As I read ch. 16 of Merriam's Learning in Adulthood, I found this chapter very interesting because if focused on the differences between adult and child learning pertaining to life experiences and from a psychological point of view.
Merriam explains quite simply that child and adult learning differ because many adults learn from experiences in their lives. These experiences at times aid in learning or hinder learning. Where as with children, in most cases when a child learns something new for the first time, they accept this information as true and store it. The processing of learning for adults is different in that, adults learn based on past experience, they learn based on the social roles they carry out and most importantly, adults engage in learning as a means to make sense of life experiences (formulate answers).
Furthermore, at times adults need to be "de-programmed" because their perception on learning may feel like a negative experience and these values on learning need to be modified.
After reading this chapter and section, the main summary was that adults learn by the events that take place in their lives, the nature of these experiences (positive or negative), the developmental ability of the adult and aging factors. Based on this information, I am curious about the options of others on Adult Learning. Do you feel that Adult Learning is really "learning" or just the act of adults conceptualizing past experiences and making sense of preconceived assumptions?
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I would say that learning is always happening. It is additive, so while we are constantly considering past experiences and (hopefully) examining preconceived assumptions, we are also taking new input from our environment and adding it to our "database" as it were and then using it! Is something truly learned if we know it, or is true learning complete only upon action upon that knowledge?
ReplyDeleteI also think it is easier for children to learn by rote, whereas adults learn more by attaching meaning to what they're learning. That's why it's easier to learn a foreign language if you're a child. And there are some kinesthetic skills (like playing most musical intruments, ballet, or sports like figure skating) that you can only become proficient in if you've done them since early childhood. On the other hand, in my opinion, it's only adults who can really appreciate the lessons from history or the nuances of a great novel or a play by Shakespeare. I think those kinds of things are wasted on High School students, for example.
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