Master of Education Elective 6 1. Unit Details FACULTY Faculty of Education SUBJECT CODE EST 515 SUBJECT NAME Adult Education CREDIT POINTS 15 CREDIT HOURS & LEARNING HOURS 150 MODE(S) OF DELIVERY Students will typically experience the learning in this subject through the following processes and/or content that will be covered, by: • Lectures and group discussions • Workshops and independent study • Working on action learning • Documenting professional practice Learning Partners Students are encouraged to develop contacts and networks with fellow students. All the students encouraged to use the facilities of MNU such as library, online database and MNU learning management system (GEM). Specific study skills for this subject Study skills are not a set of techniques, which you can acquire by reading a manual or attending few workshops. Learning to study effectively and efficiently takes time and is very individual. What works for one person may not work for another, so each of us has to develop our own approach. You can, however, learn a lot by comparing notes with other students and consulting your lecturer. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED BY INSTRUCTORS/LECTURERS NONE PRE-REQUISITES & CO-REQUISITES None YEAR 2014 SEMESTER 4 2. Synopsis Adult education is a diverse field of practice, with many areas of specialisation. Adult educators also perform a variety of roles-they maybe teachers, administrators, policy makers, facilitators of organisation all earning, researchers and so forth. The content of this subject is designed with this diversity in mind and surveys a range of theory and research related to different aspects of adult education practice. The subject begins with an exploration of students' practical theories and conceptual frameworks. Students then introduced to a variety of theories and frameworks relating to the core activities of teaching, group work, learning facilitation, program design and evaluation, policy formation and implementation. The subject also examines debates related to significant contemporary issues. The subject enables students to make the transition to postgraduate study by providing them with opportunities to write in both experiential and scholarly ways. Understanding Adult Education and Training is an elective in the Master of Education. It does not focus on how to teach adults (this is covered in other subjects). Its purpose is to help you locate yourself and your practices an adult educator and to understand something of the breadth of the field and the traditions and philosophies which inform its practices. 3. Aim and Expected Learning Outcomes The subject aims to assist adult educators to think more clearly about their work and to act on it more effectively. On the successful completion of the subject students should be able to: • Develop critical and contextual analyses of adult learning and education; • Demonstrate scholarly rigour in analysing and discussing adult learning and education; • Recognise the major influences on the practice of adult education and training in contemporary Maldives and their influence on their own work as an educator; • Demonstrate an understanding of their position in the field of adult education that takes into account personal values, organisational values, ethics and intellectual traditions. 3. Unit Schedule Week Session and Topics covered Key concepts, objectives and core and suggested readings WEEK 1 General Introduction Defining adult education and learning Students to familiarize with the unit outline, topics covered, and understand the assessment and other expectations (attendance, participation, self-study etc.) through • Introducing students to the overall format of the module including the outline (lectures/tutorials/presentations/portfolios). • Informing students of the main objectives of the unit, topics covered, and teaching materials used (how to access electronic resources), the workload, attendance requirements and to familiarize with the assessments and due dates. Students are expected to have some understanding of the terminologies used in adult education, how adult education evolved and introduce the concept of androgogy in adult education vs pedagogy and introduce the definitions of formal nonformal, informal and incidental learning in this lecture: • formal education • non-formal education • informal education • incidental learning Tutorial • In groups or pairs discuss the definitions put forth and decide on the definition that you think is the most appropriate. • What is your perception of adult education in the Maldivian context? Week 1 Readings: Foley, G. 2004 chapter 1 pp4-7, Merriam & Brockett p3-16 WEEK 2 Understanding adult learners Who is an adult learner and adult learning theories and principles are discussed and the barriers and education filters for adult participation in learning activities including androgogy and other learning theories are covered, the importance of learning environments in adult education and how culture can be advocated through adult education programs are covered in this lecture: • Social and cultural roles • Developmental stages/theories • Cognition and learning • Participation • Learning environments Tutorial • In groups of 5 discuss the 5 learning principles of adults according to Malcolm Knowles. • Discuss the adult learning theories that are presented. • List down as many factors as you think apply to our context on the participation rates of the adult learners referring to the theories and education filters discussed in this lecture. Week 2 Readings: Foley, G. 2004 chapter 4 by Fenwick, T. & Tennant , M. pp55-73, Merriam & Brockett pp 129- 159 WEEK 3 Flexible learning for adults Definitions of flexible learning and why the flexible learning approach is appropriate for adult learners is discussed and the different modes of flexible learning adapted by higher education institutions are covered in this lecture. • Online learning • Tele courses • Computer based trainings • Interactive television • Hybrid courses Tutorial Group Discussion Individual students are expected