Technology and Adult Learning: Current Perspectives

Adult basic education or ABE is a complicated area given that there are varying definitions of the words the title contain. Theorists, practitioners and learners can give differing accounts of what it means to be an adult learner, what constitutes basic education and how to facilitate said education. In practice, the area of ABE describes a whole range of programs that deliver a baseline or basic set of skills that all adults are expected to have acquired during compulsory education (ABE, 2013). According to Jacobson (2012), there is now an increasing availability of digital technology resources for education that are beginning to be applied to adult basic education settings. The presences of these technologies are undoubtedly changing what is defined as basic skills.

The essay aims to present the evidence-supported adult learning theories and approaches. The three theories include Socio Cultural, Social Ecological, and Experiential Learning. The adult learning theories reflect the ways in which the adults assimilate skills, attitude, knowledge, and information. The theories are the organised set of principles, which explains the process through which adults gain, retain, and recall the knowledge. In the field of education, the learning theories have played an important role in understanding the process of learning.

The study finds that systems are not ideal and thus sensorimotor skills, which include special anticipation of movement and control of rotations, are necessary in the interaction with telepresence systems. In this manner, users that have lower sensorimotor skills should be in a position to attain good results if the interfaces facilitate rotational movements. The rotations and translations perceived by human operators are independent of each other but the device is the main element that determines whether the control is integrated or separated. It is due to such issues that the information obtained from task analysis should be used to determine the sensation of presence and the level of performance of the user. Deml (2007) worked towards the provision of guidelines relating to the design of telepresence systems from the point of view of human factors.

There are different theories or approaches of how an adult learn that have been discuss by educators. One of these theories is Andragogy, introduced by Alexander Kapp and developed later by Malcolm Knowles. According to Knowles andragogy is a learning theory that is developed on the specific need of adults, because they are self directed individuals who expect to take responsibility for decisions (Blondy, 2007, pp. 116-130). The adult learner needs to know why they need to learn a specific subject and they will learn it if the topic has an immediate value.

Also, in their argument, they answer questions about how efficient the integrating of technology in language classes is and what kinds of services computer technologies provide for these classrooms. Wang notes that “the best way to learn a language is in interactive, authentic environments. ‘Computer technologies’ and the ‘Internet’ are powerful tools for assisting these approaches to language teaching” (2005, p.39). Hence we should consider how effective computer assisted instruction can be a supplemental teaching tool for the teaching and learning of English language

Online Education Education is an important part of people’s lives; it will either make them or break them in the future depending on the careers they choose. Education is greatly diverse today in comparison to the 1950s because of advancements in teaching and other great inventions that provide easier techniques of teaching. One major issue that has been raised is distant learning courses and online education. Distant learning could be any format from VHS videos, DVDs, or internet courses online. Online education has been legal since 1993 and is a new way of teaching students of all ages.

Class room and homework assignments can be accomplished when it's convenient for the student, whether at work or in the comfort of the home. Students and teachers can interact by way of email and real time chat to discuss assignments and relay information. As time goes by, advances in technology will provide more and more avenues for learning by way of the computer. The Internet has opened the doors of the world and unleashed limitless possibilities in research and education. It may be only a matter of time when the classroom is brought online to all children and attending a school classroom outside the home is a thing of the past.

Learning Technologies in Adult Education Any tool “designed to extend a learner’s capacity for effective action and that requires skill and certain strategies to use efficiently” is a learning technology (Burge 2001, p. 146). A well-structured face-to-face group discussion, a pencil, and print materials fit this definition as do newer tools such as web-based conferencing (ibid.). One of the greatest myths surrounding learning technologies is related to what they are. Because of the term technology, it is frequently believed that learning technologies are instructional devices that make use of computers, the Internet, or some other type of electronic technology such as video and television. Newer learning technologies are changing the shape of the landscape in adult education, however.

These learning experiences are therefore integrated into the curriculum of Adult Education. This gives the Adult Learner greater liberty in directing their learning and its outcomes. In some cases learning practices are even adjusted with the discovery of new research. Another similarity existing between Adult Ed... ... middle of paper ... ...ass. Drago- Severson,E .2008.

For instance, it is difficult for teachers to access the various types of resources needed. With high cost for technology, subsidizing for appropriately training teachers are not the main priority. The modern educational goal is to promote student-centered learning, but misusing technology can have the opposite effect and cause teacher-centered learning. Teachers may have a hard time understanding how to use technology. Instead of being facilitators, they can ultimately jeopardize students taking control of their educational experience.