Teaching the Generations:

Learner-Centered Classrooms for Adult Students

Tish Matuszek and Diane Bandow

• Explain the need to update classroom teaching approaches to accommodate adult students through exercises, discussion and examples

• Compare and contrast the differences between educational approaches to traditional and adult students through a review of theory, practices and examples

• Interpret the information and exercises in this session to create best practices in the classroom

• Design class room activities to incorporate information and teaching approaches to engage adult students

Objectives For Today

• Identify the theoretical basis of androgogy and how it differs from traditional pedagogy

• Demonstrate new approaches to classroom teaching focused on adults students

• Increase the effectiveness of course delivery and design based on adult learning principles (androgogy)

• Use survey information from this presentation to provide a perspective on the current status of adults learning issues in eCampus

Expected Outcomes

• Why should we focus on adults in the classroom?– Key eCampus demographic– Key Global Campus demographic, and on

Alabama campuses–National Center for Educational Statistics• http://nces.ed.gov

Why Focus on Adults?

Four Distinct Generations• Traditionalists or Silent Generation• Baby Boomers• Generation X• Gen Y or Millennials

Who Is In Your Classroom?

• Traditionalist – born before 1946, although some are in the workplace ( to address economic concerns) many are now retired

• Baby Boomers – (1946-1964), approximately 77 million are in the workplace

• Gen X – (1965-1976), approximately 40 million• Gen Y – (1977-1995), estimated at 69-73 million

How Many Are There?

• One size does not fit all• Each generation has specific needs and

preferences• Learning styles have to be considered• What is the generation of the instructor and

how can this create tension in the classroom?

Areas Instructors Must Consider

• A HUGE difference between 65 and 85 learning – brain plasticity

• Tend to be technologically unsophisticated• Tend to be problem-solvers• Need library tutorials• Need software tutorials• Problem solving that uses their experience• Need structure

Traditionalists – 65 and over

• Demand respect• Articulate and social – like to be heard• Easy for professors to relate to• Not technologically sophisticated• Need tutorials• Work well autonomously• Teams can also work well

Baby Boomers

• Independent and entrepreneurial• Not as articulate as their parents• Tend to be distrusting of organizations• Technologically sophisticated• May not work well in groups• Need specific and constructive feedback• Outcomes driven – want grades quickly

Gen X

• Socialized into economic expansion, prosperity, and a digital world

• Technically literate, well educated(*), ethnically diverse, more discretionary money

• Lack direction, more likely to “make waves”; can be demanding

• Need success; must be matched with work that is challenging.

• Values teamwork and fairness; want respect and upward mobility.

• Tend to be poor writers and have trouble articulating thoughts

• Require interaction with the content• Need structure

Gen Y

• Use a “Start Here” point• Mix assessments to meet the needs for generations

and to build skills• Mix the delivery methods• Build modules that give a common structure from

week to week• Require outside reading and research• Homework every week (Coyle, 2009) – not just

discussion boards

Adults – All Ages

• Profile of Adult Students– Older– Self-sustaining with family responsibilities– Full-time employees– Responsible positions– Math and reading literacy issues – Cognitive processes may be slowing – Physiological processes are slowing– Less analytical

More Adult Students in Post-Secondary Education

Androgogy vs. Pedagogy

Androgogy• Need to know why• Older• Responsible• More experienced• Readiness• Life-centered• Intrinsic motivation• Economy• Self-directed

Pedagogy• Teacher makes all decisions – i.e., content, method, timing• Learners are submissive and inexperienced• Motivation is for grades only• ‘Empty vessel’ student philosophy

What Adults Expect

• Mentoring for career-related documents such as applications and letters of recommendation

• Immediacy – to understand the material after a single iteration– overlooks the benefit of discovery and reflection

• To be able to use the information in skill tomorrow morning• To be able to communicate at a professional level without

more communication lessons– Unrealistic expectation

Adult Learning Issues

• Adult students tend to:– Discount theory-driven texts– Want to focus on skills– Not understand their personal power bases– Have poor communication skills – written, verbal,

listening, non-verbal– Be impulsive rather than analytical– Not understand how to generalize their personal

experiences

More Adult Learning Issues

• Adult students tend to:– Prefer active learning techniques– Believe instructors don’t understand working students– Tend to falter when tying theory to practice– Be oriented to short-term thinking– Be “stretched too far”– Have different learning styles ( Learning Styles Index)

http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html – Experience of learning differences between Gen X, Gen Y, Baby

Boomers and Traditionalists – conflict happens!

Questions

1. How many assess learning styles in their classes?

1. Yes I do 2. No, I don’t

Questions

2. If you do assess learning styles (if your answer is yes), how often do you assess learning styles for each of your students in your classes?

