Adult learning

After I got my master’s degree, I spent about a year working on the design of an oil exploration structure for the North Slope of Alaska. That project led to research and development of  high-strength, lightweight concretes to endure that harsh environment. Eventually I came to realize that if I ever wanted to lead research and development work, I needed a PhD. By 1985 I was back at university. That’s when I found that adult learning is nothing like what—or how— I’d learned in school.

By then I’d been away from academia about two and a half years. Even in that short time it had become harder to memorize a series of isolated facts. On the other hand, applying knowledge on the job had helped me integrate it, so there was no such thing as an isolated fact. For something to be true, certain conditions had to prevail. Similarly, implications would follow from it. Instead of memorizing, I needed to figure out how the new information fit into what I already knew.

Something else that had changed was that I could no longer unquestioningly accept what my professors said. Did it make sense? Did it apply in every situation? Was it consistent with my own experience? If not, why should I believe it? Or did I need to modify what I thought I knew?

What I didn’t realize then was that I needed to make the transition to adult learning.

Principles of adult learning

Adult learning: young adults collaborating in classroom
Adult learning works best when students and instructors collaborate and learn from each other. Shutterstock image.

We’ve all heard the term “pedagogy,” the art and science of teaching children. Strangely, considering the importance of continuing education in most careers, “andragogy” is much less familiar. Andragogy is the art and science of teaching adults.

Malcolm Knowles developed principles of andragogy to address how and why adults learn. His theory of adult learning includes five assumptions:

  1. Self direction. Adults become more self-directed as they mature.
  2. Experience. Adults bring their experience to learning.
  3. Readiness to learn. Adults want to learn skills and concepts that are relevant to their lives.
  4. Orientation to learning. Adults focus on solving problems rather than on subject matter.
  5. Internal motivation. Adults rely on internal, not external, motivation.

Instead of centering the instruction around the teacher, adult education focuses on the students. Why are they taking the class? What do they hope to get from it? How will they use what they learn? How can they build on what they already know? The instructor becomes more facilitator than teacher, and both students and instructors learn from the interaction.

The assignments also differ for adults. Instead of memorization or practice drills, it’s better to work on projects. The students need to be able to decide what they’ll work on and how to approach it. Students may work in groups, especially if that’s how they work in their jobs. And the topics need to be relevant to their everyday lives.

Negotiating graduate school

One of my minors in graduate school was construction, which was strongly oriented toward adult learning. Each course entailed one or a few projects, which came from the professor’s consulting practice. At the end of each project, the client would attend the student presentations to see what we’d come up with.

Most of the students had some practical experience. In one class I teamed up with two guys with experience in construction management. Several of the problems we needed to solve involved details they were happy to leave to me. With my background in structural engineering, I could easily calculate clearances between crane booms and nearby fixed objects. And I knew all about detailing reinforcement for posttensioning anchorages. On the other hand, they understood how to manage a complex project. We learned from each other.

By contrast, the materials courses had more traditional lectures and individual assignments. We could choose our paper topics, but we had to focus them narrowly, ignoring any connections with other topics. A fellow student warned me not to try to integrate my topic of interest with other things if I wanted a good grade.

Even so, I decided it was worth negotiating. So I met with the professor to propose a topic I’d learned about on the job. I wanted to build on some of our assigned reading by showing how it worked in practice. Fortunately, I was able to pique his interest enough to get permission to write it the way I wanted. Eventually he became my major advisor.

Adult learning at St. Thomas

Our capstone course at the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering incorporates the principles of adult learning. We require our students to obtain some practical experience as part of their education. By the time they reach their senior year they have experience to bring to the table.

The students decide which projects interest them. The lead professor assigns the project teams taking into account the students’ preferences and the needs of the client. Often at least one student on the team has worked for that company during the summer. Students may also hope to work for that employer when they graduate.

Because the assignment is a project, there are no set boundaries on the subject matter. The students learn about project management, team dynamics, writing, and public speaking, along with the relevant technical subjects. Some project teams are multidisciplinary to include all the necessary expertise. Students may consult their client and any of their professors for additional expertise.

For the technical writing portion of the course, I provide a little instruction and a lot of individual feedback. Ultimately, each team will produce a comprehensive report of about 50 pages. They start small, though, with a series of scaffolding assignments. I encourage them to emphasize quantity over quality on these early assignments. I’ve found that if they just have something—no matter how bad—on paper, we can work with it. By incorporating the feedback on the subsequent assignments, they clarify their thinking and their writing. They learn technical writing experientially through several cycles of writing, getting feedback, and rewriting.