Introduction
The emergence of adult education as a distinct academic discipline dates back to the 1960s. Since its emergence, it has grown tremendously in terms of research and practice.
For example, adult education has changed from a discipline viewed as merely involving teaching adults just the way children are taught to an academic discipline that has its own educational theories. In the past, adult students were bundled into traditional classes but currently, there are exclusive educators who teach adult learners.
There is no single agreed upon definition of adult education since scholars who have actively taken part in its evolution argue that it is a complex concept. This is attributed to the fact that there are various techniques employed in educating adult learners. Other scholars opine that the term adult education should be defined in terms of whether the students are treated as adults (Peers, 2003).
In this paper, the definition of adult education incorporates all aspects of culture which include the education of adult people. It will also be viewed in terms of structured higher education for the adults. This essay will focus on the concept of adult education and its various aspects.
Education is undoubtedly important in the development of any country. Adult education has been ignored for long with individuals who decide to pursue it receiving little attention.
In addition, there is lack of factual information concerning adult education and that is why many adults lose interest. The choice of the topic for this essay is inspired by the need to understand adult education well and dismiss the misconceptions surrounding the concept .
Historical Development of Adult Education
Colonial Period (1600-1776)
As this period of adult education began, there was integration in both social life and adult education best exemplified through apprenticeship. Important information was passed through meetings which were held in schools and churches. People who resided in towns were responsible for making decisions on how to solve the problems they faced and govern themselves.
Although they never considered adult education as one of their priorities, it was nevertheless important. The most educated group of people during this period was comprised of the clergy men who were responsible for conducting religious services alongside performing leadership roles.
Adult education was also provided through trade fairs. In addition, there were some private schools that offered adult education but most people could not afford it. Examples of such schools were found in Carolina.
Republican and Antebellum Periods (1780-1865)
The transition between the civil war and revolution was characterized by Americans’ clamor for new lifestyles. They insisted that education for the adults and the children was critical in liberating the society through enlightenment. Adult education was given more attention by means of informal channels like societal associations, drama and publications of books and magazines.
The first lyceum was organized by Josiah Holbrook and turned out to be a nationally recognized movement characterized by local study groups. These study groups later developed into study groups conducted in homes. American lyceums became a widely used way of conducting adult education during this period.
It was also during this period that the lecture-forum method which contributed significantly towards the birth of public schools came into existence. Institutions for adult education which targeted specific individuals were started. They included libraries, museums, Lowell institute and other schools conducted in the evenings. The institutions that existed during this time were important in providing intellectual services.
Franklin institute began offering some training in sciences and art in 1824 with a center for training Sunday school teachers known as Chautauqua starting later in 1874 in New York. The institution recorded great success and later started correspondence learning.
Its performance continued improving and years later, it was still a recognized center for adult education. During this period, many libraries for serving the communities emerged. They gave the different apprentices good chances of improving their skills (Unesco, 2003).
National Development Period (1865-1920)
During this period, the major aim of adult education was multiplication. There was remarkable growth in adult education with many institutions such as summer schools, junior colleges and correspondence schools opening.
Adult education became an important tool of fulfilling the needs of the learners as it advanced from providing general education to more specific educational programs such as education for women, citizenship, recreation and social reforms. The government took an active role in promoting adult education through funding and pioneering adult education programs in the relevant departments.
It also established libraries, evening schools and museums to enhance the concept. In 1914, a program referred to as the Cooperative Extension was established to benefit adult education. Three years later, vocational training was officially incorporated in public schools through the Smith Hughes act. After this act, individuals to supervise adult education at the state level were appointed.
Modern Period (1921todate)
This is a period that was characterized by many changes arising from the world war. Some of those changes included both cultural and economic ones. Adult education became part of the American way of life and was embraced by everybody. The government was willing to provide all the necessary support and the American population was also willing to participate actively in developing the concept (Unesco, 2003).
Current Legislation Shaping Adult Education
In order to effectively run adult education in the US, the government has instituted legislation to ensure success of the concept. US legislation on adult education aims at enhancing the skills of adult learners by providing them with high quality programs. Many adults in the US lack the required skills that would enable them to be self sufficient or participate fully in most intellectual activities.
The current US legislation on adult education requires the best instruction to be accorded to adults who invest in adult education. The legislation provides accountability for the outcomes of adult education, necessary funding and expansion of learning opportunities. It also endeavors to enhance flexibility by addressing the bureaucracies that restrict adult learners from accessing education (US Department of Education, 2011).
Current Best Practices in Adult Education
There is a close relationship between learner outcomes and the methods of instruction used in class. Although there is no direct relationship between particular instructional practices and adult learning, practitioners recognize certain instructional practices as effective in adult education.
In 2005, Adult Education and Literary services conducted a Professional Development symposium to start planning for the professional development system. This system would be important in meeting the needs of adult education learners in the US.
Teacher standards is among the best instructional practices in adult education. These standards are crucial in explaining clearly the skills and knowledge that lead adult education learners into achieving the set objectives. The standards also enhance the alignment between the needs of teachers and professional development activities.
The framework of standards is used by teachers and administrators in their endeavors to provide quality instructional services to adult learners. A rubric is provided to program administrators with information on what adult education teachers should know. Teachers are then able to identify their strengths and weaknesses by conducting self assessment.
