project on adult education

Adult Education

Adult Education and Employment

Check out the Project HOME events  page to see what we are currently recruiting for.

Project HOME's Adult Education program empowers adults experiencing homelessness, Project HOME residents who are recovering from homelessness, and our neighbors in Lower North Philadelphia to improve their earning potential, the quality of their lives, and the neighborhood's future.

Sign up for the email update list for upcoming training, workshops, events, and opportunities. Check the "Adult Education and Employment" box.

We offer industry-specific career track training classes with certifications and support from an Employment Specialist:

• Certified Peer Specialist
• Community Health Worker
• Customer Service (with HDI Customer Service Representative certification testing)
• Forklift Operator (Powered Industrial Trucks Certification)
• ServSafe Food Handler
• ServSafe Manager

We offer creative arts classes:

• Digital Audio / Music Production and Recording beginner and advanced students
• Photography

We also offer: 

• Career Skills
• Music Industry 101
• Practical Computer Skills for the Workforce (for Beginners)
• A public computer lab

More Information

• Get Adult Education Updates
• Public Computer Lab

Stay current with all Adult Education has to offer by following us online:

• Follow Project HOME Adult Education on Instagram
• Follow Project HOME Adult Education on Facebook
• Sign up for the Adult Learning and Employment email list

The public computer lab at Project HOME's Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Labs is currently open three times a week. No one under 18 will be allowed in the lab.

Monday: Closed Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday: Closed

Program Details

Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Labs

1936 N Judson Street Philadelphia , PA 19121 United States

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None of us are home until all of us are home ®.

UNITED STATES

Unlocking opportunities with education

We improve the availability, quality, and capacity of adult education and workforce programs to respond to evolving economic and community contexts and advance equity.

Our efforts to reduce systemic barriers to opportunity are grounded in the experience of adults and communities impacted by economic inequity, racism, and xenophobia.

We drive sustainable solutions collaboratively and strengthen systems through professional development, coaching, technical assistance, demonstration projects, research, advocacy, and evaluation.

We help adults develop skills to ensure healthy and fulfilling individual and collective futures.

We collaborate with a range of public and private institutions and community organizations and pride ourselves on being a partner that conducts high-quality work with integrity and a deep commitment to equity and inclusion.

Years of Experience

World Education began working in the United States in 1971.

World Education implements about 25 projects in the United States at any given time. They span national to local initiatives.

World Education has worked in all 50 states, advancing equity through education.

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World Education’s expertise spans key areas in adult education and workforce development. Our collaborative, customized approaches are driven by the goal to provide education and training that enable adults to achieve their goals as workers, family, and community members. Learn more about our expertise.

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• Table of Contents
• Troubleshooting Guide
• A Model for Getting Started
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• Section 12. Planning an Adult Literacy Program

Chapter 24 Sections

• Section 1. Overview of Developing and Improving Community Services
• Section 3. Promoting Coordination, Cooperative Agreements, and Collaborative Agreements Among Agencies
• Section 4. Developing Multisector Collaborations
• Section 7. Developing and Increasing Access to Health and Community Services
• Section 8. Establishing a Peer Education Program
• Section 13. Establishing an Adult Literacy Program
• Main Section

Author's Note : I've spent nearly 20 years in adult education, 13 of those helping to found and run The Literacy Project, a community based adult literacy program in western Massachusetts. Much of this section and the next is based on personal experience, and most of the examples are out of my own work. In general, my prejudices in this area run to collaborative management and to the concept of adult literacy as an extremely broad endeavor which embraces education, learner empowerment, and social change. - Phil Rabinowitz

What is adult literacy?

Why start an adult literacy program, how do you plan an adult literacy program.

In 1984, the issue of adult literacy was highlighted in Illiterate America , a best-selling book by Jonathan Kozol. The book pointed out that most estimates placed at 20 to 25 the percentage of Americans reading and writing below the level needed to function in the society. Illiterate America caused a sensation, and moved government to pay more attention to the issue. The National Adult Literacy Study (NALS) was ultimately established by the Bush administration, and in 1993 published a report that confirmed the fact that there was a problem with the literacy rate in a country that had always considered itself nearly 100% literate.

