DCI 704 Adult Learning Theory and Practice

DCI 704: Adult Learning Theory and PracticeArizona State University Instructor Jenny Sandlin, Ph.D.i email: Jennifer.Sandlin@asu.edu office: Farmer, 344-A office hours: Tuesdays, by appo

DCI 704: Adult Learning Theory and Practice

Arizona State University

Instructor

Jenny Sandlin, Ph.D.i

email: Jennifer.Sandlin@asu.edu

office: Farmer, 344-A

office hours: Tuesdays, by appointment

Logistics

Day and Time, Room

Course Description

This course explores the multiple dimensions of learning in adulthood, including the social contexts of learning, and cognitive and developmental aspects of learning It focuses on the experience and practice of adult learning, and examines the various theories attempting to explain how adults learn This course is relevant to anyone who currently works with adult learners or who hopes to do so in the future; it is for educators who work with adults in a variety

of settings, including professional development settings, community organizations, higher education, adult literacy programs, informal learning settings, human resource development, continuing education, etc

Readings

There are two required textbook for this class:

Merriam, S B., Caffarella, R S., & Baumgartner, L M (2007) Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (Third ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Brookfield, S D (2005) The power of critical theory: Liberating adult learning and

teaching San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Additional readings will be available on our ASU BlackBoard site

Topics we will cover in this course include:

• Contexts of and participation in adult learning

• Physical, psychological and socio-cultural development

• Cognitive development, intelligence, and aging

• The learning process and the brain

• Andragogy and self-directed learning

• Transformational learning

• Critical theory and adult learning

• Feminist perspectives on adult learning

• Informal learning

• Learning through popular culture and public pedagogy

• Embodied and spiritual learning

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• Situated cognition and other context-based approaches

• Narrative learning

• Social movement learning

Class Structure

This course will be run as a seminar and will accommodate different modes of teaching and learning, including short lectures, group discussions, “Reading Circles,” group presentations,

small group activities, and videos Classroom participation is absolutely essential to the

success of this class; because of this, please plan to attend each class session and come prepared to share and learn with the class Your active, engaged, prepared participation and critical reflection on readings and other class materials make up the very centerpiece of this class

Evaluation

Active engagement in class, including attendance & class participation 25 points

Learning analysis project OR Research paper 30 points Grade matrix:

A: 90-100%

B: 80-89%

C: 70-79%

D: 60-69%

F: <60%

General Expectations

Participants are expected to read all assigned materials, submit written papers, and come to class prepared for dialog and depth of discussion Active participation in class activities is imperative, and there are multiple ways for you to participate In addition to participating in class discussions, other forms of acceptable participation include: suggesting outside readings, films

or television programs relating to course topics; and attending relevant activities outside of class and reporting on them in class

Class Attendance Policy

Participants will be expected to attend all class sessions Because of the way this class is structured – much of our learning work will be done in “Reading Circles,” where each learner has a different role or function – when you are absent this has a negative and cascading effect

throughout your entire circle Please inform me and your Reading Circle members if you will be

missing class, preferably at least a week in advance You should also ask a Reading Circle member to collect handouts that might be distributed by members of your Reading Circle or by

the instructor You will also be expected to email your Reading Circle contributions to the members of your Reading Circle prior to the class you will miss, so that your “role” does not go unfilled

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I also recognize that emergency situations arise where no advanced notice is available

I will excuse one missed class, without grading penalty or remediation For additional

classes missed, students will be expected to provide a “Proposed Remediation Plan” no later than one week after the missed class, in which the student outlines how he or she will recover the missed material After approval of the Plan by the instructor, the student has two weeks to successfully complete the proposed remediation In the absence of the successful completion of

a remediation Plan, the student’s final class score will drop one letter grade for each class missed

