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Abstract The philosophy, thoughts and goals for adult learners are viewed. The principles in adult learning by Knowles are revisited. The writer also talks about the different learning styles in online courses and how that affects their learning.

My educational philosophy I believe that all students should be treated equally and with high expectations no matter what background they come from. I like to believe that the students like to be challenged and motivated to learn. I have confidence in the students that they are able to reach their goals when they set their mind to it.

My philosophy on adult teaching I believe that the facilitator should modify and accommodate the learner not only in the assignments but also in regards to the busy life style they have, in order to motivated them to continue their education. Thus, taking into consideration in his or her teachings by meeting every adult’s individual needs through their many multiple intelligences.

Conceptualization of learning Adults have different learning styles in which they prefer to learn. Fleming, notes the different learning styles as auditory, kinesthetic, visual and tactile.1 When the adults use their learning preference they are comfortable in their learning process which makes it easier for them to learn with no problem. The teacher should keep in mind the method the learner learns best and adjust his or her way of teaching if needed.

Learners who earn a satisfactory grade are those who are comfortable with their learning. In Cicco’s study, she mentions how verbal kinesthetic learners benefited from taking online courses because they were constantly trying to communicate via email, discussions forums and/or joining chat rooms.2 The interaction the learner had in the course were practical for his or herlearning preference. Nonetheless, the professor can also challenge the student by suggesting that he or she approaches another learning style. When the adult learner adjusts himself to another learning style he prepares himself for what is yet to come in other courses.

Conceptualization of teaching The following principles are standard in adult learning; learners need to know, self-concept of the learner, prior experience and readiness to learn, orientation of the learner and motivation to learn.3 Adult learners compliment their learning style with the principles mentioned by Knowles in the theory of andragogy. In order for learning to be affective in adults, modifications in the learning style should be taken into consideration but also apply the principles with the information given. The adult will use his prior experience and his self-concept to the learning to motivate himself and to be ready to learn the new knowledge.

If the teacher does not apply his teachings with connections of past experiences or if he does not alter the learning style preference, then the learning will become overwhelming for the adult learner. When the learner makes the connection to his past experiences and is comfortable using his preferred learning style the motivation of the learner to process the information will be fulfilled. The notion of preparing the adult learners to retain the information is not an easy task for the teachers. The material they are going to present has to be relevant to them. With the busy lifestyle the learner has, he or she wants to get to the point of the learning.

There are problems that arise when it comes to teaching or learning in online courses. Some of the benefits with online courses is that adults who like to work independently are most likely to reach their academic goal. The adult learner is self-motivated and disciplined. Cicco notes that verbal-kinesthetic learners are likely to achieve because they apply the discussions to everyday life.4Thus, online learners are likely to modify their learning preference to the professor’s curriculum.

As mentioned previously, online courses are great because of the flexibility they have with the schedules and the connection to some learning styles. However, we should not get comfortable with the courses. It can at times be stressful to some adult learners. The workload could double for the adult learner whose learning preference is not met. The learner might need to find other resources that would meet his learning preference just to be on the same page as the others in the course. Though online courses are beneficial the interaction for the tactile and visual learners can be a problem.

Goals for adult learners Adult learners are most effective when they know to what extend the new knowledge will help them in real-life situations. They should take an assessment quiz to determine if their learning style and the online course is appropriate. Ghaf et. al. mentions that the students with a strong learning style will be harder to modify when the learner is placed in a mismatched course.5

The adult learner should keep constant communication with the teacher if his learning preference is not met. The adult learner should make modifications to his learning style or approach another learning style that will help him continue with the course. Adult learning is more intense because there are many more distractions, the adult needs to know how to prioritize and manage the time.

Implementation of the philosophy Education is surrounded by what one believes teaching and learning is with adult learners. What the learner actually does in the practice depends on how the facilitator provides the information. In order for the learner to pass the course, Mupingaet.al. agree that the learner needs to have self motivation and discipline to succeed.6 Facilitators need to apply the learning principles noted by Knowles and have in mind the modifications to the learning styles the student carries.

Professional growth plan As a teacher, the learning never stops. The teacher that challenges him or herself to teach must never stop learning. The plan is to continue taking educational courses where technology can be implemented in the classroom. Technology is always changing and as a teacher and a learner, I need to be on task with the younger generation. With the internet courses that I take I would like to use all of the information and conduct a cyber class in my school.

References Cicco, G. (2009). Online vesus in-class courses: Learningstyle assessment as an advisement tool. International Journal on E-learning, 8(2), 161-173. Retrieved from http:// www.editlib.org.proxy1.ncu.edu/f/25302 Flemming, N. (2001-2010). VARK: A Guide to Learning Styles.Retrieved from http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire Graf, S., & Tzu-Chien, L. (2009). Coping with mismatched courses: Student’s behaviourand performance in courses mismatched to their learning styles. Educational Technology Research and Development, 57 (6), 739-752 doi:10.1007/ s11423-009-9116-y Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. F., & Swanson R. A. (2011).The adult learner. The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development. Oxford, UK, & Burlington, MA: Butterworth- Heinemann is an imprint of Elsevier. Mupinga, D.M., Nora, R.T., & Yaw, D.C. (2006). The learning styles, expectations and needs of online students. College Teaching, 54 (1), 185-189. Retrieved from http://content.ebscohost.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/pdf17_20/pdf/2006/CTE/01Jan06/19754741.pdfT=P&P=AN&K=19754741&S=R&D=ehh&EbscoContent=dGJyMNLr40Sep7Y4zdnyOLCmr0meqLBSsay4SLWWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGnsEq3q7FIuePfgeyx44Dt6fIA

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