For individuals, lack of basic skills can lead to unemployment or low-paying, dead-end jobs; to status as permanent political outsiders, with no opportunity to have their voices heard; and to the possibility of watching their children repeat the cycle. For your local area, low literacy levels can affect economic development, diminish the effectiveness of local government and citizen participation, and place a heavy financial and educational burden on the school system. For all these reasons, many communities support adult literacy programs. This section provides some information about adult literacy and some guidance about how to plan an adult literacy program. The next section will help you to actually get your program started in the community.

This may seem like a simple question to answer -- adults being able to read and write, right? - but in fact educators have been puzzling and arguing over it for at least a hundred years. It encompasses reading and writing, of course, but at what level? A hundred years ago, people were considered literate if they could write their names, a qualification that would certainly be woefully inadequate today. And what about math? To be literate, do you have to be able to at least add, subtract, multiply, and divide, so you can balance your checkbook and figure your gas mileage? Do you need a certain amount of general knowledge in order to be literate? A lot of educators who use the term "cultural literacy" think so. How about people who can't speak or read or write English: are they literate, if they can read and write in their own language? And do you have an obligation to help learners understand how to use their literacy?

Components of adult literacy

As you can see, adult literacy can be looked at in a number of different ways. In planning an adult literacy program, you have to consider all of them, and decide what your community needs and what you have the resources to do. The areas that are generally referred to when adult literacy is discussed are:

• Reading : "Functional literacy" is often defined as the ability to read at a particular grade level.
• Writing : Written literacy might best be considered to be an individual's capacity to write what she needs to in clear and reasonably accurate language.
• Math : "Numeracy" or "mathematical literacy" usually refers to the ability to perform the basic mathematical operations - addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and whatever else - normally needed in everyday life.
• English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL ) : The teaching of English speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills to those for whom it is not the native language.
• Cultural literacy : Familiarity with the background knowledge that is everywhere in American culture. This can include everything from the great classics of western literature to knowing the names of Elvis Presley hits from the '50's.

The uses of literacy

The uses of literacy also have to be considered in any discussion about the subject. Mark Twain said that someone who can read and won't is considerably worse off than someone who can't read, because the latter can be taught to read, while the former is stuck in ignorance. It is the use of a skill that matters: there may be many athletes with the potential of a Michael Jordan, but only one of them developed his basketball skill to the point where he was considered the best in the world.

So what do adults want to use literacy skills for? Sondra Stein, of the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), conducted a nationwide survey and reported the results in "Equipped for the Future." Adult learners in literacy programs, asked why they were pursuing literacy skills, gave three equally important reasons:

• They wanted to improve their employment situations . Whether that meant gaining more responsibility on their jobs, becoming more competent at what they did, being promoted, finding a better job or career, or just being able to work at all, most learners felt that improving their skills could lead to improving their work life and finances.
• They wanted to be better parents, spouses, and family members . Reading to children or helping them with homework, keeping better contact with faraway relatives, even writing love letters to husbands or wives were all cited as reasons for learning to read and write better.
• They wanted to be better citizens, and to participate in the political life of their communities . Learners wanted to be able to read about and understand the issues in political campaigns or local controversies, so they could make their own reasoned decisions, and wanted to be able to work in their communities to influence or change the things they cared about.

As you plan an adult literacy program, you need to consider what learners want and need. Their motivation comes not from what you think they should have, but from what they see as necessary in their lives. Often, as learners gain competence and confidence, learning itself may become one of their goals, and that is certainly to be encouraged. But don't lose sight of the fact that their lives dictate the uses of their newly acquired skills.

There are two general reasons to start an adult literacy program: to meet community need, and to support a larger initiative.

Community need

Communities can assess and interpret their own needs in a number of different ways. Once you've determined to start a program, it's necessary to take a careful look at the community and determine how many people need what kinds of literacy services. But before you look at numbers, you have to listen to the community to understand how it views the issue of literacy, and what kinds of needs resonate with its residents. Some community reasons for establishing a program may be:

