Learning in the Life Cycle

The Adult Learner

In her review of the literature, Willis (1985) defines the characteristics of the learner as including the ability to maintain attention, one's metacognitive abilities and skills, and other factors, such as individual learning styles and the needs and motivation of the learner. Each of these areas has implications for those interested in adult learning.

Age-related changes in the ability to maintain attention have been well documented. One area of research, selective attention, has generated particular interest. A major set of findings is that the ability to maintain and orient attention declines with age and that interference becomes especially problematic by the later years (see Rogers & Fisk, 2001, for a discussion).

Metamemory is the knowledge and awareness one has about one's own learning. One aspect of metamemory that is of interest to adult educators is called comprehension monitoring. This refers to the question of how well we understand that we do or do not understand new material as it is being presented. Zabrucky, Moore, and Schultz (1987) used an error detection paradigm to examine the ability of young and old adults of varying education levels to monitor their own ability to comprehend text. Results indicated that older adults are able to evaluate their comprehension of text material as well as young adults. Although age did not affect their ability to evaluate their comprehension during reading, the adults' education levels did. Adults with more education, regardless of whether they were young or old, more often detected textual inconsistencies than adults with relatively less education.

Learning style is an area that has generated a wide number of publications dating back to the 1950s. Perhaps the best known of these approaches in the field of adult learning is the work of Kolb and Fry (1975). Kolb and Fry believe that adult learners need to develop four different skill areas. First, adults should be able to meaningfully involve themselves in new experiences. Kolb and Fry refer to this as “concrete experience.” Second, they should be able to reflect on and observe these experiences from many perspectives. This is referred to as “reflective observation.” Third, adults should be able to create concepts that integrate their observations into logically sound theories, referred to as “abstract conceptualization,” and fourth, they should be able to use their knowledge to make decisions, referred to as “active experimentation.”

As it turns out, there are very few ideal learners, and most individuals develop strength in only one or two of these skills. Kolb and Fry (1975) have developed a learning-style inventory that identifies four basic learning styles, namely, the converger, the diverger, the assimilator, and the accomodator. Convergers are strong on abstract conceptualization and active experimentation. They are interested in the practical application of ideas and perform best when a single correct answer exists. An engineer is generally an example of this style. Divergers are best at concrete operations and reflective observation. They have strong imaginations and do well in their ability to view concrete situations from multiple perspectives. They often have interests in people and culture and specialize in the arts. Assimilator strengths are in abstract conceptualization and reflective observation. They appreciate dealing with questions from a theoretical “what if” perspective. Finally, the accomodators are best at concrete experience and active experimentation. While they rely on others for information, accomodators are good at getting things done. They generally find theory to be of little help and do not spend large amounts of time investigating the details behind a decision. They tend to intuitively solve problems and are willing to take calculated risks. Kolb and Fry maintain that all four styles are found in adult education settings.

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