30 Chairs Facing Forward, Or Can We Do Better Than That?

ON CURRICULUM DESIGN. The insights gained from early research into training the adult learner continue to inform adult education practice as well as the way we teach English as a Second Language (ESL) even today. Ron and Susan Zemke (1981) enumerated in "30 Things We Know for Sure About Learning," thirty "truisms" about adult learning and adult learners in three categories: learner motivation, curriculum design and classroom practice.

The authors refer to M.S. Knowles' (1980) observation that when confronted with rows of "30 chairs facing forward," adult learners will be prepared for boredom, lack of interaction with classmates, and likely looking to the teacher/trainer as the sole source of input. Knowles' theories proposed a rather dramatic alternative in Self-Directed Learning. The Zemkes believe the adult learner must be free to "take a hand" in the design of the curriculum and the way it's presented. Building upon the insights gained from 35 years' worth of research in the field, easily accessed through modern-day technology, educators of adults have at their fingertips countless resources for curriculum design.

Best practices in adult ed suggest striking a balance between independent, isolated self-teaching and guided presentation by a skilled professional devoted to students' mastery over the course content in a fun, engaging way while accomplishing the institution's goals (as we know, formal testing still plays a role in private, public and community-based centers -- results drive funding!) Such a trained professional knows how to offer a shared vision of the educational guideposts to follow as adult learners make progress in mastery over the content.

Modern classroom presentation, especially in the ESL school room, involves well-planned, sequenced segments of short duration, and masterful use of dyads, mixed groups, round tables, audio-visual stands with computers and headsets, a white board with "smart" technology which interacts with the learner, free movement, a variety of printed materials (books, newspapers, magazines, teacher-made quizzes, realia, etc.), maybe manipulatives and games, and a nice combination of "good noise" (pupil input) and quiet attention to bring about adult learner success.

READ ABOUT IT:

Knowles, M.S. The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy (2nd ed.) New York: Cambridge Books, 1980. Found at: http://www.umsl.edu/~henschkej/articles/a_The_%20Modern_Practice_of_Adult_Education.pdf  

Zemke, R., and S. Zemke. "30 Things We Know for Sure About Adult Learning," TRAINING Magazine, June 1981. Minn: Lakewood Publications. (Revisited in June 1995 -- they asked themselves, "Has anything changed?") Found at: http://www.trainingmag.com/sites/default/files//TrainingMagazine_1995_AdultsLearning.pdf