Transformative Education

AEC 1108S

Adult Learning.

AECP, OISE/UT
AEC 1108S: Adult Learning Summer 2009

“Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be…Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar, and you’ll live as you’ve never lived before.” ~ Erich Fromm

Course Bulletin Description:
Through engagement in various forms of creative reflexive inquiry, readings, and discussion, this course presents opportunities for in-depth exploration of principles that underpin the learning processes and contexts of adults. Constructed around principles of adult learning, the course is inquiry intensive and fosters forms of expressions other than conventional academic prose (e.g., narrative, verse, poetry, music, dance, visual images).

Course Perspective: Adult learning is a unique, intimate, and highly contextual process of making meaning about, and beyond, our self. Adult learning differentiates itself from other types of education through its focus on the life context of learning. Coming to know who the adult learner is – socio-cultural influences, motivations, characteristics, needs, abilities, barriers, processes of learning, to name but a few criteria – is critical to understanding adult learning. By modeling both traditional and contemporary principles and practice of adult learning theories, this course creatively explores both the process and product of adult learning.

All learning involves some form of challenge and risk-taking. My goal is to co-create a learning environment in which you feel safe to challenge yourself and others, to take appropriate risks in your learning process, and to plumb the depth and breadth of your understanding of self as adult learner.

Course Intended Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, you will have demonstrated the ability to:

  1. Articulate a personal learning philosophy that is based on critical reflection andcurrent adult learning theories and practice;
  2. Reflect critically about self in relation to the principles and practice of adult learning;
  3. Self direct a self inquiry of adult learning;
  4. Represent who you understand yourself to currently be as an adult learner;
  5. Distinguish the characteristics of the adult learning process
  6. Describe the socio-cultural contexts that shape adult learning
  7. Discriminate between various adult learning pedagogies and contexts of learning;
  8. Incorporate critical theories into the context of adult learning;

AEC1108 Adult Learning ~ Summer 2009 Page 1

9. Explore key adult learning principles in practice including the:

  1. importance of learning relevance and meaningfulness
  2. interrelationship between theory and practice
  3. interrelationship between lived experience and practice
  4. process of self direction and learning autonomy

10. Participate constructively in the development of a community of adult learners; 11. Incorporate professional and scholarly academic standards including:

  1. acceptance of differing viewpoints
  2. willingness to work collaboratively
  3. commitment to reflexive practice
  4. willingness to be self directed
  5. commitment to the pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning
  6. openness to giving and receiving constructive feedback

Required Readings:

  1. Merriam, S.B., Caffarella, R.S., & Baumgartner, L.M. (2007). Learning inadulthood: A comprehensive guide. (3rd ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  2. Article readings are assigned for each session. The authors for each session areprovided in the topical outline. Many readings are posted on the Blackboard course site) in PDF format or links provided.

Please Note: It is anticipated that you will prepare for your active participation in class activities by completing the assigned reading/s prior to attending class.

Course Schedule
Date Topic Reading/Preparationpage2image1824939632page2image1824939920page2image1824940208page2image1824940496page2image1824940784

July 6thIntroduction & Course Overview; Adult Learning: Process and Product; Learning about Learning through Self Inquiry;Merriam, S.B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L. M., (2007). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Chapter 5: Self Directed Learning
July 8thAdult Learning: Self as Learner;Self Inquiry;
Merriam et al:
Chapter 3: Who participates and why?;
Chapter 7: Experience and Learning; Chapter 12: Adult Development
July 13thExpressions of Learning: Literary, Musical, Performative; VisualSelf Inquiry;
Merriam et al:
Chapter 12: Adult Development Boud, 2001
July 15thAdult Learning: Contexts of LearningSelf Inquiry;
Merriam et al:
Chapter 1: The Social Context of Adult Learning;

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Chapter 2: Learning Environments and Learning Concepts
Marsick & Watkins (2001)
July 20thAdult Learning: Theory and ModelsSelf Inquiry;
Merriam et al:
Chapter 4: Knowles’ Andragogy and Models of Adult Learning;
Chapter 11: Traditional Learning Theories;
Fenwick & Tennant; Maciuikay;
July 22ndAdult Learning & TransformationSelf Inquiry;
Merriam et al:
Chapter 6: Transformational Learning;
Dyke (2006)Jesson & Newman;Mezirow;
July 27thAdult Learning: Mind, Body, & Spirit ConnectionSelf Inquiry;
Merriam et al:
Chapter 8: Embodied, Spiritual and Narrative Learning;
Chapter 9: Learning and Knowing: Non-Western Perspectives Fenwick (2000)
Beech; English; Miller
July 29thAdult Learning: Critical & Postmodern PerspectivesSelf Inquiry;
Merriam et al:
Chapter 10 – Critical Theory, Postmodern, and Feminist Perspectives (pages 241-262).
August 5thAdult Learning: Feminist PerspectivesSelf Inquiry;
Chapter 10 – Critical Theory, Postmodern, and Feminist Perspectives (pages 262-269); Britton (2000)
Gouthro (2000)
Brooks; Hayes; Morrison

August Representations of Adult Learners and their 10th Learning
August Representations of Adult Learners and their 12th Learning

August Representations of Adult Learners and their 17th Learningpage3image1824666960page3image1824667248page3image1824667536page3image1824667824page3image1824668112page3image1824668400page3image1824668688page3image1824669104page3image1824669392

AEC1108

Adult Learning ~ Summer 2009

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Evaluation Format and Criteria:

