cercone - characteristics of adults learners with implicatons for online learning design

The online educational environment is increasingly being used by adults and should be designed based on the needs of adult learners. This article discusses andragogy, an important
adult learning theory, and reviews three other adult learning theories: self-directed learning, experiential learning, and transformational learning. During this discussion, the theories are examined for the ways in which they may be applied to the design of online learning environments. In addition, the characteristics of adult learners are examined, and an analysis of how these characteristics influence the design of an online learning environment is presented.
Recommendations follow regarding how to design an online classroom environment while considering the application of adult learning theories.

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mijn notes

• characteristieken van adult students en hoe je hiermee rekening moet houden in online course development. de characteristics zijn:
• 1 adults may have some limitations and these should be considered in the design of the online environment
• learning styles need to be considered. in any group of adults there will be a wide ragen of individual differences.
• adults need to be actively involved in the learning process
• adults need scaffolding to be provided by the instructor. scaffolding should promote self-reliance and it should allow learners to perform activities they were unable to perform without this support
• adults have a pre-existing learning history and will need support to work in the new learner- centered paradigm
• adults need the instructor acting as a facilitator
• adults need consideration of their prior experience
• adults need to see the link between what they are learning and how it will apply to their lives. they are problem-centered
• adults need to feel that learning focuses on issues that directly concern them and want to know what they are going to learn. the course should be learner-centered
• adults need to test their learning as they go along, rather than receive background theory
• adult learning requires a climate that is collaborative, respectful, mutual and informal
• adults need to self-reflect on the learning process and be given support for transformational learning
• adults need dialogue and social interaction must be provided. they need to collaborate with other students.
• veel referenties naar theorie; andragogy, transformational learning, self-directed learning