Self assessment helps teachers get enough knowledge of the skills they wish to acquire through professional development activities. This produces teachers who are well qualified to meet the diverse needs of adult education learners (Unesco, 2003).
Self assessment is designed in the form of a confidential strategy that poses no threat in its use by teachers. Its results are used in developing professional development charts that are handed to local administrators. The charts are important in creating professional development activities important for teachers of adult education.
Programs designed locally have the capacity to determine when the teachers should complete the self-assessment and hand in the charts.
For example, adult education teachers may be requested to complete self-assessment during spring in order for them to plan for professional development for the subsequent fiscal years. Adult education teachers are introduced to these standards during their orientation to assist them in developing competencies required in teaching adult learners.
Schools which perform well take into consideration the fact that the performance of adult learners improves when the curriculum is in alignment with the principal learning expectations. For adult learners to achieve impressive results, it is important to expose them to challenging and rigorous learning environments.
This is done through delivery of aligned curriculum followed by the adoption of learning and teaching techniques which are research-based. As a result, adult learners are given a chance to take an active part in the learning process through in-depth learning, performance assessments and constant inquiry.
Moreover, time and structure is critical in adult education. Institutions that offer adult education have flexible structures that make it possible for them to maximally utilize the available time with the aim of improving the performance of adult learners. The programs are structured in ways that go beyond the conventional school structures. They draw on resources from the communities to improve the performance of the adult learners.
Technology in Adult Education
Application of digital technology is an important development that enhances adult education. It enables adult education teachers to reach many students as well as increasing the opportunities of adult education programs. Digital technology provides adult learners with the tools they require to survive in an evolving technological world. Technology is incorporated in adult education through different ways.
Firstly, it is used as part of the curriculum. In addition to using digital technology to teach content, adult learners are taught about technology itself to equip them with knowledge on how to use it competently. For example, courses such as ‘Exploring the Internet’ are designed for adult learners to provide them with skills of using the internet. This enables them to address technology issues in a structured approach (Conlan, 2010).
Secondly, technology is used in adult learning as a means of instructional delivery. An example of this use of technology is the Individualized Learning system (ILS). This involves delivering instruction in form of sub skills that eventually constitute the entire curriculum. In addition, technology is also used to deliver instruction through television and video or audio tapes.
Through technology, adult learners can use specific software to develop certain skills that have been focused during classroom instruction. For instance, the internet is used in adult learning to supplement methods such as traditional distance learning.
Future Trends in Adult Education
Adult education is expected to continue expanding and increasing its popularity in future. Many colleges have started courses for adult learners and this is expected to continue. Technical schools and junior colleges are expected to play an important role in adult education by offering night courses and other web-based courses. There will also be a wide variety of courses to choose from.
As the number of departments supporting adult education increases, participation in the programs is expected to increase significantly. The use of technology is also expected to increase opportunities of pursuing adult education since it will be easier to conduct the programs through the internet.
Improvements in Adult Education
Adult education has been under constant improvement to enhance its quality. The first improvement that has been made on adult education is the establishment of advocacy bodies for adult education. These bodies organize national conferences that recognize the efforts of adult learners. They improve adult education by supporting adult learners and ensuring that they achieve their educational goals.
The second improvement that has been made on adult education is the increased use of technology. Technology in adult education facilitates the instructional strategies to ensure that adult learners get full assistance. The third improvement made in adult education is market segmentation. This has seen the development of educational programs that suit adult learners (Conlan, 2010).
Challenges Facing Adult Education
The first challenge facing adult education is limited resources for conducting assessments. The process of conducting assessment requires resources and professional expertise that is not easy to get. This makes it difficult for every single state or program to come up with its own assessment.
In addition, some institutions offering adult education find it difficult to develop assessments on their own. The second challenge facing adult education is lack of enough time for adult learners. Most of the adult learners find themselves in a crisis since they have to balance between their daily work activities and learning.
Controversies Facing Adult Education
As the concept of adult education continues to gain popularity, controversial issues regarding the concept continue emerging. The first controversial issue in adult education is the age at which an individual should be considered an adult learner.
This is an issue that has raised many conflicting perspectives with different individuals raising different opinions regarding who qualifies to be an adult learner and who does not qualify. The second controversial issue concerns the programs offered for adult learners. There have been concerns that some of the programs are too demanding for adult learners and alternatives should be sought (Conlan, 2010).
Conclusion
Adult education is an essential component of the educational system since it gives adults a chance to achieve their educational and professional goals. The concept started developing many years and it has progressively advanced. This is an important area of interest since there has been many misconceptions regarding adult education. For instance, some people view adult education as a waste of time and resources.
However, this is not the case since it gives adults opportunities they would otherwise not have gotten. Conducting research on adult education underscores the fact that education should be continuous and life- long.
References
Conlan, J. (2010). Adult Education. Web.
Peers, R. (2003). Adult education: a comparative study. London: Routledge.
Rubenson, K. (2011). Adult Learning and Education. London: Academic Press.
Unesco. (2003). Recommitting to Adult Education and Learning. Web.
US Department of Education. (2011). Reauthorization of Adult Education and Family Literacy Act. Web.