Download Adult Learning Theory

Mark Mirza-Agha
This article was very interesting in setting the stage for Adult Learning Inventory that focused on
consideration to four aspects to learning:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Orientation to learning aspects
Mental abilities aspects
Physiological aspects
Psychological aspects
Orientation to learning aspects: this provided me with the understating that adults can be utilized in the
production of learning experiences by integration them into resources for learning. Often times, people
do not utilize this reservoir of experiences and talents. At the same time, relating learning to what the
adult learner has attained will be more productive and meaningful in learning capacity building.
Instructors should therefore be the facilitator of such learning environments. It seems that learning
should be engaging and their benefits more immediate.
Mental abilities aspects: this provided me with the fact that the two aspects to intelligence on verbal
and performance changes with age although they are complementary and adaptable. With age,
achievement seems to go downward in math and natural sciences while it goes up in humanities and
social sciences. Amount of learning increases with prior experience and learning experience of adults.
The presence of cross-sectional information within the learning enables adults for more mental ability
expansion and allow for diversity of their learning styles.
Physiological aspects: this provided me with the fact that auditory and visual acuities changes over time
as adult ages and awareness of these physiological changes are critical elements of variations in peak
performances for adults. This knowledge addresses peak performance dynamics that are at play and
instructors can maximize their positive impacts or minimize their negative impacts to create an optimum
learning performance for all of the adult learners.
Physiological aspects: I have learned that the fear is real element in the aging adults learning equation.
This is compounded by feeling of self-doubt and learning failure. Adults are highly motivated when they
arrive at higher institution for their learning and they are also task oriented. Intrinsic motivation is
generally more present and important than extrinsic motivation for adults.
As this article indicates, adults pass through developmental periods in the physical, psychological and
social spheres that can emancipate learning optimization.
The Rossman Adult Learning Inventory (RALI) provides an excellent tool as a learning indicator by asking
44 questions that addresses the four aspects of adult learning.
Integration of these four aspects in any adult educational setting such higher education institution can
improve performance learning, successful transfer of learning, the design of adult learning environments
and their future educational development and design functionality.