Last week I was reading A Critical Theory of Adult Learning and Education (Mezirow, 1981) and was struck by part of this article, Mezirow's "charter for andragogy", and how many of its concepts were similar to points Dr. Moore made in his two audio podcasts on the characteristics of DE. I don't think it matters whether one accepts the term 'andragogy' and how it might have been meant at the time.
Mezirow says that adult education "must be defined as an organized and sustained effort to assist adults to learn in a way that enhances their capability to function as self-directed learners" (sic, italics his).
Mezirow then lists some things that adult education must do. Here are some of the things adult ed. must do (according to Mezirow) that resonated with Dr. Moore's points:
- progressively decrease the learner's dependency on the educator
- help the learner understand how to use learning resources--especially the experience of others, including the educator, and how to engage others in reciprocal learning relationships
- assist the learner to define his/her learning needs
- assist learners to assume responsibility for defining their learning objectives, planning their own learning program and evaluating their progress
- foster learner decision making
There are additional points that relate to adult education in general and that Mezirow puts forth in relation to transformation theory.
But the five items above clearly relate to Dr. Moore's points about learners being a "manager" of their own learning, a characteristic of distance education as he describes it.
I previously read Tait's chapter in the 1999 book "The Convergence of Distance and Conventional Education: Patterns of Flexibility for the Individual Learner". While Tait was sounding a warning about this convergence and its consequences for the DE learners, I think the larger point made right there in the title--that traditional and distance education are merging--was prescient and is coming true.
This I think is one of the lessons of the link between Dr. Moore's comments on DE and Mezirow's discussion of adult education in general.
What do you think?
If you want to check these texts out, here are the citations (sorry I cannot get them to format correctly per APA guidelines):
Mezirow, J. (1981). A critical theory of adult learning and education. Adult Education Quarterly, 32, 3-24.
Tait, A. (1999). The convergence of distance and conventional education. In Tait, Alan and Roger Mills (Eds.), The convergence of distance and conventional education: patterns of flexibility
for the individual learner (pp. 17-38). New York: Routledge.
Hi Dierdre,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I remember Mezirow's Transformative learning (TL)theory. Thanks for bringing Mezirow's name to the discussion. In order for the TL learning to occur, one version of his theory says, we need a critical event that challenges and transforms our previous assumptions.
Do you think Mezirow would call our experiences in AdtEd 531 class TL?
Best,
Adelina
Adelina--thanks for your response! My view (both personal and based on my understanding of Mezirow so far) is that only an individual can determine what constitutes a 'critical event'
ReplyDelete(his term is "disorienting dilemma").
Personally, I would not say that my experience in this class is transformative. First, there hasn't been enough class yet and I am not experiencing a disorienting dilemma. And second, per Mezirow, there are 9 more subsequent steps (starting with self examination and critical reflection) before a transformation is complete.
But what about you?
Dierdre
I, too, do not regard the first several weeks as transformative. The Getting Started portion was mostly technical. As I mentioned in one of my posts, it was great to get the reminder that the class is not about those things that we focused on in the first week. I will be interested in whether disorienting dilemmas await us. JD
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIs Mezirow advocating that educators train learners so well that they do not need educators anymore? I ask this question because I remember that Dr. Moore mildly criticized the term "e-learning" for overlooking the role of educators. JD
ReplyDeleteHey Dierdre!
ReplyDeleteI like the list of things that adult education must do according to Mezirow. I would argue that those are thinks that all levels of education should do, regardless of the age of the learner.
I also liked your blurb about the chapter in Tait's book. I definitely think that distance education and traditional education are starting to grow together. On campus courses often use Angel as well as other online resources. I have also been seeing more traditional students like myself taking some online courses.
Sounds like interesting stuff!
I'm not sure if I completely agree with Mezirow's statement: "progressively decrease the learner's dependency on the educator."
ReplyDeleteAlthough I realize that part of the distance education experience is learning to work independently at one's own pace and still adhere to assignment due dates, instructor presence, I believe, is the real motivator.
After all, whether students admit it or not, ultimately, aren't they trying to please the instructor and get a good grade?
Since kindergarten, it's been drilled into our heads that if we follow what our instructor says, we will be rewarded with a good mark on our report cards.
As an adult distance student, I depend on what my instructors say to guide me through my studies. I need my instructor's presence. It's what keeps me accountable.
I see the correlation between Moore's comments and Mezirow but (as you've seen from other courses and comments) consider the correlation to education as a business and providing the consumer (the student as compared to a sponsoring body) or education as a qualifying determinant -- qualification v. certification issue.
ReplyDeleteHey SLM5088 (I don't whose username this is)--thanks for your post. So you're saying that your only or major goal is to please an instructor and get a good grade?
ReplyDeleteHmmm.... that is not my goal.I am trying to learn and that is my motivation. And it's actually interesting that this conversation comes up after this post, which is linking my independent work to the ADTED 531 work. The whole reason I am doing the independent study is to learn something that has not been covered (to my intellectual satisfaction) in other courses. I created (with my advisor) my own deliverable requirement. And I am completely responsibile for keeping myself accountable in this situation, since I connect only every 2 weeks with my advisor.
Dierdre, you will have to let us know how the independent study goes this semester! I am very interested to know how you progress through it. I took a number of independent study courses in college and loved them, yet I never actually considered doing on via the ADTED program.
ReplyDeleteAs to your point re "that traditional and distance education are merging--was prescient and is coming true" I absolutely agree! When before they were separate and distinct aspects of education, over the last few years they have certainly merged together, especially with the use of the internet and all the "Web 2.0+" technologies.