Establishing a Safe Classroom Environment

Learning takes place best when a safe environment is established in the

classroom To this end, I will seek to support an environment that nurtures

individual and group differences and encourages engaged, honest

discussions I also hope that together we create a safe environment where

everyone feels comfortable to share and explore ideas In the course of class

discussions, it is quite possible that disagreements will arise I welcome

disagreements in the spirit of critical academic exchange, but please remember to be respectful

of other points of view, whether you agree with them or not In this class, derogatory comments based on race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality will not be tolerated

Assignments and Due Dates

1 Read assigned materials prior to each class session and complete your Reading Circle

2 Participate actively in each class session EVERY WEEK

3 Learning Theory Group Presentation DUE VARIOUS WEEKS

5 Learning analysis project OR Research paper DUE XXX

General Requirements Related to Assignments

 All written material should be double spaced, in 12 point Times New Roman, 1” margins

 Please use APA style of citation and references in your papers

Academic Integrity

ASU expects and requires all students to act with honesty and integrity, and to respect the rights

of others in carrying out all academic assignments Academic dishonesty comes in many forms, including cheating on exams, passing off someone else’s work for your own, submitting the same paper for more than one class without prior permission, coping work from the Internet without properly citing it, and many others Using the words or ideas of others, but claiming them as your own, is plagiarism Plagiarism is not only taking somebody else’s work word for word (whether a phrase or a paragraph), it also includes summarizing without giving the author

credit Plagiarism is a serious breech of academic honesty and it violates the University Policy

on Academic Integrity in the Student Code of Conduct which states, “Each student has an

obligation to act with honesty and integrity, and to respect the rights of others in carrying out all academic assignments.” University policy severely penalizes plagiarism of all or

portions of any assignment I have, unfortunately, encountered acts of plagiarism in some of the courses I have taught I take plagiarism very seriously Any intentional act of plagiarism in this course will result in failing the assignment and/or the course up to and including dismissal from

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the university Safe Assignment, anti-plagiarism software, may be used in this course and every other course at ASU to detect plagiarism Safe Assignment can be accessed via Black Board For a complete definition of plagiarism and explanation of the university policies, please visit this website: http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/studentlife/judicial/academic_integrity.htm

Detailed Descriptions of Assignments

In what follows you will find detailed descriptions of all assignments due this semester

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN CLASS, INCLUDING READING CIRCLES ii

This semester I will be trying out a major class activity known as Reading Circles We will

spend either: (a) 105 minutes during each class (15 minutes for each of 7 Role activities OR (b)

70 minutes (10 minutes for each role) in Reading Circles—depending on the class timetable Reading Circles are akin to workplace “project teams” or “collaborative learning groups” in education By breaking the class into small groups, with defined roles each week, students learn with and about each other—often based on personal experiences This tool is especially

powerful in classes where participants share their different values, beliefs, knowledge, and attitudes Participants get to know each other intellectually, emotionally and spiritually Through Reading Circles, disciplinary knowledge is shared, new knowledge is created by developing classroom learning communities, and participants learn about themselves and others

The class will be divided into Reading Circle groups with each group ideally having 7 members

Each of the members assumes a different role for each Reading Circle per cycle Roles are identified on the Prep Sheets distributed in class, and found on our BlackBoard site There are

7 roles, and this semester there will be 7 weeks of Reading Circles Each person thus prepares for and fulfills each role once during the semester Having 7 participants in each Reading Circle

is the ideal; however we will do what we can under the real conditions of our classroom

Participants prepare response activities from the Prep Sheets (These can be printed from our

ASU BlackBoard site, and an initial hardcopy will be distributed on the first day of class, which can be photocopied) Very Important: Prep Sheets should be completed before class except for the “Question Collector” who, while prepared for class, collects questions during the session

