Introduction
The learning process is a vital component of the society since it leads to the acquisition of knowledge that can be used to advance the society. For decades, the modern world has given greater attention to childhood learning. Adult learning has been largely ignored due to a mistaken presumption that people do not learn much after childhood. However, new realities have led to a reconsideration of this wrong assumption.
Educators have come to the understanding that adult learning is an important aspect of today’s society. Significant research has therefore been carried out on various aspects of adult learning in the recent decades. Some of this research pertains to the best learning environment for adults.
Specifically, there has been research into whether individual learning or interactive group learning yields better results. This paper will argue that learning in an interactive group leads to higher course completion rate among adult learners.
Defining Learning
Learning is the process through which the individual acquires knowledge on a particular subject by engaging in material on the subject or by using a tutor who is an authority on the subject. Knowles et al (2005) define adult learning as “the process of adults gaining knowledge and expertise” (p.174).
Adult learning is unique from childhood learning in that the adult has a better idea of what he/she hopes to achieve through learning. Adult learning therefore considers that the adult might want greater control over his learning process.
A key characteristic of adult learners is that they are autonomous and most of them want to take charge of their learning experience. Rothwell (2008) elaborates that most adult learners are “self-directed” which means that they show a great desire and willingness to initiate their own learning efforts.
Typical Adult learning situations
Adults do not consistently participate in learning throughout their life spans. Rothwell (2008) asserts that younger and more highly educated workers are more likely to participate in learning efforts of all kinds than their older, or less-educated, counterparts.
Adult learning can occur in a number of different educational situations. One situation is whereby the adult learner designs an activity for himself and proceeds to learn through it. The learner often designs the activity with the aim of achieving a particular result (Boling & Robinson, 1999). The adult learners can also design activities for each other.
Educational situations also occur in a group setting. The group designs an activity that will be carried out by its members. The activity designed by the group is often decided upon by all members (Boling & Robinson, 1999). This learning situation provides an opportunity for the learners to participate in discussion and interact with their peers.
The learning situations highlighted above encapsulate a variety of adult learning situations that can fit within the framework of individual and group learning. Knowles et al. (2005) admit that these learning situations do not record the actual process that underlies the production of these educational situations.
Environment
Individual
The individual learning environment is comprised of a student engaging in learning activities without the involvement of other students. Teachers provide the learner with the necessary learning material and guidance on the course. However, the student carries out his study activities on his own. He does not consult with other students when doing research for the particular class. The individual learning environment is characterized by competition among the students in the class.
Group
The group-learning environment consists of a setting where a number of students work together with the aim of maximizing their own learning. The students have a common goal that they accomplish by working together. In group learning, a cooperative atmosphere is fostered among the students. The learners help each other to gain mastery of the course material.
Individual Learning
Formats
Individual learning can occur in a number of formats. Individual learning can be student centered where the learner provides input into what he/she does. In this setting, the teacher gives the student a chance to decide on how to study and even what to study.
The student can make decisions on what reading to engage in and the discussions to hold. Panitz (1999) states that in some learner-centered formats, the student is allowed to provide input on how assessment is conducted. Students also determine the form of rewards or punishments that the teacher can give.
Individual learning can take place in a teacher-centered environment. In this type of a situation, the teacher is responsible for making all the learning decisions on behalf of the student. The teacher dictates how the studies are going to take place and he pre-plans what is to be studied. In this format, the teacher is the authoritarian purveyor of information and the learner is a passive recipient of the information.
Student Roles
The student is responsible for coming up with his learning objectives. While these objectives will be guided by the course content, the student will be responsible for formulating his own objectives and working towards achieving them. The student has to be self-driven in order to achieve the objectives and gain academic success.
The student is expected to seek out the necessary additional material for the course. Once the tutor has highlighted the course objective, the student has to take initiative and get the material needed for the course. This will mean visiting the library and engaging in online research to identify the needed material.
Instructor/Facilitator Roles
The instructor is responsible for articulating the course objectives for the student. Since the instructor has in-depth knowledge of the course, he is responsible for communicating with the learner what is expected of him in the course. The instructor might provide the student with an expansive list of the learning objectives for the course.
In addition to this, the instructor will come up with a schedule that the student will follow in the course. This schedule will include a detailed breakdown of the times when the classes will be held. The teacher will be responsible for preplanning the activities that will be carried out during the class.
Finally, the instructor supervises the student’s progress and carries out assessments. The student might be required to regularly demonstrate his progress in the course. The supervisor is responsible for coming up with assignments and tests for the student. These assessments help to gauge the level of progress made by the student and provide a means for grading the student.
Advantages and Limitations
Advantages
Individual learning makes the most of the student’s motivation and enables him to achieve great success. Most adult learners have intrinsic motivation and they already know what they want from their educational experience. Malhotra (2000) confirms that unlike with children learners, most adult learners have specific goals and they are interested in developing skills that they can put to use.
Individual learning enables the adult learner to utilize his time in the most beneficial way. Learning requires the student to dedicate significant among of time to study. In individual learning, the student is in full control of his schedule and he can exercise good time management strategies (Malhotra, 2000).
