Adult learning and development theories applied to military education - Assignment Example

? Adult learning and development theories applied to military education Supervisor: September 21, Adult learning and development theories applied to military education Introduction Learning is a comprehensive process that relies on learners’ potentials as well as their environment. Favorable external environments promote learning and learning and developmental theories facilitate moderation of the environment for maximum utility in delivery of educational services. Established educational programs play an important role in influencing learning processes and program components, moderated by learning and developmental theories, empowers learning processes to success. Examples of learning theories are social cognitive orientation theory, transformational learning theory and self-directed learning theory while Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is an example of developmental theories. Class sessions, tutoring, advising, program evaluation, and mandatory assessment are examples of program components and this paper reviews them subject to learning theories and developmental theories. Transformational learning theory and educational learning components Transformational learning theory is core to adult learning program. The theory’s core construct is the learning approach in which adults transform their existing knowledge, opinions, and assumptions and assume a more open minded and comprehensive scope of their experiences. The theory relies on meditations, based on positive and negative experiences that motivate an individual and those experiences that develop surprises to adult learners, leading to social change that may be evident in reduced poverty level in the society, enhanced knowledge base in the learners, or reduced level of oppression. Transformational learning also relies on learners’ rationale from which new knowledge constructs are developed from experiences (Merriam, Caffarella and Baumgartner, 2012; Westby, 2007). Class session defines the traditional learning process in which a teacher teaches students belonging to a given class. It is a common approach to adult education, especially because of fixed schedules converges learning time, and constrained facilities. The foundation of class session exposure of the learner to new knowledge and this identifies with diversified aspects of the transformational learning theory. Exposure to new knowledge offers a basis for reflection into the learner’s experience, a process that triggers the transformational learning theory’s aspect of reconstruction of perspectives. Developed knowledge in class sessions also offer a benchmark for determining the motivational aspect of an experience as lower benchmarks would enlist positive attitude while high benchmarks would identify discouragements in a learner’s experience. Interactive class sessions also exhaust learners’ perspectives and rationale to transform approach to knowledge development and to changed held perspectives (King, 2009; Boylan, Bliss and Bonham, 1997). Unlike class sessions, tutoring focuses on small number of students per educators and may sometimes be done on a one-on one basis. Its scope is similar to the scope of class session and therefore identify with transformational learning theory. The tutor, in a facilitator role, exposes learners to constructs that evoke reflection and meditation upon experience to motivate new perspectives. Learnt knowledge from the program component also establishes standards that motivate learners into reflections and meditations. Consequently, tutoring identifies with the transformational learning theory through its concepts that promote reflection, among learners, of their experience, meditation upon the experiences, and integration of the experiences and learnt concepts for a new perspective. Advisory and counseling initiatives are other major components of educational programs and apply to adult education. The adult learner prefers an active approach to knowledge development and requires guidance rather than basic teaching that younger learners may need. Transformational learning theory, through its constructivism perspective, explains educators’ role in empowering learners towards potentials and skills for knowledge acquisition as opposed to educator’s active role in the learning process. This identifies such approaches as advising learners on significance of reflection and meditation, and strategies that learners can use to integrate their experiences with their contemporary environment. Program evaluation defines assessment of achieved objectives through any strategy or theory that is applied in educational program. This identifies association between the program concept and transformational learning theory whose effectiveness the component can measure. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development and educational learning components The Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is based on key concept that learning results from developed thoughts from learners’ “actions in the world” (Keenan and Evans, 2009, p. 158). The world, according to the theory, defines schemes and includes “actions, memories, thoughts, or strategies” that interact towards knowledge development (Keenan and Evans, 2009, p. 158). The developmental theory is further associated with “predispositions to organize and adapt to new experiences” (159). Even though the developmental theory focuses on learning potential among children, it identifies early cognitive maturity, before adulthood. This establishes a basis for learning potentials among adults and development of strategies for learning (Keenan and Evans, 2009). Dreeben-Irima also explains applicability of the developmental theory to adults who failed to undergo the cognitive development process (2010). This further identifies the theory with the class sessions, tutoring, advising, and program evaluation (Boylan, Bliss and Bonham, 1997). The knowledge that adult learners are cognitively mature, except in cases on impaired development, facilitate appropriate class session strategies for both categories of adult learners and allows for facilitated active learning among adult learners with normal cognitive development potentials. The more specialized tutoring approach also identifies with the theory that can be used to identify potentials of each individual learner in any adult learning facility to ensure effective learning strategies for different learners’ needs. The theory can also be important determination of advisory and motivational strategies for adult learners with the two different potentials, those who are cognitively mature and those with cognitive disorder, for better learning results that program evaluation can monitor (Boylan, Bliss and Bonham, 1997). Conclusion Transformational learning theory establishes a basis for learners’ potentials and needs that educators needs to considers towards empowering learners in the preferred active learning process. This influences learning strategies and environment for class sessions and tutoring and develops bases for informing advisory and program evaluation in adult learning. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development also identifies learners’ potentials, which are majorly attained in childhood, and which determines strategies for effective learning. Transformational learning theory is more effective in influencing program components in adult education that Piaget’s developmental theory. This is because it identifies fundamental constructs to effective education while Piaget’s theory is trivial to adult education, except in isolated cases of impaired development. References Boylan, H., Bliss, L. and Bonham, B. (1997). Program components and their relationship to student performance. Journal of Developmental Education (20.3): 1-10. Dreeben-Irima, O. (2010). Patient education in rehabilitation. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Keenan, T. and Evans, S. (2009). An introduction to child development. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. King, K. (2009). The handbook of the evolving research of transformative learning based on the learning activities survey. Charlotte, NC: IAP. Merriam, S., Caffarella, R. and Baumgartner, L. (2012). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Westby, C. (2007). How early childhood and K—12 teachers experience transformational learning in a dynamic urban setting: The role of knowledge facets. 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