Self-reflection on adult learning

I thought that some visitors to this blog might be interested in my view of adult education, and my self-concept regarding learning.

Below is an excerpt from one of my (MA in Leadership) papers explaining my primary beliefs about adult education. It is edited for blog readability (including removing APA citations - see the bibliography at bottom, for authors who contributed to the core of my ideas here) .

I'm primarily an experiential learner and use a combination of Accommodating and Converging learning style preferences, relying on integrating Concrete Experience, Active Experimentation, and Abstract Conceptualization to create my own reality.

The power of experiential learning was made exceptionally clear to me following the Stone Game experience in MAL residency one, and has been reinforced many times since.

I subscribe to cognitive constructivist learning theory, but support both personal constructivism and social constructivist models, believing that the application of each model is self-determined based on the situation in which the participant finds themself.

...Merriam & Caffarella provide clear direction for me: “the cognitive process of meaning making is emphasized as both an individual mental activity and a socially interactive interchange. Aspects of constructivism can be found in self-directed learning, transformational learning, experiential learning, situated cognition, and reflective practice”.

Kolb, D. (2005). Kolb learning style inventory version 3.1: Interpretive report. USA: The Hay Group.

McMullan, W., & Cahoon, A. (1979, July). Integrating abstract conceptualizing with experiential learning. Academy of Management Review, 4(3), 453-458.

Merriam, S., & Caffarella, R. (1999). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide. (2^nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.