The key learning strategies for meaning making in this course include: creative exploration, conceptualization, reflection, independent learning, reflexive inquiry, analysis, and theory-practice integration. Evaluation within the course will reflect these strategies as follows:

  1. Presentation of Self Inquiry (25%) Due Session 10, 11, or 12
  2. Reflective Account of Learning (75%) Due no later than August 24th
    1. Looking Back: Learning Journey – your inquiry activities throughout the course including a reflection on the self-inquiry process (30%)
    2. Where am I now: Learning Synthesis – your synthesis of key insights with connections to the literature (25%)
    3. Looking Forward: Learning Futures – your discussion of the ways in which your learning about self might inform your future work (20%)

This course is about both process and product of learning. As such, evaluation strategies will be focused in both these areas. The experiential process of this course provides a framework for you to undertake a self-inquiry to promote deeper understanding of yourself as adult learner. You will share the product of your self-inquiry in one of the last few sessions of the course. You may represent your learning in the format that most resonates with your understanding of self as learner.

Your presentation will form the basis of the reflective account of learning you complete, which will be in written format. Your reflective account is designed to provide you an opportunity review the nature and substance of your work over the course and discuss how your learnings inform your thinking and practice.

Details of the content and format of both parts of the assignment will be individually and collectively discussed and negotiated once the process is underway.

* For submissions at the end of the course: If you submit your assignments in hard copy, please provide a self-addressed envelope with sufficient postage if you wish to have them mailed to you after the course is over.

Academic Integrity: The evaluation process and product of this course endorses OISE/UT’s academic policies. The definitions, expectations and policies pertaining to Academic Integrity applicable to this course are found at:http://www.utoronto.ca/academicintegrity/page4image1794944416

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Reading List

Boud, D. (2001). Using Journal Writing to Enhance Effective Practice. In English, L. M. and Gillen, M. A. (Eds.). Promoting Journal Writing in Adult Education: New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education (pp. 9-17). San Francisco: Jossey- Bass.

Britton, D. (2000). The epistemology of the gendered organization. Gender & Society, 14(3), 418-434. http://simplelink.library.utoronto.ca/url.cfm/80794

Brookfield, S. (2008). Radical questioning on the long walk to freedom: Nelson Mandela and the practice of critical reflection. Adult Education Quarterly, 58(2), 95-109. http://simplelink.library.utoronto.ca/url.cfm/80801 http://simplelink.library.utoronto.ca/url.cfm/82104

Brookfield, S. (2001). Unmasking power: Foucault and adult learning. CJSAE, 15 (1), 1- 23. http://simplelink.library.utoronto.ca/url.cfm/80796

Brooks, A. K. (2000). Transformation. In E. Hayes, & D. D. Flannery with A. K. Brooks, E. J. Tisdell, & J. M. Hugo (Eds.). Women as learners: The significance of gender in adult learning (pp. 139-153). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Cole, A. L. (2000). Academic freedom and the ‘publish or perish’ paradox in schools of education. Teacher Education Quarterly, 27(2), 33-48. http://simplelink.library.utoronto.ca/url.cfm/80797

Daley, B. J. (2001). Metaphors for professional learning. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 3(3), 322-332. http://simplelink.library.utoronto.ca/url.cfm/80798

Dyke, M. (2006). The role of “other” in reflection, knowledge formation and action in a late modernity. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 25(2), 105-123.

English, L. (2000). Spiritual dimensions of informal learning. In L. M. English & M. A. Gillen (Eds.). Addressing the spiritual dimensions of adult learning: What educators can do (pp. 29-38). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Wiley interscience

English, L. M., & Irving, C. J. (2007). A review of the Canadian literature on gender and learning. Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, 20 (1), 16-31.(sage)

Fenwick, T., & Tennant, M. (2004). Understanding adult learners. In G. Foley (Ed.). Dimensions of adult learning: Adult education and training in a global era (pp. 55-73). Berkshire, England: Open University Press.

Fenwick, T. (2000). Expanding conceptions of experiential learning: A review of five contemporary perspectives. Adult Education Quarterly, 50 (4), 243-272.page5image1791402928page5image1791403216page5image1791496784page5image1791496976page5image1791497328

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http://www.ualberta.ca/~tfenwick/publications/PDF/21Experiential%20Learning %20in%20Adult%20Education%20A%20Comparative%20Framework.htm

Gouthro, P. (2000). Globalization, civil society and the homeplace. Convergence, 33(1/2), 57-67. http://simplelink.library.utoronto.ca/url.cfm/80799

Hayes, E. (2000). Social contexts. In E. Hayes, & D. D. Flannery with A. K. Brooks, E. J. Tisdell, & J. M. Hugo (Eds.). Women as learners: The significance of gender in adult learning (pp. 23-52). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Hubbs, D. L., & Brand, C. F. (2005). The paper mirror: Understanding reflective journaling. Journal of Experiential Learning, 28(1), 60-71. http://simplelink.library.utoronto.ca/url.cfm/80800

Marsick, V. & Watkins, K. (2001). Informal and Incidental Learning. In S. Merriam, The New update on adult learning theory. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Learning, 89, 25-34.

Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative learning: Theory to practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 14, 5-12.

Mezirow, J. (1998). On critical reflection. Adult Education Quarterly, 48(3,) 185-199.

Plumb, D and Welton, M. (2001). Theory Building in Adult Education: Questioning our grasp of the obvious. In Poonwassie, D. H. and Poonwassie, A. (Eds.). Fundamentals of Adult Education: Foundations, Practice, Issues (pp. 63-75). Toronto: Thompson Educational Publishing Inc.