Since the student is not restricted by the schedule of the other students, he can maximize on his available time to engage in learning activities. Time is a scarce and valuable resource for the adult learner since he has many responsibilities in life.
Students are motivated to perform exemplarily and best other class members through individual learning. In an environment where students learn individually, competition is encouraged. In addition to this, the student is able to concentrate on the areas that are most relevant to him in individual learning.
All learners have different abilities and prior knowledge. In individual learning, the learner is able to focus on the course matter that he wants to gain higher proficiency instead of spending time repeating material that he is already knowledgeable in.
Limitations
When learning as an individual, the student is likely to be overwhelmed or bored by the repetitive nature of the learning process. Learning often involves going through the same material in order to gain a better understanding of the concepts expressed.
A student is required to engage in some degree of repetition and memory work in order to increase their knowledge on the subject. Marjam and Seyed (2012) state that learning individually can be tedious and boring as the student has to engage in repetitive reading in order to acquire a base of information.
Learning individually limits the amount of knowledge that the student is exposed to. The student is not exposed to the experience and knowledge possessed by other students. He is therefore unable to benefit from the pool of information that would be available to him if he engaged in group activities.
Group Learning
Formats
Group learning can be classified into a number of main categories. The first is the informal cooperative learning group that is made up students who meet outside of the class setting to carry out their group learning activities. The informal learning groups are often brief and temporary in nature. The main activity carried out by the students is to assess their learning and understanding of the study material that has been presented to them during the class.
The second type of learning group is a cooperative study group. This form of group is more permanent and the group meetings are regular in nature.
Students form learning groups so that they can assist each other in understanding the course material. Discussions are held on the content of the class and members assist each other to enhance understanding. Just as in informal cooperative learning groups, the tutor seldom evaluates these groups and group activities are not part of the final grade of a student in the course.
The third format of learning groups is formal cooperative groups. This type of learning groups may extend for a long period and they are established to fulfill specific tasks. Gabrich and Rothenberger (2002) note that the formal learning group might have to achieve a particular end-result often prescribed by the tutor.
Teacher involvement in the formal learning group is therefore significant. Participation in the formal group is often a part of a student’s final grade in the course and students are awarded marks for their involvement in the group.
Student Roles
Students engaged in group learning bear the bulk of responsibilities for their learning. The students are expected to come up with the group objectives and act towards achieving the learning goals. Students have to come up with their schedule and ensure that they meet regularly in order to achieve their objectives.
In group learning, the students are responsible for achieving the academic tasks they have stipulated. The learners are expected to show dedication to the group goals and work hard on the group activities. In an informal group setting, there is no teacher to supervise the students or gauge their progress. The students therefore have to motivate themselves and take responsibility for achieving their goals.
Finally, the students in group learning have to hold each other responsible to ensure the success of the group. The success of the group can only be ensured if each group member plays their part in the group. Each person contributes to the success of the group by doing his allocated portion of the work. The students have to regulate themselves and take appropriate action against a group member who is deemed uncooperative.
Instructor/Facilitator Roles
The role of the teacher in group learning is very significant. Panitz (1999) asserts that “the teacher creates the conditions within which students can construct meaning from the material studied” (p. 4). As such, even though the group learning will enhance further processing and possible reconstruction of the studied material, the teacher is responsible for initializing the learning process and assisting the students to construct meaning from their course material.
In some cases, the teacher can play a supervisory role in group learning. This is especially the case when a formal group learning format is being followed. The teacher will monitor group progress and possibly offer feedback on the effectiveness of the group in achieving its set goals (Panitz, 1999). The teacher may also gauge the performance of the group and offer grades for group activities.
The teacher can also assist in the development of ground rules for the group. The group rules might be made in collaboration with the students. These rules could include the steps to take in case of conflicts. Gabrich and Rothenberger (2002) state that by having ground rules, the group is able to effectively resolve conflicts that might otherwise impede on group performance.
Advantages and Limitations
Advantages
One of the most important benefits of cooperative learning is that it fosters greater understanding as the students work together. In group interactions, the students talk to each other and exchange ideas. This spoken interaction contributes to their increased understanding of the class material being discussed (Boling & Robinson, 1999). Through group learning, the adult learner is able to increase his competence level in performing some specific tasks.
Group learning can assist in reducing the anxiety that many students feel in the learning environment. Students often experience performance anxiety that contributes to poor performance in their academic work. This anxiety may be the result of low confidence in the course.
In the group setting, students interact with each other and build confidence even as they review the course content. Marjam and Seyed (2012) confirm that cooperative learning increases the self-esteem of students and boosts their confidence in the learning process.
Most adult learners have many responsibilities in life including jobs and families. They are often under pressure and this might affect their academic performance. The group enables the adult learner to build a support base made up of other students who are undergoing the same situation (Boling & Robinson, 1999). The students are able to empathize with each other’s situation and motivate each other to work hard and achieve their set objectives.
Marjam and Seyed (2012) reveal that students are able to develop higher-level thinking skills as they interact with each other in the group learning environment. The group setting gives the learner more opportunities to develop his critical thinking skills and practice on his problem solving skills. These opportunities increase the likelihood of achieving good results in the course since the learners competence is increased with each practice instance.
