The Scope and Nature of Adult Education Programs - Report Example

Comic Book Conventions as a Learning Introduction When we look at Non-formal education, what does it mean? Non-formal education simply put is an organised educational activity, which is based outside the formal system of learning. The way it operates is that it separately is a feature of a broader activity, and that it is intended to serve identifiable learning objectives (Smith, 2002). Often the activities have a voluntary approach instead of a mandatory participation of adult learning. Taylor mentions that non-formal learning, such as a field trip to museums, zoos, aquariums, and libraries produce spontaneous general interest in such institutions (Taylor et al, 2010). These multitude of institutions listed by Taylor, and Parrish and countless other educators, provide us with opportunities for lifelong learning, and include an educational experience. With growing popularity in the field of these cultural institutions, the people are provided with a recreational and educational perspective. This paper will explore mainly the perspective of Non-formal education in the adult learning setting. This will include a discussion of the non-formal learning institution considered as Comic Book Conventions. Particularly we will be discussing the once a year event brought to the general public in Toronto, Ontario known as The Fan Expo Canada, and touch basis of comparison between Montreal Comic-con and The San Diego International Comic-con. For the examination of this paper, we will begin with the history of Comic Book Conventions, thus letting us follow further to the next discussion of the attractions and programs provided within this type of institutions. Then we will move on to discuss about the pros and cons of this institutional yearly event and thus ending the discussion with my experience attending the Comic Book Convention and with my final thoughts as to my conclusion. History of Comic Book Conventions My journey will begin mainly focusing and discussing about one of my favorite Comic Book Conventions which is Fan Expo Canada located in Toronto, Ontario. I will as well mention a few times the Montreal Comic-Con and a bit about San Diego International Comic-Con. Before I get to the history and the back bones of Fan Expo Canada, I will mention a mission statement that San Diego Comic-Con has issued, which I believe all of the other Comic Book Conventions throughout North America, follow that same belief and mission. This is what they have to say on their main site “Comic-Con International: San Diego is a non-profit educational corporation dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture” (San Diego Comic Convention, 2015). I think I wouldn’t have been able to re-phrase this any better than they have written it. It shows by the statement that they thrive on art and culture which they try and appeal as a non-formal learning institution. With this statement, I will be able to connect it to Taylor’s, and Parrish’s texts about non-formal education and much more throughout this paper. History of Fan Expo Canada-Toronto In Toronto, Fan Expo Canada occurs annually as a multi-genre fan convention. In 1994 it was founded by Hobby Star Marketing Inc. Generally it hosts a four day event over the span of a weekend, usually Thursday to Sunday at the end of August right before Labour Day weekend at the (MTCC) Metro Toronto Convention Centre (Informa Canada, 2015). Fan Expo Canada presents to the public comic books, science fiction/fantasy and film/television which includes a large range of pop culture for fans. To go even further, they also have a variety of entertainment and collectibles for the faint of heart such as manga, toys, collectible card games, and video games. Below you will be able to see a chart where Fan Expo Canada ranks among the rest of the biggest Comic Book Conventions throughout North America. By looking at the 2012 chart we can clearly see that Fan Expo Canada is the largest of its kind in Canada having amassed a total of 91, 118 attendees for a four day event. Parrish in her reflections on adult learning in cultural institutions talks about when attending a public forum, public library, or even visiting a war memorial, adult learners often are motivated by a variety of factors in their choices to visit cultural institutions. In this case Parrish states that it is evident of considering the concept of free-choice learning (Parrish, 2010, pp. 87-88). This in retrospect allows the learner to recognize the choice of visiting a specific setting and the motivation behind this choice to visit such institutions are often connected to self-identity and self-perception. A good example that Parrish mentions to enforce the argument is that learners who participate in a particular cultural institution are personally engaged in predispositions towards the engagement with that environmental issue. The learning in particular by the participants is often described as a non-linear, continual, and unique experience (Parrish, 2010, pp. 87-88). Attractions at Fan Expo Canada When it comes to attractions Fan Expo Canada offers an array of unique attractions that caters the needs of the many. Some include Pre-screenings, to shows and movies which offer live introductions from the Directors, Producers and Cast members. At Fan Expo Canada sometimes you can even get rare events such as an actual wedding that took precedence back in 2012. To go a bit further other attractions at Fan Expo Canada have been standardized on a year to year basis because of its popularity; Speed Dating, Steampunk activities, Lolita fashion, many popular movie themed kiosks where you can take a picture with the Bat mobile, Scooby-doo van and much more to name a few (Informa Canada, 2015). As well there are comic-book dealers, collectibles merchants, an autograph area, and the Artists' Alley where comic’s artists can sign autographs and sell or do free sketches. As a side note in recent years, Fan Expo Canada began to follow the same path as San Diego Comic-Con which started selling "exclusive" products to attendees. In order to elaborate on the “exclusive” part, it simply means that the merchandise is licensed properties of popular movie, and comic book characters. A good and