to have read the relevant readings for each week, and expected to participate and contribute to tutorial discussion on the topics covered during the week. • Discuss the advantages of a flexible mode in the Maldivian context? • Who are the beneficiaries? Week 3 Reading: Foley, G. chapter 11 by Spencer, B. & Field, L. pp187- 214 WEEK 4 Learning for and at work Workplace education has many meanings, example informal and incidental learning, this lecture focuses on the perspectives of workplace learning and the workers interest in the workplace learning. • Trade union education in the new workplace • Informal learning in a changing workplace • Performance management • Enterprise bargaining • Workforce renewal Tutorial Individual students are expected to have read the relevant readings for each week, and expected to participate and contribute to tutorial discussion on the topics covered during the week. Discuss the following questions in groups by referring to the readings. 1- What are people really learning from the workplace? 2- What motivates their learning? 3- What is the impact on the individual? Week 4 Reading: Foley, G. chapter 13 by Forrester, K. & McTigue , P. pp219-233 WEEK 5 Vocational learning This lecture covers the definitions of VET, the VET sector and the economic and political forces contributing to the VET sector in different countries. • Defining vocational education • Economic crisis & VET • The changing nature of work and VET • VET & higher education • International comparisons • VET qualifications • VET curriculum • VET pedagogy Tutorial Group Discussion on VET in the Maldivian context In groups students discuss the concept of VET ‘as educating the working class’ or does VET deserve equal status with professional education. Can VET be compared with higher education in universities and how does it fit into our context. Refer to the below readings. The assigned group gives a presentation followed by discussion among the class. Week 5 Reading: Foley, G. Chapter 14 by Anderson, D. Brown, M. & Rushbrook, P. pp 234 -250 WEEK 6 Problem-based learning The core principles of problem based learning in adult education and the recent development of problem based learning in the context of university education is looked at. In addition the philosophical basis of community based problem based education is covered in this lecture. • Problem based learning as a teaching method • History of Problem based learning • Problem posing education • Community based problem based education • Inquiry learning Tutorial group discussion on the views of Freire and other authors on problem posing education. Discuss in groups the freire views on problem posing education and list down with 3 characteristics. Review of Freire, P.1972, Pedagogy of the Oppressed pp80-84 Week 6 Reading: Foley, G. Chapter 16 by Stephenson, P. & Galloway, V. pp 265-275 WEEK 7 Organisational Learning: Basic concepts This lecture covers the importance and growing prominence of organisational learning. The problematic aspects of organisational learning are covered and the aspects of technical, economical, political and ontological interest are highlighted. • Organisational learning • Why the interest in organisational learning • Weaknesses in the concept of organisational learning • The political interest and organisational learning • The ontological interest and organisational learning Tutorial presentation on analysis of two case studies. Study the case studies provided in the vignette 1 & 2 in the below readings. Discuss and note down in groups if you agree with the conclusions if not state the reasons why. Week 7 Reading: Foley, G. chapter 12 by Field, L. pp 201- 218. WEEK 8 Lifelong Learning This topic explores the diversity verses unity issue in adult education and lifelong learning and instutionalization, and the on going debate of the focus of life long learning being on the individual rather than the society. • Unity verses diversity • Should adult education be aligned with Education • The individual or the society Tutorial In groups discuss the following with the assistance of the below readings. Should adult education focus on the individual or the society? Week 10 Merriam, B. Chapter 4 pp77- 100 WEEK 9 Lifelong Learning This topic explores the diversity verses unity issue in adult education and lifelong learning and instutionalization, and the on going debate of the focus of life long learning being on the individual rather than the society. • Public policy • Typology of adult education Tutorial In groups discuss the following with the assistance of the below readings. According Quigley’s (1993) How are the social policies influencing the lifelong learning and adult education, is it promoting the social equity and advocating for social change or reinforcing the status quo? Week 10 Merriam, B. Chapter 4 pp77- 100 Week10 Teaching adults This lecture covers the global context of adult education, comparative adult education, and the goals of adult education and delivery systems. • Development of Adult education in different countries • Goals of adult education • Adult education delivery systems • Adult education for development • Intergovernmental and INGO who undertake adult education. • Role of UNESCO in adult education. Tutorial: Discuss in groups the term international adult education and what you interpret from this terminology with the assistance of the below reading. Week 10 Merriam, B. Chapter 7 pp161- 185 Week11 Prominent adult educators Students will be able to identify the prominent authors listed below and find out from the library and other sources the importance of a literature review and identify key steps in conducting a literature review required for the assignment. • Dorothy Fisher, • Merriam B Sharan • Foley G • Paulo Freire, • Cyril Houle, • Malcolm Knowles, • Alain Locke, • Howard McClusky • Jack Mezirow Tutorial presentation on review of literature related to the assignment. Discuss the educators that the individual has chosen for their assignment and the reasons based on the chosen topic. Week12 Your Position / role in adult education This lecture covers the roles of an adult educator in different countries and different contexts. • The Community as a Setting for Adult Education • The Community Education Movement • Community Development and Adult Education • Activating the Educative Community • Implications of training teachers for adults Tutorial presentation 1. Randomly select a colleague from your community. Ask each person to define in their own words the term "community." Note the differences and the similarities. 