Reading Circles are for discussions; students should not complete the Prep Sheets during class You may, however, make notes during the Reading Circle discussions Students should

not think that they must respond to every question or role sheet activity when in the Reading Circle—the questions are guidelines As one of my colleague’s students put it, “By making the reading circle more ‘relaxed,’ everyone can and should feel free to refer to only issues he or she wants to refer to, and not feel as if they have to convey an opinion or experience about

everything in the week’s reading or that transpires in the Reading Circle.” The more relaxed the

group becomes, the more “natural” the dynamics At the end of the Reading Circle each week, participants should place their work in a folder or binder This folder constitutes the

participant’s Portfolio that will function as a significant part of the final grade and which is turned

in to the instructor on XXXX A final essay summarizing the activities accompanies the final Portfolio Please also include your signed “Safe Talking” guidelines (to be handed out in class) Since members of the Reading Circle have different functions/roles, a participant’s absence has

a negative and cascading effect throughout the Circle I ask that people who know they are going to be absent, to please notify the members of their group about their absence, and to

email their contributions to the other members of their group BEFORE class While it is hoped

that this never happens, if several members of the group are unprepared, the group can

re-schedule the Reading Circle discussion at a time of their choosing outside of regular class time, and join a prepared Reading Circle in the class Students are expected to help everyone in the group get the most out of the Reading Circles by being prepared

After the Reading Circle work we come together as a full class to point out the “thumbs up” (what we liked about the experience) and “thumbs down” (what we didn’t like about the

experience)—and to ask the instructor questions or share insights with the full class

LEARNING THEORY GROUP PRESENTATION

DUE: Various Weeks

You will be responsible for facilitating one entire class period with a small group, during which

you will present one of the following adult learning theories:

 Transformational learning

 Critical, postmodern, and feminist perspectives

 Embodied, Spiritual, and Narrative Learning

 Situated cognition & other context-based approaches

Each group will create a presentation to give the rest of the class a thorough understanding of what your learning theory is all about For these presentations, please draw upon sources beyond the articles listed on the syllabus Assume the entire class will have read those articles, and use them as a jumping-off point, NOT as the only references for your presentation In your presentation, please address the following areas:

1 Overview of the theory itself What are the main tenets of this learning theory? What

traditional learning theory informs it? Within this learning theory, how does learning actually happen? How do you know you have learned something? What is the outcome of learning?

2 Published critiques about the topic as well as your own What are the strengths of this

learning theory? What are its weaknesses or omissions? What are the major issues or debates surrounding this theory? What is the group’s opinion of the theory?

3 Research on your theory What empirical and theoretical research has been done on this

theory? What are some of the results of this research that lend insight into the theory?

4 Applications of your topic used in practice How does this learning theory work in

practice? How do adult educators incorporate this learning theory into the classroom? How would you use it in your practice?

5 Class activity Make sure you make learning active for the rest of the class by including at

least one activity that will engage the class in learning about the theory you are presenting

Be creative and have fun with these!

As the final part of your presentation, your group will also provide a bibliography on your

learning theory Part of this bibliography will be annotated An annotation is not simply a

summary of the article, but contains an analysis as well The annotated section will include one entry from each group member on an article of their choice on the topic of their learning theory

This article should be published in an academic peer-reviewed journal

Stacks and Karper (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_annotatedbib.html) provide a format I would like you to use for these annotations The annotation should be at least

2 to 3 paragraphs long, and include the following:

1 Summary: Describe the article’s main argument What is the point? What are the major

findings?

2 Assessment: Describe your assessment of the article What are its strengths? What are its

weaknesses? Do you find the argument or the findings persuasive? Is this a useful article?

3 Reflection: What does this article contribute to our knowledge of your learning theory?

What will others be able to learn from this article?

During your group presentations, please be creative! Often groups will present a learning theory

in a way that “models” the type of learning and teaching advocated by the theory Consider creative ways of doing this – it makes these presentations fun as well as informative

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PORTFOLIO DUE XXX

This is a collection of your Role Sheets in sequential order by weeks Roles will be completed

for all of the weeks in which we have Reading Circle discussions – there should be 8 sheets in

your portfolio Most weeks after the first one, students will prepare a Reading Circle Role Sheet

based on that week’s readings and the roles you have selected See our ASU BlackBoard site

for printable copies of the appropriate Reading Circle Role Sheets, which will also be provided the first week of class as hardcopies All Reading Circle Role Sheets should be compiled into a Portfolio The Portfolio should have a 5 – 8 page introduction (essay) that reports on the

intellectual, emotional, and/or spiritual learning and growth that has occurred during the class

Portfolios should also include all Reading Circle Role Sheets plus any other materials that you wish to include (i.e any handouts you prepared to give out to your Reading Circle throughout the semester, etc.)