Group learning results in the development of a positive attitude towards teamwork. This is crucial since in the non-school setting, individuals are often required to work in teams in order to accomplish set goals (Malhotra, 2000). Group learning articulates the importance of teamwork to the adult learners.
Students are encouraged to be good team players since a core element of a successful cooperative learning group is that all members realize that the success or failure of the group is shared by every individual member (Panitz, 1999).
Limitations
In spite of these advantages, group learning suffers from a number of significant limitations. Gabrich and Rothenberger (2002) contend that many adult learners are reluctant to joining learning groups since the conflicts that arise in the group are seen as an unnecessary burden on their already busy lives.
The adult learner spends most of his/her day at work where conflicts are likely to occur. This learner is unlikely to welcome situations that might bring about more conflict in the school environment where the adult learner hopes to gain an education.
The group might lead to inefficiencies that will decrease the individual performance of the members. The effectiveness of the learning group will be influenced by its size. If the group is too large, members are likely to experience many conflicts which will reduce the effectiveness of the group (Malhotra, 2000). On the other hand, smaller groups will not have the resources that make group learning beneficial for the students.
Comparison
Successful Completion Rates
Successful completion of the course is dependent on the level of involvement that the learner has. Group learning results in the maximum level of participation by the adult. With individual learning, the teacher has the greater control and this might lead to lower participation.
Low participation contributes to failure to complete the course by most adult learners. On the other hand, in group learning enhances student participation (Boling & Robinson, 1999). Students will show great commitment to the group activities since in most cases, these activities are designed to achieve specific benefits for the individual and group members.
Students involved in group learning have a higher rate of successful completion since they have a support system made up of other students. This support system plays a significant role when the adult learner is feeling overwhelmed by the course. On the contrary, the student engaged in individual learning does not have a support system. The student has to deal with the anxieties and lack of motivation faced while learning on his own.
Information Retention
Information retention is influenced by the level of involvement that students have in the learning process. The retention rate in individual learning is low since students do not actively engaging in the learning process and they act as passive recipients of information.
On the other hand, students are actively involved in learning in the group setting. Gabrich and Rothenberger (2002) declare that the learning process of the students is enhanced if they are actively involved. This active involvement occurs more in the group learning environment.
Group learning also contributes to information retention by exposing students to multiple resources. In individual learning, students often rely on a narrow set of resource base. Rothwell (2008) elaborates that while adults prefer self-directed learning; this does not mean that they like to learn in isolation or individually. Instead, most adults prefer group interactions where they can draw on multiple resources for their learning.
Working in a group will ensure that students benefit from each other’s knowledge construction process. The knowledge construction concept is “the idea that learners construct their own networks of knowledge by connecting new information with their past knowledge and interests” (Panitz, 1999, p.11). Individual learning does not take advantage of the fact that each student derives a different construction from the similar lesson given by the instructor.
On the other hand, group learning brings students who have different constructions of ideas together (Ball et al., 2008). In the group setting, each student has numerous opportunities to build their developing knowledge by interacting with the other learners.
Ability to Apply New Information
Students are better placed to apply new information when they engage in group learning than when they undertake individual learning. Individual learning encourages the student to rely on the input of the teacher. The ability of the student to apply new information is therefore impeded if the teacher does not contribute.
Gabrich and Rothenberger (2002) reveal that students are responsible for discovering knowledge in cooperative learning. They then transform this knowledge into concepts that they can relate to therefore enhancing ability to apply new information.
The individual’s ability to apply new information is promoted in group learning. Group learning encourages self-management by students as they are trained to work with little contribution from the teacher. Individual learning often encourages non-reflective thinking where the student simply memorizes study material and completes assignments (Ball et al., 2008).
Group learning promotes reflective thinking as the students explain the process to others and consider alternatives. This leads to the development of skills and knowledge that can be used to solve other questions of a similar nature in future.
Conclusion
This paper set out to argue that adults will have a higher course completion rate and demonstrate better retention if they learn in an interactive group as opposed to primarily engaging in individual learning. The evidence offered in this paper suggests that students working in groups are able to master teacher-presented information better than students studying on their own.
The paper has demonstrated that group learning enhances student understanding and increases the chances of successful completion of the course. With this revelation, adult learner educators should take steps to promote group learning among adult students in order to ensure that the benefits of this form of learning is enjoyed by even more learners.
References
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Gabrich, C., & Rothenberger, C. (2002). Clashing Cultures in Our Classrooms: Learning Groups versus Individual Competition. International Journal of Academic Research, 3 (5), 67-72.
Knowles, M. S., Holton, F. E., & Swanson, R. A. (2005). The Adult Learner: the Definitive Classic in Adult Education and Human Resource Development. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann.
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Panitz, T. (1999). Collaborative versus Cooperative Learning: A Comparison of the Two Concepts Which Will Help Us Understand the Underlying Nature of Interactive Learning. Journal of Education Psychology, 91(1), 2-13.
Rothwell, W. J. (2008). Adult Learning Basics. Washington: American Society for Training and Development.