Group Members
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Roles
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Commented On
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Karen Lloyd
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Wrote the introduction, wrote The Education Lens of Adult Learning, proofread, double-checked APA formatting, assured flow of paper, put together implications, provided summary chart
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Group 3-Katherine, Jackie, Hagan, & Shane
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Darla Harrington (Leader)
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Wrote The Social-Cultural Lens of Adult Education, did tables, did the APA formatting, proofread
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Group 4-Smanantha McFadden, Amelia Boggess, Nathan Stoll, Maureen Chavez-Reda
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Travis Casper
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Wrote The Business Lens of Adult Education, proofread
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Perspectives of Adult Education
Karen Lloyd, Darla Harrington, and Travis CasperBall State UniversityEDAC 631
Dr. Sharan Merriam tells us in her
interview Adult Education with Different
Hats (2019) that the field of adult education is diverse because each
person can view it through their own lens. Each individual studying the field
will find particular areas in which they have the most interest and are best
able to grow their expertise. This perspective of adult education, as
fragmented, will be the focus throughout our paper as we look at this
perspective by viewing adult education as a multi-faceted area of study.
In her interview, Dr. Merriam points out a
few specific examples of the different lenses in which we can view adult
education. She first mentions a business lens where areas of interest may be
human resource development (HRD) or organizational development (OD). She then
covers an educational lens that includes both skills development and personal
development. She finishes by addressing a social-cultural lens of adult
education in which she utilizes the example of a museum and her personal
example of Road Scholars (Merriam, 2019).
To understand how adult education has
become such a broad field, we need to begin by first looking at adult
education’s history. Armed with this knowledge of the field and Dr. Merriam’s
perspective of adult education as a broad field, we can then begin to explore
just a few of the lens in which we can view adult education. In our paper, we
will take a look at the education lens as we look back over the history of
adult education, as we see this as the original lens of the field. We will then
glimpse into the social-cultural lens by talking about Road Scholars and how
they broaden the field and we will conclude with a look through the business
lens by taking a look at HRD. Our hope is that when you finish reading our
paper you can understand the impact of Dr. Merriam’s statement from her
interview, “There’s lots going on. [. . . ] I can’t imagine how you could get
this all under one umbrella anyway” (Merriam, 2019).
The
Educational Lens of Adult Learning
So, what is adult education? Some may say
it is continuing education, others may say it is non-formal education, and
still others may say it is any learning done by adults. According to
“Merriam-Webster (n.d.) “adult education is defined as “continuing education”,
which in turn is defined as “formal courses of study for adult part-time
students”. Is there any one definition that does a great job of encompassing
all that is adult education in the technological times that we live in?
To understand how broad adult education
has become, we have to understand first, the history of adult education in the United States. In the article History of Adult Education: Info on Adult
Education Programs (n.d.), we find that “the first adult education programs
began in the 1700s”. These programs consisted of learning trades, along with
reading and writing. This we believe hits on the educational lens in which Dr.
Merriam referred to in her interview. In terms of adult education focusing on
apprenticeships and trades, along with basic adult education like literacy, it
could be said that formal adult education was very narrow at this time.
In the 1800s adult education broadened to
encompass more group studies. Thomas Sticht writes in his chapter about the aim
of group members being able to use education for self-improvement. These group
studies were in part due to The Lyceum movement and later would prove helpful
in the formation of adult education institutions like Chautauqua (Sticht, 2002,
para. 24). Robert McNamara (2018) tells us that the Lyceum movement was “a
popular trend of adult education in the 1800s as scholars, authors, and even
local citizens, would give lectures to local chapters of the organization”.
Chautauqua made even bigger moves in adult education by experimenting with
“out-of-school, vacation learning” (Chautauqua Institution, n.d.). According to
the Chautauqua Institution (n.d.) “The four-year, correspondence course was one
of the first attempts at distance learning”. It was through this time period,
we can see adult education broadening to encompass more of the social-cultural
lens of the field.
As adult education entered into the 20th
century we have even more factors leading to the broadening umbrella of adult
education and we can see the business lens taking shape alongside educational
and social-cultural lenses. “During the 1900s, the government began taking a
more important role in adult education” (History of Adult Education, n.d.).
Following World War II we see the government step in with adult education for
military members in the form of the GI Bill and programs, like the Manpower
Development Act and the Economic Development Act, whose aim was to help train
and educate those American adults that were unemployed (History of Adult
Education, n.d.).
It was also in the 20th century that we
began to get new definitions for not only what adult education was, but also
how it was taught. Malcolm Knowles and his theory of adult education,
Andragogy, laid out 5 characteristics of adult learners: self-concept,
experience, readiness to learn, orientation to learning, and motivation to
learn (Miroballi, 2010). These characteristics and the principles that Knowles
applied to adult learning have and will continue to shape adult education.