important side note that Parrish mentions is that constructing meaning within cultural institutions include moments of discovery, which sparks an interest in the participant, helping learners explore, and engage in new concepts (Parrish, 2010, p. 88). When looking at the process, the opportunities given to participate creatively and collaboratively free from normative social structures such as; role-playing, and experimentation helps with the learning outcome. Learners are encouraged to take action in changing everyday practices and this helps guide towards a more sustainable lifestyle of choices determined by the learner. Fan Expo Canada Programming In this segment we will be discussing the different types of programs that Fan Expo Canada has to offer to the public that attends the event. We will begin with panels and they consist of (Q&A) Questions and Answers to and from celebrity guests. This is the time that fans of a particular actor can ask any and all questions directly to the star. Another program that is offered is called Workshops, this is where the magic of learning new things about the culture of comic books and a huge variety of interests (Informa Canada, 2015). You can have a workshop that is run by professional comic book artists that will teach you how to draw, create comic strips in depth. As well those that are more experienced in comic book art can choose to present their portfolios and get reviews by the professionals which in some cases can lead to getting a job even in the industry. Then there are the new type of workshops that include makeup design, amateur films, and video game enthusiasts. The same applies in all these different categories, in which professionals that run these specific workshops can review your work and possibly give you a helping chance to get your foot through the door in the industry your most enthusiastic about. In general, this is a perfect concept since it helps industry leaders search and find new talents that they can hire as a career opportunity. All of the events mentioned above are typically conducted during the day session of the event. Now to move along to the evening portion of programs that is offered to the fans. One of the most entertaining of them all as an evening program is the Masquerade. Those who wish to participate in it must come to the convention with a costume that was hand made by them. During the Masquerade the participants go on stage in front of a live audience and play out a simple scenario in order to present their costume. Towards the end a ceremony is held thus proclaiming the winner with the best costume at the convention. This is where we come down to traditional programs that are offered which consist of screening rooms for Japanese animation, gaming, films and TV series. Academics and comic industry professionals at Fan Expo Canada present scholarly studies on comics as a medium. So to conclude this part, as you can see there are many programs that I touched upon and that is only the tip of the ice burg to how much more is offered. In chapter 9, from the article of reflections of Adult learning in Cultural Institutions, Parrish presents a good argument about how engaging cultural institutions fosters social change through critical pedagogy, by educating learners in engaging and critiquing the dominant ideology in these institutions. Furthermore, popular public spaces, often marginalized from these institutions are privileged alongside with expert knowledge (Parrish, 2010, pp. 92-93). This implies to the context of Comic Book Conventions which are institutional sites of social change and they are significant for adult educators. This form of Convention institution offers untapped resources that epistemologically arouse curiosity between educators and learners. The setting is often valued with powerful content (cognitive, affective) and the experiences provoke the participant with deep reflection thus distinguishing it from traditional educational settings. The Pros and Cons of Fan Expo Canada When it comes to Comic Book Conventions, there are always going to be issues that can arise. To the issues you will always have a fifty percent of the attendees that will be dissatisfied and the other fifty percent that will have the time of their lives. Like any public event the organizers rely on participants reviews to know how to better the event for next year in order to try and make everyone happy. The Cons One of the main issues that come up every year is the capacity of attendance at Fan Expo Canada. In 2010 crowding issues were on the priority list for the organizers, the event itself outgrew the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, even if they tried to move into the largest halls in the facility. In that same year, the event left thousands of fans outside for which many were waiting several hours for re-entry. Because of this growing concern, additional space had to be rented; they had to hire more staff, find a new way of selling tickets, also added extra hours and went out of their way to add an additional day which went from three to a four day event. Other than that issue, the pros outweigh the cons and because otherwise it is a pretty fantastic experience. The Pros After talking with numerous fans at Fan Expo Canada, it doesn’t matter to which Comic Book Convention they have attended, and the biggest response the point out to is that regarding the conventions, it is always fun, the atmosphere provided is phenomenal, they enjoy cosplaying because they end up meeting their heroes. The bigger these events become due to public demand, the more chances that high-profile guests will appear for the attendees to enjoy. The amount of attendees on a yearly basis proves that there is an appetite for these events. What was once classed as a “nerd thing”' is becoming popular with big-budget comic book movies. The pro part here is that more people are getting involved in culture that was once considered “not cool”. Many Non-formal organizations such as Comic Book Conventions or institutions have educated staff who oversee the education and outreach of these functions. Usually these institutions or organizations employ volunteers, with this they create departments explicitly for exhibits, guided tours, programs, workshops, shows, and