2. Analyze the various horizontal and vertical pulls on yourself or someone else you can interview. How would you go about strengthening your horizontal relationships in a community? 3. Determine how the school buildings in your community are being utilized for other than 1-12 grades activities. 4. What sort of legislation does your state have pertaining to community schools or community education? What amount of financial support is provided at the local level from state and national sources for community education? 5. Assume that you are new to a community and would like to be instrumental in establishing viable adult education activities. How would you go about determining the educational needs and interests of the residents? 6. Taking the situation established in Number 5 above, how would you go about facilitating the coordination of existing educational activities? 7. Determine if any sort of community guide booklet on available human services exists in your community. If one does not exist or if it does not contain information pertaining to education programs, you may wish to facilitate the development of such material. 8. What type of community centres exists in your community? Assess whether or not educational activities for adults take place in the centres. 9. What does the future portend for the use of community resources for educating all citizens in light of the Internet and wireless technology advances? Week 12 Reading: Foley G chapter 17 by Sparks, B. & Butterwick , S. pp 276- 288 Week13 Adult Education in the Maldives Introduce the students to the concept of the literacy program introduced in the 80 and 90 in the Maldives to eradicate illiteracy, the history of adult education and how it has evolved over the years. Tutorial Discussion with a resource person from NIE who has worked in non-formal education sector in the Maldives. Week14 Evaluating adult education and training This lecture seeks to cover certification in adult education and how it is practised now and the future of adult education. • Certification in adult education • Ethics and adult education • Reflective practice • Future of the filed Tutorial In groups discuss the following with the assistance of the below readings. What do I believe to be the primary purpose of adult education? Week 14 Merriam, B. Chapter 4 pp 277-288 4. Assessment of Learning Assessment Task Length Weight Due Date Case study of adult learning program. 2500 words 20% End of 6th Week You may work in pairs or in groups. Undertake a case study of an adult learning program, learn about the program operation and activities with reference to such factors as clientele served, nature of the adult education programs, status of the staff, philosophical rationale adhered to, by selecting a specific theory, concept or perspective to explore and applying it to your own context of interest. The program should be one that you can visit and carry out an on-site study. A. Summarize your findings in a manner that makes sense to you. B. Derive a statement of personal reflection and assessment based on the findings. 2. A discussion Paper 3,500 words 30 % End of Week 12 Assessment Two- This assignment offers the opportunity to discuss in more depth one of the topics or issues addressed in this subject. You need to design a question around which you will focus your discussion. This may be based on one of the subject's key questions/topics or it maybe a question that has particular relevance to you, your work or your interests as an adult educator. Choose one of the following questions How is the concept of lifelong learning affecting your profession (this may be in health, in education, or in whatever profession you are working in) and what implications does this have for continuing education in your area? • If a colleague returned to work in your section of the Maldives Poly Technic, or another educational setting, after being away for 10 years how would you explain the changes that have occurred and how they are affecting your work? • Human resource departments look radically different from those of a decade ago. How will these changes be reflected in the education and training needed to be a human resource practitioner. Is there, a future for the human resource developer professional? • Does postmodernism have anything to offer you in terms of understanding the contemporary context in adult education? What can you learn from the adult education literature on this topic? • Will the ability to access and work with the world-wide-web become essential for all adult learners in the next five years? What will this mean for planning educational programs and/ or interventions? EVALUATION AND GRADING Effective written communication is a key skill; therefore this course places a high premium on the quality and cogency of your written assignments. Written work in this class will be assessed for both the content of your ideas/arguments and the clarity of the writing (grammar, organization, etc.). All written work, needless to say, should be typewritten, proofread and spell-checked. Written work will be assessed based on the following criteria: 1. Completeness – Are all parts of the assignments included? Did you follow the directions/assignment specifications? 2. Accuracy – Accuracy refers to your main points, use of concepts learned in the class, use of evidence from readings and other sources, quoting from others and the uses of statistics and other data sources. Is what you say correct and supported by evidence? Accuracy also includes proper citation of sources. 