphold fairness and incorporate obvious and relevant facts, but implicit beliefs uphold base rates and appear relatively impervious to counterstereotypic facts.

The Social Outcomes of Older Adult Learning in Taiwan: Evaluation Framework and Indicators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Li-Hui

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore the social outcomes of older adult learning in Taiwan. In light of our society's aging population structure, the task of establishing evaluation framework and indicators for the social outcomes of learning (SOL) as applied to older adults is urgent. In order to construct evaluation indicators for older adult…

Determining a Difference in Self-Directed Learning Readiness Using the Survey of Adult Learning Traits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ezell, Diana

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to measure the self-directed learning of educators and explore the differences between and among the variables of age, level of education, position, school district ratings, levels of poverty and affluence, and gender. The Survey of Adult Learning Traits (SALT) authored by Hogg was used as the instrument to measure…

Adult Learners' Understanding in Learning Islam Using Andragogy Approach: A Study in Kampung Siglap Mosque and Al-Zuhri Higher Learning Institute

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bin Kadir, Mohd Amin; Arifin, Syamsul; Latipun; Fuad, Ahmad Nur

2016-01-01

This study describes adult learners' understanding in learning Islam using andragogy approach in which the study was conducted in Kampung Siglap Mosque and Al-Zuhri Higher Learning Institute. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) educate his companions of who are adults from the shackles of "jahiliyyah," spiritual and intellectual…

The Multicultural Café: Enhancing Authentic Interaction for Adult English Language Learners through Service Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riley, Tracy; Douglas, Scott Roy

2016-01-01

While service learning platforms hold great potential for adult learners of English as an additional language (EAL), there has been little research to date related to the impact of these programs on adult newcomers' linguistic and social development. The Multicultural Café was a food service learning platform for adult EAL learners operated over a…

Applying Virtual Rehearsal Principle in Developing a Persuasive Multimedia Learning Environment (PMLE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaafar, Wan Ahmad; Nur, Sobihatun

This paper is outlining the potential use of virtual environment in persuading through computer simulation. The main focus of the paper is to apply an attempt of how virtual rehearsal principle can be designed into educational material using CD ROM based multimedia application to persuade as well as to reduce children dental anxiety particularly in Malaysian children context. This paper divided in three stages. Firstly, we provide a conceptual background of virtual rehearsal principle and how the principle has been applied in designing the information interfaces and presentation of a persuasive multimedia learning environment (PMLE). Secondly, the research design was administered to measure the effects of the PMLE in reducing children dental anxiety. Primary school children age between seven and nine years old are selected as respondents. Thirdly, the result of the study has revealed the feedback from children regarding baseline test and children dental anxiety test. The results on presenting this PMLE to primary school children show how it was able to reduce children dental anxiety and could let the children have a "mentally-prepared" condition for dental visit in the future.

The Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery and the WAIS-R in Assessment of Adults with Specific Learning Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Lynda; Goldstein, Gerald

1993-01-01

Compared intellectual (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale for Adults-Revised) and neuropsychological (Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery) assessment as valid methods of identifying learning disabilities in adults. Findings from 155 subjects revealed that both instruments were able to distinguish adults with and without learning disabilities.…

Contemporary Perspectives in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning -- Andragogical Model of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blaszczak, Iwona

2013-01-01

Nowadays, adult education and lifelong learning constitutes one of the most significant factors influencing economic growth and social development. Definitions such as "knowledge society" and "knowledge-based economy" exist in a great number of the Polish and European Union papers and documents and they are not only the…

The Efficiency Challenge: Creating a Transformative Learning Experience in a Principles of Management Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durant, Rita A.; Carlon, Donna M.; Downs, Alexis

2017-01-01

This article describes the results of the "Efficiency Challenge," a 10-week, Principles of Management course activity that uses reflection and goal setting to help students understand the concept of operational efficiency. With transformative learning theory as a lens, we base our report on 4 years' worth of student reflections regarding…

Identifying the Needs of Adult Women in Distance Learning Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furst-Bowe, Julie

A study examined reasons that adult female students are motivated to enroll in distance learning programs, described their perceptions of the courses, and identified barriers these women face as they attempt to progress through their degree programs. Results of focus groups with 40 returning adult women were analyzed. Their needs were grouped into…

Numeracy Activities within VOX: The Norwegian Institute for Adult Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center