guest speakers. In general the responsibility of these employees is to be responsible for how people experience the visit. The educational opportunities that arise from these events help capture the social welfare of understanding how real things are experienced such as; art, or collections. However, Resnicow describes that the nature of an attraction, provides educators the challenge to what may appear to be entertainment, into a tool to encourage visitors to be drawn to deeper levels of involvement (Resnicow, 1994). This in understanding helps guide the organizations or institutions to clearly hear the concerns of the participants and make changes to accommodate a better experience. My experience: Attending Fan Expo Canada Fan Expo Canada has grown so much in recent years that it increased from three to four days in length. I thought that I might be too tired to experience FEC 2014 after attending Ottawa Comic-Con a few months earlier, but thankfully this convention offered a less intense atmosphere. Before the convention started, I had already made a list of several actors I wanted to meet and get a professional Photo-Op with them. To meet Elijah Wood (Frodo: from Lord of The Rings) and Michael Rooker (Merle: from The Walking Dead), I had to wait a few hours. However, since they were very popular actors it was worth the wait. I have started taking a photo album to conventions in order to collect the photographs so that they would not be bent or ripped in my backpack. In another case I decided to go and meet a comic book artist that goes by the name of Mike Mignola (creator of Hell Boy), once arrived at his table, I saw that he charged a commission for custom art, it’s always good to ask if they will sketch you something for free. Instead his autograph was free and I decided to get my action figure of Hell Boy to sign it for me. One difference that I noticed between Ottawa Comic-Con or even Montreal Comic-Con and Fan Expo Canada (FEC) was that people seemed more interested in buying comic books and visiting the artists at FEC instead of Ottawa or Montreal. Like usual as at any Comic Book Convention, fans browsed booths full of pop culture merchandise. My friend and I decided to buy some collectibles as well by joining the herd of sheep flocking the booths. There was a multitude of attractions to keep your head spinning round for a while. The only down side is that unlike meeting with the comics professionals for free, trying to interact with the celebrities is not possible for free, it carried an additional charge for autographs which in that case you stand for hours just to say hello to the star of your choice. So my friend and I decided like many attendees to choose instead to take a picture with the celebrities and afterwards with a multitude of cosplayers roaming the hallways. The intricate costumes never cease to amaze me. Cosplayers in fact make a Comic-Con event that much better, because they liven up the place and you can see heroes and favorite characters from your childhood and then go ask them if you can take a picture with them. My only real disappointment was with the endless lineups although many moved quickly but yet still irritating. But all in all with everything there was to see and do at the Fan Expo Canada convention, my friend and I left the convention as very happy fans. Conclusion To conclude on this epic event that has similar roots all throughout North America, we can clearly see that Comic Book Conventions are a growing popularity and for which is a culture of arts in its own form. We have discussed about the history of the events held on a yearly basis, we have also touched upon the attractions that attendees can enjoy, the programing that has an endless stream of information that helps people become more knowledgeable in this type of culture. I have also discussed the pros and cons which in regards to the events are a minor issue on the negative aspect, and of course my pleasurable experience attending the Fan Expo Canada convention which will stay in my memories and heart for life as the most memorable event. When we look at the academic authors, theorists that I have mentioned throughout the paper, it can be seen that non-formal education is very powerful and that it gives a lot back to the participant, in ways of learning new life experiences, emotional connections, and expansion of theory and skill application. In essence this type of organization fits perfectly with the non-formal style of education. When you participate in such events you will learn something new nonetheless, which is a great way to expand anybody’s mind from the contextual frame of formal education. It is fun, active, and participative and it helps give you a better outlook on information through life learning in various establishments whether it is a museum, zoo or a convention. In general no matter what age you are, if you love comic books, sci-fi genre, movies or just TV shows in general, then I highly recommend that when the next Comic Book Convention comes to town, to go and attend it. You could never know who you might meet in this world of fantasy.   References Informa Canada Inc. (2015). Fan Expo Canada, Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Retrieved on 23/02/2015 from http://www.fanexpocanada.com/ Montreal Comiccon. (2015). Montreal Comiccon. Retrieved on 23/02/2015 from http://www.montrealcomiccon.com Parrish, M. M. (2010). Reflections on adult learning in cultural institutions. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2010(127), 87-95. PWxyz, LLC. (2013). What are the biggest comic-cons in North America? Retrieved on 23/02/2015 from http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/2013/06/19/what-are-the-biggest-comic-cons-in-north-america/ Resnicow, D. (1994). What is Watkins really asking? Curator: The Museum Journal, 37(3), 150-151. Smith, M. K. (2002) Informal, non-formal and formal education: a brief overview of different approaches. The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved on 23/02/2015 from http://www.infed.org/foundations/informal_nonformal.htm Taylor, E. W. Parrish, M. M., & Banz, R. (2010). Adult Education in Cultural Institutions: Libraries, Museums, Parks, and Zoos. Handbook of adult and continuing education, 327-336. Read More