Important Technology Integration Instructor Take-Ons in Adult Learning

 The world of Adult Learning is a rapidly growing field, with more and more adults having access to high quality education from the comfort of their own homes.  Many adult learners are returning to higher education virtually, sometimes decades after their last collegiate experience.  While this is a fantastic opportunity for both learners and instructors alike, there are new challenges they may face due to new technologies.  Last week we discussed challenges that learners may face, and this week we will dive into challenges that instructors can face.

The first ITO (instructor take-on) I will discuss is realizing and recognizing your students' technology mediated learning characteristics.  Adult learners come from a wide range of technological backgrounds, and some will be more familiar with learning technology than others.  As an instructor, you need to be cognizant of this and ensure that your program is either built for all learners, or you have a strong support system in place to help those learners in their journey.  According to Technology and Adult Students in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature, "faculty must change their perceptions about the presence and utilization of instructional technologies in meeting student needs, especially those of adults.  Instructors must consider how technology can influence the development and application of andragogy in the classroom to assist adult learners." (Lambert et al., 2014).  When an instructor takes all generational differences into account while planning their course, their learners will have a better experience because of it. 

The second ITO I will discuss is the important aspect of adding a personal touch to the learning experience.  Because adult learners are often "ditching" the face to face traditional instruction in favor of online/virtual learning, it is incredibly important to make your course feel individualized, and interactive for your students.  Let's be real - most adult learners have access to resources such as YouTube, Google, Wiki, etc.  where they can learn an endless amount of information about many topics.  Adult learners come to your course with a goal in mind.  They are seeking a degree, certificate, or just a great learning experience.  It is important for instructors to add a personal touch to their course, because if not, it is information that these adults can get anywhere in some cases!  Instructors should share their own personal experiences, feelings, and thoughts on the source material if appropriate.  This helps build a safe learning environment, where students feel they can open up more, and discuss their own thoughts with the class, and their professor.  

Overall, technology brings many challenges to adult learners, but it also brings many advantages!  Instructors can feel confident knowing that they can provide a positive learning experience to their students, if they keep these things in mind while planning the course content.  


Sources:

Lambert, C. D., Erickson, L., Alhramelah, A., & Rhoton, D. (2014). Technology and Adult Students in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature . Issues and Trends in Educational Technology, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.2458/azu_itet_v2i1_lambert

Forbes, L. (2020). Play in the Time of COVID-19. Educause Review. https://doi.org/https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2020/11/play-in-the-time-of-covid-19

Comments

  1. Kiera's Adventures @ K-State!November 17, 2021 at 1:59 PM

    Your comments speak to Moore's views on transactional distance as well....that gap between the understanding of a teacher and that of a learner, and distance education is the methodology of structuring courses and managing dialogue between teacher and learner to bridge that gap through communications technology (2018). He talks a lot about the need to personalize the learning experience for both parties and to do that, meaningful dialogue needs to take place. I think that is where the personalizing you speak of can come in - educators sharing personal (where appropriate) experiences as they relating to the knowledge and to the learners. Like you said, helping to create a safe space where everyone feels like they can be more open without fear or judgment.

    I know when I work with adult learners I always try to bring in experiences that leave me vulnerable to the group. I think that helps engender the trust of the group when you can put something out about yourself that may not be in the most flattering light. Unfortunately, it has come back to haunt me in the past, so I am much more careful today, especially with cellphone cameras and recorders possibly rolling!

    Thanks for sharing!
    kiera

    Reference: Moore, G. M. (2018). The theory of transactional distance. In M. Moore & W. Diehl (Eds.), Handbook of distance education (4th ed., pp. 32-46). New York, NY: Routledge. https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9781315296135-4

    ReplyDelete
  2. Catie E CarlsonNovember 18, 2021 at 11:03 AM

    Kiera's comment about making her vulnerable ring true with me. I am teaching a class online this term, and I had forgotten something important in an announcement. A student followed up asking the question about 20 minutes after I posted reminding me of this detail. I quickly made a new announcement thanking the student for calling me out and admitting that I too make mistake. I used it as an opportunity to allow these first-year students to see humanity and how they too can ask forgiveness or for help rather than flounder.

    In my early days of online learning, I even had mentors encourage typos so that students knew you were human even if just through text.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chase WiseNovember 20, 2021 at 7:41 AM

      Catie,

      I think it sounds like you handled that situation very well. It is definitely important to remember that behind every blog post, announcement, essay, etc. there is an imperfect human writing it. We all have so many things happening in our lives, it is sometimes difficult to remember that not every feels the same, types the same, thinks the same, etc. I have never heard of encouraging typos - that's very interesting! Thanks for sharing!

      Delete
  3. AaronNovember 21, 2021 at 6:05 AM

    An interesting perspective about the Youtube learning "revolution." I could never have repaired the brake system in my car 10 years ago. I comfortably change my brake pads and rotors now with the help of Youtube "instructors." The personal touch and impact of design matters. I am guessing most of the folks posting videos about brake repair have never taken an adult learning theory course- but their videos are effective...Why?

    Well to your point, they get the personal touch. Maybe it is how they train new employees to do the task. Maybe they consider how they would teach a family member. Maybe the design the learning around a guy like me who barely knows how to use a screwdriver. They design the activity through the yes of those who use it. Maybe they make it fun, funny, or practical for sake of time, but teach a task through an easily digestible activity via technology.

    The personal touch or considering the user matters.

    ReplyDelete

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