1. Always or often 2. Rarely or Never

Applying Theory

Applying Theory• Androgogy• Pedagogy• Active Learning (Action

Learning)• Constructivism• Appreciative Inquiry

• Experiential Learning• Double Loop Learning• Transformative Learning

Questions

3. How many of you have had a class in learning theory?

1. Yes, I have 2. No, I have not

Androgogy

Applying Theory• Androgogy– Adult education– Incorporates a life experience– Must work with self-concept– Prefer to be treated as peers• Some prefer to call you by your first name

Pedagogy

Applying Theory• Pedagogy– Childhood education– Self-concept is still forming– Motivated to learn without knowing why

Active Learning

Active Learning• Characterized by action rather than words• Requires self-regulation

Constructivism

Constructivism• Knowledge is constructed by the student• Breaks from empirico-realism• Requires individual responsibility• See students as inventors rather than discoverers• Knowledge is an interpretation by the student– Considers the social impact of experience

Appreciative Inquiry

Appreciative Inquiry• Works from a strengths perspective– 4 Ds• Discovery ( identify what works)• Dream (‘magic bullet’ question)• Design ( creating ways to achieve the new dream)• Destiny ( strengthening the affirmation)

Experiential Learning

Experiential Learning• Experience is central to the learning process• Important to kinesthetic learners• Grounded in the word of Dewey, Lewin, Piaget• Takes the focus off cognition • Places greater emphasis on affect and subjective

experience

Double Loop Learning

Double Loop Learning• Focuses on complex problem solving• Personal change is intrinsic• Two principles:– “1. Effective problem-solving about interpersonal or

technical issues requires frequent public testing of theories-in-use.

– 2. Double loop learning requires learning situations in which participants can examine and experiment with their theories of action.” http://tip.psychology.org/argyris.html

Transformative learning

Transformative Learning• Requires alignment among

components• Information + Application = Knowledge• De-stigmatizes additional expertise• Knowledge acquisition is central

Assessment

Covey’s 3rd Person Teaching• Role of Assessment (briefly)

– Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATS)…. A type of formative assessment that benefits the instructor and the student• Muddiest point • One minute paper • Team contracts• Learning contracts• Reflection• Peer Feedback

• Self-managed vs. self-directed?• Personal reflection allows self-assessment

Questions

4. Effective assessment requires reflection. How many of you require reflective activities in your classrooms?

1. Yes, I do 2. No, I do not

Questions

5. If your answer was yes, how is the reflection expressed?

1. Written or Verbal 2. Enacted or Applied

Linking Theory and Practice

• Allow some choices for students i.e., structure the assignment but allow them to pick topics

• Negotiate their own expectations/outcomes (team or learning contracts)• Complete self-assessment and peer assessment which feed back into the

individual or the team outcomes• Deal with specifics that can be applied immediately at work (linkage and

application)• Use assignments/topics related to work• Provide specific applications of work issues in assignments• Focus on real-life applications (i.e., case studies, consulting)• Apply pragmatism principles in general • Service learning• Cases• Pre-test on background knowledge so you know where to start – this does not

necessarily require an exam• Student reflection, analysis and summary

Review of Classroom Research

• VERY LIMITED! More articles are positional and theoretical than actual research

• Communication and contact between professor and student very important, as is professor availability, enthusiasm and being prepared for class (O’Toole, Spinelli & Wetzel, 2000)

• Creative classroom environments that provide time and rewards for creativity, stimulate risk-taking, support diversity of thinking, teach how to question assumptions and encourage risk-taking can be effectively integrated into the classroom (Driver, 2001)

• Competency-based instruction can be integrated into the curriculum (Chyung, Stepich and Cox, 2006)

• Students can be highly motivated with well-designed group projects (McKendall, 2000)

• Teaching with cases have been shown to generate a high level of engagement and motivation (real-time case studies) (Theroux & Kilbane, 2005)

Best Practices from Students’ Perspective

• Immediate application of what I learned – Salience– Can you use this tomorrow in your work? Did you use this today in your work?

• Well-organized course, logical progression– Always set a framework for the course

• Don’t like exams!– Try open book quizzes from multiple texts and application of concepts ( in

addition to required traditional exams as appropriate)• Reflection – think about what I learned and what is ahead

– Call on students by name; summaries at the end of the weekly discussion• Learning about others’ experiences

– Sometimes “off-topic” discussions can be beneficial if managed appropriately• People “pulling their own weight” in team projects

– Learning contracts

Pop Quiz

1. Demonstrate your knowledge about the need to update classroom teaching approaches and accommodate adult students by selecting the response that is not correct:

a. Adults prefer active learning techniques b. Adults like instructors making all the decisions c. Motivation is not only for good grades d. Adults are more responsible and need to know “why” e. Adults are more experienced

Pop Quiz

2. Identified classroom teaching concepts focused on supporting adult students; select all that do not apply –

a. Focus on real-life applications b. Encourage reflection and self-assessment c. Allows some choices for students d. Pre-test or determine background knowledge e. Do not use topics related to work

Pop Quiz

3. Design more effective course delivery approaches by applying adult learning principles discussed in this workshop. Select all that do not apply:

a. Provide opportunities for negotiation through team contracts or learning contracts

b. Integrate case studies and other applications into your curriculum

c. Allow students to learn from others’ experiences d. Design the course around the instructor’s learning style e. Provide a framework for the course and follow a logical

progression

Pop Quiz

4. Did you learn the information in this presentation that you can apply in your classroom or organization tomorrow?

1. Yes, I did 2. No, I did not

Bibliography for further reading

Pop Quiz

Thank You!Questions?