One of the principles of Andragogy that
continue to add to the diversity and broad definition for adult learning is,
“Adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance
to their job or personal life” (Miroballi, 2010). With an ever-growing desire
for individuals to seek out knowledge for both self-improvement and
professional development we can see that adult education has continued to grow
from within into the business and social-cultural lenses based on individual
needs. This will lead us into the social-cultural lens, let us take a look.
The
Social-Cultural Lens of Adult Education
While discussing the social-cultural lens
of adult education, in her interview, Dr. Merriam brings up the idea of lifelong
learning institutes. One of the lifelong learning institutes discussed in her interview
is the Road Scholar program (Adult Education with different hats, 2019). Let us
take a look at the Road Scholar program and how it helps shape the social-cultural
lens of adult education by allowing adults to learn in different social and
cultural environments.
The
Road Scholar's mission is: “to inspire adults to learn, discover and travel. Our
learning adventures engage expert instructors, provide extraordinary access,
and stimulate discourse and friendship among people for whom learning is the
journey of a lifetime” (Giving, n.d.). With a humble beginning and just six
students, Road Scholars has grown to over 100,000 participants each seeking their
own education journey (Our Story, n.d.).
Road
Scholars target Baby Boomers and this is why it is a great example of the
social-cultural lens of adult education (How it Works, n.d.). The Baby Boomer generation
has a focus on lifelong learning and has continued to add to the many ways in
which we each learn. To participate you just have to be willing to learn and
have a great time doing so (How it Works, n.d.), this could be seen as quite a
contrast from the learning that was experienced in the 1700 and 1800s.
Each
Road Scholars trip is designed specifically for learning. A knowledgeable
faculty member attends to point out important facts and to answer questions,
lectures by experts are given, and participants then discuss their day and what
they have learned by sharing their experiences with their cohort. This
educational experience is different from merely traveling, as the details are
more focused on their education. Members receive suggested reading before they
attend in an effort to reinforce the learning that will take place on this
social learning adventure. The itineraries for Road Scholars are extremely
detailed, however, they do allow time for participants to explore on their own.
This is important because adult education has become so individualized and each
participant may be seeking out a different educational experience. By traveling
with Road Scholars, adults will learn through experiences (The Experience,
n.d.).
Road
Scholars does not just give us a good view of the social-cultural lens of adult
education but it also continues to show the sheer amount of adult education out
in the world today. Road Scholars offers a myriad of learning adventures that
include foreign countries, national parks, walking/hiking, signature cities,
favorite ships, exclusive voyages, and even the grandparent trips that Dr.
Merriam mentioned. There are 5,500
learning adventures (The Experience, n.d.), so this alone expands the umbrella
of adult education in and of itself.
Road
Scholars is not free education. These trips do cost a fee to participate and
the cost varies according to the trip. There is a program to fit any budget and
grants and/or scholarships are available for those who qualify. This is helpful
in understanding that adult education can also be viewed through a business
lens. Let us now explore a more traditional role of adult education through a
business lens, as we take a look at human resource development (HDR) and how it
fits into adult education.
The Business Lens of Adult Education
We can see a third
lens in which to view adult education through Dr. Merriam’s interview, where
she highlighted a couple of specific points that pertained to the business lens
of adult education. Dr. Merriam tells us in the interview that individuals that
are involved in the vocation and production sectors of society may view adult
education as human resource development (HRD) or organizational development
(OD) (2019). Human resource development is the structure used to assist members
of a company’s workforce to grow within their individual and operational
aptitude, understanding, and potential (Heathfield, 2019)
While, operational development is an attempt to organize, and grow a company’s
success and strength through organized involvement in the company’s procedures and
a firm understanding of the principles and practices associated with human
relations (McNamara, n.d.).
This particular
lens gives us even more breadth in which to look at how diversified adult
education can be and how easily the lines of adult education can be blurred
with that of the business world. In their article, Bridging the Gap between
Human Resource Development and Adult Education, Hatcher and Bowles (2006, Part
One) talk about how conflict has created animosity between two distinct academic
fields both of which have a place within adult education itself. Hatcher and Bowles then go on to discuss the advantages should
these two fields work together in cooperation of the bigger picture (2006, Part
Two). We can see again what Dr. Merriam was emphasizing in her interview, this
idea of adult education being beneath this large umbrella (2019).
Thomas
Reio, Jr. (2007) in his article that explores links between adult education and
human resource development presents a solution to the problem introduced above
by Hatcher and Bowles (2006). Reio Jr. believes adult education and human
resource development need to speak as one voice to bring together the social,
economic, moral, and political support needed to benefit all in bridging this
perceived gap (2007). Looking toward interdisciplinary work may be a way of not
only bridging the gap between human resource development and adult education,
but it may also be a way to bridge together the different lenses of adult
education as a whole.
While
exploring different lenses of adult education, it may seem that the educational
lens and the business lens may be pitted against each other. However, we
believe there to be great value if they banded together for the good of
everyone involved. This way they would both be best equipped to offer those
within each field the best overall educational and workplace experience
possible.