3. Analysis – Are the main ideas of your paper identified? Have any implicit assumptions been identified and analyzed? Is the logic or the argument coherent and internally consistent? Is the evidence you use to make your argument assessed for its own strengths, weaknesses, limitations and representativeness? 4. Quality of Writing –Is the writing clear to the reader? Is the writing succinct or wordy? Is the writing organized to help the reader make their way through the paper? Are key statements supported by examples and details? Are positions taken, or arguments made, supported by evidence (facts) or argument (reasoning by analogy, metaphor)? Is the overall writing coherent.   5. Late Application of Assignment A penalty of 10% per day (24 hours) applies to work submitted after the due date without an approved extension. Extension forms are available from the Faculty of Arts office and must be approved by the appropriate course coordinator prior to the due date. Extensions will only be granted for illness or serious problems beyond a student’s control. Please note that the submission of a request for an extension does not necessarily guarantee approval of the request. Requests for extensions on the grounds of illness must be supported by a medical certificate or other documentation. Please note that computer malfunctions will not be considered as sufficient grounds for extension. 6. Academic Honesty and Plagiarism Plagiarism is copying the thoughts or work of another as one’s own and presenting it as such. At MNU plagiarism is considered to be a form of academic misconduct and is viewed very seriously. Students may be given zero for the whole subject or an assignment depending on the seriousness of the plagiarism involved. Further information on plagiarism is available at: www.mnu.edu.mv. 7. Expected Resources for Students Reading in this subject • You will do a lot of reading in this subject. There is no need to be intimidated by this. The subject content will introduce you to key authors, books, trends and debates in adult education and associated fields. Your assessment for this subject will also get you reading. Below are some important points to keep in mind when reading for this subject: • The recommended text has an extensive bibliography. This should be one of your first points of call for locating further resources for your assessment tasks and further reading. • There is a burgeoning amount of education literature in the MNU library. As adult education is relatively new and undeveloped field of study it will be necessary to read beyond the adult education literature and into the social sciences. • In postgraduate study it is important to learn to read ruthlessly, critically, quickly and effectively. • Don’t waste your time with shallow or discursive literature. There is plenty of other material to read so move on to something else if you are not getting something out of what you are doing. • Read for purpose, which in the Masters will often by connected to something, you are writing. • Use contents pages, indexes, introductory and concluding chapters and sections of chapters. Skim. • Most people find it is better not to just read. Most of us take more in if we take (brief) notes or mark key words or sections in photocopies. Identify key words and issues in what you are re reading. Then, perhaps, link them together in a chart Core Texts • Merriam, S., & Brockett, R. (2007). The profession and practice of adult education: An introduction, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Foley, G. (ed.) (2004) Dimensions of adult learning: adult education and training in a global era, Sydney, Allen & Unwin Additional Readings • Brookfield,S. 2005, The Power of Critical Theory: Liberating Adult Learning and Teaching, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass/John Wiley • Grace, A. 2006, 'Critical adult education: engaging the social in theory and practice', in T.Fenwick, T.Nesbit,& B. Spencer, Contexts of Adult Education: Canadian perspectives, Toronto, Thompson Educational, Publishing • Fenwick,T. 2006,'Theaudacityofhope:towardspoorer pedagogies’, in Studies in the Education of Adults, 38:1, Spring • Field, J. 2006, Life long learning and the new educational order, Stoke-on-Trent, Trentham • Freire, P. 1972,Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Harmondsworth, Penguin • Hart, M.1992, Working and educating for life: feminist and international perspectives on adulte ducation, London, Routledge • Horton, M. & Freire, P.1990,We make the road by walking:conversationson education and social change ,edited by Brenda Bell, John Gaventa, and john Peters, Philadelphia, Temple University Press • Mojab,S.(2006)'Adulteducationwithoutborders',inT.Fenwick,T.Nesbit,&B.Spencer,ContextsofAdultEducation:Canadianperspectives,Toronto, Thompson Educational, Publishing Journals: • Adult Education Quarterly: A Journal of Research and Theory. Published quarterly by Sage Publications. • Adult Learning. Published eight times annually by the American Association for Adult & Continuing Education. • The Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education. • Human Resource Development Quarterly. Published quarterly by Jossey-Bass Publishing for ASTD. • International Journal of Lifelong Education. Published six times a year by Taylor and Francis, and is available online: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/tf/02601370.html • The Journal of Continuing Higher Education. Published three times a year by Kent Stat University for the Association for Continuing Higher Education. • New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. Published quarterly by Jossey-Bass Publishing. • New Horizons in Adult Education. Published two or three times by Nova Southeastern University and available online: http://education.fiu.edu/newhorizons/. • The PAACE Journal of Lifelong Learning. Published annually by the Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education. • Perspectives: The New York Journal of Adult Learning. Published twice a year by NYACCE and Fordham University. • Training and Development Magazine. Published monthly by ASTD.