Lifelong Learning for Older Adults
Education does not need to stop at a certain point in adult life. Educators are beginning to understand that older adults still retain the capacity to learn and that there are many benefits that come with keeping the brain active throughout older adulthood. Older adults may find attending university to be inspiring; however it seems that most of lifelong learning for older adults occurs outside of traditional academia. A lifelong learning education model provides a fluid perspective that views individuals as both learners and teachers throughout their lifespan (Feldman, 1991).
According, Mainheimer (2008) the growth of lifelong learning opportunities can be attributed to national efforts to encourage lifelong learning societies for individuals of all ages, initiatives that respond to the increased population of older adults, and outgrowth and continuation of adult and continuing education movements. In addition, the overall education level of older adults has increased with over 80 percent of older men and women having completed high school. Lifelong learning promotes active aging in the older adult population (Tam, 2013). The World Health Organization defines active aging as “the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation, and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age” (WHO, 2002). Lifelong learning is beneficial for the older adult population as a whole.
Options for Lifelong Learning
There is great diversity in the older adult population and as a result various options for lifelong learning programs exist. Educational interests can vary from broad subjects such as liberal arts to instruction to older adult specific issues. Lifelong learning classes (...
... middle of paper ...
...o new and current programs. Also changes in the academic system for lifelong learning may be critical in attracting future students.
In conclusion, older adults have numerous options to choose from in terms of lifelong learning programs. Different programs provide for the diverse needs of its participants and older adults can shop around for program that best suit their needs. Less government control of lifelong learning programs gives them the freedom to offer a variety of courses however it also causes a range of barriers and challenges. A big barrier that can come from less government control is that it can also mean less government funding which can make lifelong learning programs to be cost prohibitive. Nevertheless, the future of lifelong learning programs appears promising and seems to be correlated with many benefits for the older adults who utilize them.
Merriam, S.B., Caffarella, R.S. &Baumgartner (2007) Learning in Adulthood: A comprehensive guide, san Francisco, CA:Jossey-Bass
How to attract and retain adult students is an enduring question for providers of adult education. Adult students must juggle competing demands on their time from study, family, work, and other commitments; their learning goals are often different from those of educational institutions and providers; and their needs and aspirations may change during the education process, sometimes as a result of it. This Brief reviews recent research related to adult student recruitment and retention and provides guidelines for recruiting and retaining adult learners.
Adult learner retention continues to hold the attention of adult educators in every type of program. Although the reasons students leave and the strategies for keeping them may differ from adult basic education (ABE) to higher education, the goal of retention is the same: to keep learners in programs until they achieve their goals (Tracy-Mumford et al. 1994). In any program, adults are largely voluntary participants, but the student role is just one of many roles and responsibilities competing for their time and attention. In fact, personal reasons such as family problems, lack of child care, and job demands are often cited as the cause of withdrawal. At the same time, adults usually have pragmatic, focused reasons for participating and will leave whenever they feel their goals have been met or if they feel the program will not satisfy their goals. Personal/job factors may seem to be beyond institutional control, whereas program satisfaction is something educators can improve. This Digest provides an updated look at research on retention in adult education and suggests effective practices for different settings.
Klevins, Chester. Materials & Methods-In Adult and Continuing Education. Los Angeles: Klevens Publication Inc., 1987.
I have learned many things in this class, some of them have helped me in many other aspects as well. I have learned a lot about myself and about the aging, and I am assured that after completing this course, I have improved. I have started to feel that my world and my preparation for the world have also improved ever since I have taken this class. Taking this class has taught me different techniques to consider when dealing with aging. This topic was of great interest to me. I was surprised to learn that successful aging is a combination of physical and functional health, high cognitive functioning, and active involvement with society. It was interesting to learn that these factors could lead to a lower risk of disease and disability. As
The purpose of this assignment is to provide a brief synopsis of life course theory, while explaining the key principles of the theory as it relates to my personal interpretation. Also, by explaining the key principles of the theory, explain how this examined theory relates to the chosen news article event titled, “Lawyer: Jury Should Hear About Cop’s ‘Auditory Exclusion’”.
The term non-traditional student has been redefined as the baby boomers flood colleges across the nation. “The very phrase lifelong learning speaks volumes about the integration of education across the life course. A variety of lifelong learning opportunities have emerged over the last two decades,” (Morgan, Kunkel, & Morgan, 2011, p. 289). Cincinnati State offers adult learner...
One enduring controversy in continuing education is whether programs should be market driven. The controversy has some connection with the pervasive image of the marginality of continuing education in higher education as well as the concept that continuing education programs must be self-sustaining. As Edelson (1991) says, "This principle of having to pay its own way is the single most distinguishing feature of American continuing education today" (p. 19), adding that adult education is the most blatantly market-driven segment of education. At the heart of the controversy is the issue of whether "market driven" is necessarily antithetical to the principles and philosophy of adult learning. This publication looks at whether this is a misconception or a reality.
The objective of this paper is to disclose how my career aspirations will align with the Adult Education program. The Adult Education program is important, because it provides a source for me to exercise my professional purpose. “Helping adult learners become successful one student at a time” is my professional purpose. I strive to make a difference in other lives, which drives me to contribute more than I have personally. Helping others motivate me to reach beyond my immediate means to other resources that can help adult learners to become successful.
The Adult Learning Theories Essay assignment provides information on how learning takes place throughout different stages in life. The topic begin with how learning take place in humans, how one develops throughout various stages in life, the learning process, and blending adult learning and development experiences. The course content requires mastery because learning never ends once it begins at birth. The importance of knowing what is learned in each stage of life builds upon what is already learned which will lead to the next stage of development.
The definition of Lifelong Learning in any economy has a direct correlation with the social development of the society in general. In contemporary society, the value and its focus is on the considerations of what is and should be the focus of successful living as an individual throughout the entire lifespan. In today’s context, living and learning now go hand-in-hand as the knowledge required of living and working intensifies, and continuing education, training, and professional development becomes an everyday aspect of an adult
The objective of this report is to determine if a successful performance management system can offer anything to the learning and development process in an organisation. The report will examine the concepts of performance management and the implications it has on learning and development. It will focus on the major issues surrounding the learning and development process and outline the contributions performance management has to offer.
As we know, human being keep learning though all their lives, Sometimes I am thinking how we adult learning. In this book, I found them--some related concepts about adult learning and ways to Self-Direct Learning(SDL). Before reading this book. I already knew what is the adult learner is. In China, students who are over 18 years old are the adult in General Principles Of the Civil Law. In some perspectives, University education can be called adult education. It is new for me to learn this knowledge, so I chose the first eight chapters of the textbook.
Lifelong learning is the process of gaining knowledge based on an individual’s interest and developing skills throughout the life to improve their life irrespective of traditional educational schooling activities. This long term process influences an individual’s personal development and improves their thinking and thought process thus recreating themselves in a new experience of the positiveness. These learning’s can be of different types ranging from the home education, cultural learning, personal learning, spiritual learning, learning to keep up to date with technologies and local medical sciences education etc. Learning through experiences in life helps an individual to visualize the purpose of life from a new prospective that inspires them to be self-contended.
Understanding adult learning and practice is founded in the constructivist learning model according to Bierema and Merriam (2014). Adult learners acquire knowledge in much the same was as primary, secondary, and post-secondary students, however, we often teach them without the same awareness and concern for engagement. It is for this reason that professional learning opportunities are often seen as something negative in most