LEARNING ANALYSIS PROJECT

DUE XXX (This is an optional assignment – Choose this assignment or the Research Paper)

The purpose of this project is to have you observe and reflect upon your own adult learning You will be paired with another class member from whom you will learn something and to whom you

will teach something The paper will consist of a detailed description of YOUR learning process,

and an analysis of your learning that integrates the research and theory we have covered throughout the semester The steps involved in this project are: (1) Reflect on the process of learning for adults, (2) Pair with another class member, (3) Select something to teach him or her, (4) Create the lesson, (5) Enact the lesson, and (6) Write a paper describing YOUR learning process and analyzing your learning with regard to the research and theory we have covered in

class PLEASE INFORM ME BY XXXX IF YOU HAVE CHOSEN THIS PROJECT AND LET ME KNOW WHO YOUR LEARNING PARTNER IS.

Guidelines

To prepare for this activity, please read the chapter “Experiment with Learning” from Donald Graves’ 1990 book, Discover Your Own Literacy (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann) (Available on our ASU BlackBoard site)

Explore with your partner what you can teach—anything from life skills such as learning how a car engine works, cooking, repairing a faucet, to hobbies such as appreciating a particular type

of music, gardening, training show dogs, computer games, to more “formal” or “academic” knowledge (such as how to do a literature search, understanding feminist theory, etc.) Be creative in thinking about this For instance, when I took this class in graduate school and I participated in this project, I taught my partner about herbal medicine and she taught me how sew using a sewing machine Negotiate with your partner what you will learn that he or she can teach Consider this an opportunity to challenge yourself with something a) you have no interest

in whatsoever, or b) you have been avoiding learning about for any number of reasons

Each learning/teaching activity should total a minimum of four (4) hours That is, each of

you will prepare 4 hours of instruction for your partner, and each of you will learn something for

a minimum of 4 hours Each 4-hour activity should be broken up into 2 segments with some time (at least a day, ideally longer) between the first and second segment This break is crucial for you to reflect upon your learning and for adjustments to be made in the teaching

For Your Report

The report should incorporate the following:

1 A description of the process of your learning (see Graves for a good example)

2 Reflections on what you learned about your learning

3 A discussion of these reflections vis-à-vis the theory and research on adult learning This discussion should be NO LESS THAN a third of the 12-15 page paper

Papers should be double-spaced with 1” margins Please use Times New Roman, 12 point font, and APA style (5th Edition), with a reference list at the end of your paper

Your paper will be evaluated on: (1) How well organized it is (grammar, punctuation, spelling, APA style), (2) Whether there is reflection as well as description of the learning, (3) How well you integrate and cite class material and other literature on adult learning into your discussion

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RESEARCH PAPER DUE XXX (This is an optional assignment – Choose this or the Learning Analysis Project)

For this paper you should explore in-depth a theoretical or research issue related to adult learning and submit a written paper of your findings You must write a brief (1 page) project proposal/abstract to submit for my approval by XXX The organization, format, and content of the paper should be similar to those found in scholarly journals You may choose to structure your paper as a critical literature review or as an empirical research project

The paper should be at least 20 pages, double-spaced, in APA format, and in Times New

Roman 12 point font, with 1 inch margins The paper should also include no fewer than 10 scholarly sources Scholarly sources consist of peer-reviewed research journals such as Adult Education Quarterly, the International Journal of Lifelong Learning, Studies in the Education of Adults, Human Resource Development Quarterly, Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, etc To a limited extent, you may also use academic books as sources.