Five Key Concepts for Adult Education

On Monday, I finished my 2nd course in the Masters degree program for Adult Education and Training at University of Phoenix. The course was AET 505 - "Foundations of Adult Education and Training".

Though I've been a working as a corporate trainer for the past 3 years, my background is in engineering, so most of this content was new to me.

We explored a number of interesting topics.
Here are the top 5 things I learned from the course.

1. Types of Learners - there are three types of adult learners. Goal oriented learners have specific objectives to accomplish. Activity oriented learners attend for social interaction. Learning oriented learners are focused on learning for its' own sake. Knowing which type of learners you're working with will help you be a more effective trainer.
2. Learning Barriers - There are three types of learning barriers that adult learners face - Situational (barriers that take place at a given time - such as a lack of money or time), Dispositional (barriers in attitude or self-perception), and Institutional (barriers caused by the learning organization - such as: how often classes are offered, where they're offered, etc.).
3. Universal Design for Learning - Based on the idea that accessible design improves access for everyone, this method follows the approach started by architects. Here's an excellent graphic guide to UDL.
4. Teaching Portfolio's - This was a surprise to me. Teachers have recently taken a page from artists, photographers, and architects by building portfolios of their work. Recognizing that an interview cannot capture the complexity of what a teacher does, online portfolios that collect courseplans, student results, and videos are becoming common.
5. Use of Reflection in learning - There are three types of reflection in learning (why always three?) - Content, Process, and Premise reflection. Content Reflection asks 'what is really the problem here?'. Process Reflection asks about the problem solving strategy we're using. Premise Reflection asks us to question our basic premise.

I found the discussion of premise reflection to be of particular value.
Although it can be painful, I believe that the step of questioning the basic premise that underlies all subsequent desicions is necessary.

In innovation workshops, we call this the 'flat world' exercise. Someone had to question the premise of a flat world, before deciding to sail around the world.

Have you or your organization reflected on your premise recently?