Orientation to Study and Conception of Learning as Design Factors in a Context-driven Adult Learning Experience

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Introduction

The changing global marketplace is bringing in adult learners back to the campus to learn. Now the needs and requirements increases, results many adults engaging themselves in life-long learning. When adult learners are in the higher education environment, there are various elements that influenced adult learning. Those elements are adult learners’ roles and characteristics, the culture in which the learner is immersed in and the innovative technology they encounter (N.A Alias, H.Wahab, H.Jamaludin (2008)) as shown in the diagram below

Source: Alias, N. A., Wahab, H. and Jamaludin, H. (2008) A Context-Driven Approach to Designing the Adult Learning Experience

Adults have had a lifetime of experiences. These make adult learners more heterogenous than younger learners and also provide an additional base of knowledge that can be used in the classroom or technology-based learning experience. Adults want to use what they know and want to be acknowledged for having that knowledge. Adults are independent and have the ability to self direct their own learning. The adults keen to learn if it is directly linked to needs related to fulfilling their roles and coping to life changes (Merriam&Mohamad, 2000).

Thus several needs must be considered when designing the materials. As espoused by the Nebraska Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy [http://literacy.kent.edu/ Nebraska/curric/ttim1/art4.html], designers must consider:

1. The need to structure learning situations in which learners can develop new knowledge that are appropriate for their own future use.

2. The need to support acquisition of knowledge from experience with complex, meaningful problems rather than learning isolated bits of kno...

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Merriam , S.& M.Mohamad, (2000). How Cultural Values Shape Learning in Older Adulthood: The Case of Malaysia. Adult Education Quarterly, Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 45-63.

Morgan, A. (1993). Improving your students’ learning. London: Kogan Page.

Saljo, R. (1979) Learning in the learners perspective: Some common sense conceptions. Reports from The Institute of Education, University of Goteburg, No. 76.

Taylor, E., Gibbs, G. and Morgan, A. (1980). Student Approaches to Studying the Social Science and Technology Open University Institute of Educational Technology, Study Methods. Group Report No. 4, 1980.

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