This business lens along with human
resource development also gives us a good way and example of looking at how
adult education cannot be a one-size-fits-all or one-size-fits-most area of
study. Take for example the idea of human resource development or adult
education as training. Nearly every organization has some
kind of training whether it is formal training or more practical hands-on
training. However, inherent in any training, there are dangers associated with
it. Some individuals may not fully grasp all of the concepts and/or rules,
others may not be able to digests the training as quickly, while others may
find the training boring or repetitive. These examples represent just a few of
the reasons why training and mentoring within human resource development need to work with and have an understanding of adult education. For
without both, theoretical and practical knowledge of the fields, adult education,
and human
resource development cannot truly serve those that
provide services and those who receive services.
The
Many Lenses of Adult Education – Implications
Adult education can be looked at as a way
of teaching mature individuals ways to think critically, act accordingly, and
with responsibility based on their life experiences. When individuals pursue
further study through the different lenses of adult education (educational,
social-cultural, and business) they are in essence seeking knowledge and skills
that will allow them to provide for the safety and security of themselves and their
families. Furthermore, inputting this new knowledge and these new skills to
work, individuals with backgrounds in adult education seek to serve others in
their community and society as we all strive to empower each other to handle
the daily situations, issues, and problems that come as we live life. Dr.
Merriam’s umbrella is so encompassing of many perspectives because adult
education is about being a part of lifelong learning and you simply cannot
place a lifetime in a little box with a beautiful bow.
Throughout this paper, we hope you can
clearly see that adult education continues to change from its humble beginnings
of teachings about religion and basic literacy skills to immeasurable amounts
of online, group, and face-to-face experiences that take place on countless
subjects and in countless settings across the world. We are not just educating
adults in the hopes of increasing literacy rates or to lower unemployment anymore.
We are using adult education to grow individuals in the direction(s) that works
best for them to succeed in today’s society. Therefore, because of the
diversity of subjects and the many lenses that adult education can be viewed
through, the definition of adult education will need to continue to grow. Both
educators and students will need to teach and be taught within the areas of their
own interest and expertise.
Dr.
Merriam’s interview conveyed to us the very idea that adult education has many
hats and is multifaceted. We have the more traditional lens of adult education,
the social-cultural lens that includes lifelong learning institutes, and we
have the business lens that led us into HRD. Each of these areas does in fact, fall
under one or more of the many lenses found under adult education and helps to
again show the vastness of the field. We have to be open to interdisciplinary
work if we want to retain adult education as a field. Just as Dr. Merriam
pointed out, everyone views adult education through their own lens (Merriam,
2019) and the educational, social-cultural, and business lenses add more
complex layers to the already extremely diverse and hard to define the field of
adult education.
We
as adult educators have to recognize the breadth of our field and where our expertise
and interest lay. Adult education can and should continue to be recognized as a
field, as adults will always look for and participate in educational
experiences whether for personal or professional growth. We cannot try to
narrow the field at the expense of losing an area or lens of the field. Each
area is important in its own right. We have to be aware of where the differences
are and be willing to work within our own and other disciplines to gain the
maximum advantage and ability to continue to educate the adult population.
We
agree with a similar idea taken from Hatch and Bowles (2006, Part Two) that if
the areas of adult education and the surrounding fields remain divided, adult
education could become inaccessible, as adult education programs may be
compacted or shut down because educational programs cannot solve their
disagreements. We need a commitment within each discipline to work within their
lens and the lenses of others to find ways of working harmoniously to provide
adult students with the best learning experience.
We
think just putting together this perspective paper on adult education has shown
our group the many perspectives and lenses in which adult education can be
viewed and how that can affect the field of adult education. This is
illustrated in our group’s diversity in the subjects within the field we each
find interesting. One group member draws their interest from the social-cultural
lens, with a passion for lifelong learning institutes and adult educational
institutions. Another group member finds his passion and expertise fall within
the business lens with regard to HRD. While our last group member finds she
best likes exploring both the educational foundations and social-cultural lens
of self-improvement through the community. We find that with adult education,
no one perspective is right or wrong. What we do find is the need to find ways
to work together within the different areas to continue to grow the field of
adult education as a whole.
Adult
education does not have to be about the many topics that can be taught, but
more about the ways in which topics are taught. The focus for adult education
may need to focus more on how to
teach the diverse groups of adults with differing learning styles and goals
that fall under this large umbrella that is adult education. Dr. Merriam asks
in her interview “does it matter that, you know, everybody who is doing
something in education with adults, calls it adult education? Does that
matter?” (2019). We believe adult education can be called and can teach many
things, but what really matters is that adults have the opportunities to
ascertain an education that proves most beneficial to themselves, their
community, and society at large.
Summary of Assignment
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Introduction
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Discussions
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The Educational Lens
The Social-cultural Lens
The Business Lens
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Implications
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References
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(n.d.). Road Scholar. Retrieved on
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Hatcher,
T & Bowles, T. (2006). Bridging the gap between human resource development
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Hatcher,
T & Bowles, T. (2006). Bridging the gap between human resource development
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