• Economic concerns . Do local employers have difficulty finding qualified and competent workers to keep their businesses and industries competitive? Is the local unemployment rate high? Is the area depressed? Literacy could be closely related to all of these conditions.
• Immigration . A community may experience growth in its immigrant community, creating a need for ESOL services. Employers, merchants and service industries, and health services may have difficulty communicating with immigrants, often because of cultural as well as language differences. The local schools may also be seriously affected.
• Children's education . It is often mentioned that the one clearly significant literacy statistic that applies under virtually any circumstances is that mothers (i.e. primary caregivers) with low literacy levels have children with low literacy levels. If the community and its schools are concerned about the literacy of children, one component of addressing the issue may be literacy services for parents, or a family literacy program that works with parents and children together.
• Health issues . Literacy is often a factor in health issues, particularly preventive health and health maintenance. Do parents understand the need for good prenatal and infant care? Are elderly residents aware of how their medication is to be taken and stored? Does everyone understand the instructions to be followed if the water treatment plant breaks down? Concern for public health may be a motivator for literacy services.
• Quality of life . In many communities, raising the quality of life for all citizens is a priority. Thus, a community may decide that literacy services are important simply because there are community members who need them. More often, this concern links with one or more of the others mentioned to strengthen the determination of the community to support a program.

A literacy program as part of a larger initiative

Literacy programs may be seen either as integral to the achievement of the goals of a larger community initiative (one on education, for instance), as one part of a multi-pronged approach to a community problem, or as a component of an all-out assault on poverty and other conditions that produce unwanted consequences in the community. Some initiatives that might include adult literacy services:

• Violence prevention
• Substance use prevention
• Community health (either a general push toward a healthier community, or a campaign aimed at a specific health problem or concern)
• Voter registration
• Economic development
• Job training
• Education (an effort to fulfill President Clinton's promise to assure that every child is reading by third grade, for instance)
• Specific early childhood or school-based initiatives (Head Start, Even Start Family Literacy)
• Anti-poverty (comprehensive initiatives including many of the above areas and others as well, designed to address the issue of poverty from many different angles)

In my own experience, planning for most literacy programs extends only to what goes on in the classroom. A community need becomes apparent, funding becomes available, and a group or organization jumps in to tackle the issue. The funder wants a response now, and the program has to start right away. There isn't time to assemble a planning team, talk with the community, and design a program to meet actual community needs.

What follows is an ideal scenario, with the understanding that you probably won't have the opportunity to do things in an ideal way. Remember that all of this can happen while a program is already going on as well, and that what you're doing can - and should - change continually to conform with the real needs and desires of learners and the community, and with your experience of what works and what doesn't.

Step 1: Assemble a planning team

Putting together a group representative of the community at large to guide the planning will help you get accurate information about the community and create community ownership of the program.

Some groups and individuals you might encourage to participate include:

• Local government . In addition to someone from the mayor's or town manager's office, a town planner or economic development director may be a good candidate.
• Libraries . Besides being obvious allies for literacy programs, libraries may be the daytime haunts of the homeless, and librarians often receive queries about literacy resources and services.
• Human service providers and representatives of agencies that serve the disadvantaged . Many agencies, especially those working specifically with low-income groups, have contact with many who need literacy services.
• Schools and other educational programs . The public schools, Head Start, and other adult education providers might be invited to join.
• Law enforcement. The police, probation office, Clerk of Courts, and judges.
• Health providers and community health programs . Hospitals are often major employers, especially of unskilled labor; and they and community health programs may serve a disadvantaged population that includes potential adult literacy learners.
• Employers and other members of the business community . Employers may be acutely aware of literacy needs in a community because of their inability to find qualified workers.
• Labor unions . Union members may have their own literacy needs, and unions are often willing to support initiatives that benefit the disadvantaged.
• Representatives of community institutions . Service organizations (Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, etc.), community coalitions, the YMCA, United Way, the Red Cross, social and sports clubs, and veterans' organizations.
• The faith community . Contact with churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious institutions, particularly those that serve the target population, can provide an efficient way of getting the word out to large numbers of people, and can take advantage of clergy's and congregants' knowledge of the community.
• Key individuals in the community at large and in the target population . People who hold no specific position, but who are well respected and who have their fingers on the pulse of the community.

Step 2: Assess the need

Once you have a planning team assembled, the next step is to look carefully at the community and determine the nature and magnitude of the community's most urgent literacy needs. Who are the people that need services? How many people fall into this category? What kind of services do they need? These are the questions that must be answered before you can address program planning. To find accurate answers, it is helpful to explore a number of sources of information.

• Census data and other statistical records . Aside from the U.S. Census (available on the Internet and at libraries), important sources of data may be town or state websites, universities, municipal or county economic planning departments, community development corporations, and city halls or town offices.
• School systems. School officials are usually willing to discuss such issues as dropout rates and numbers of students in special education and ESOL or bilingual programs.
• Human service agencies and health providers . Some agencies may be able to estimate the percentage of their participants who lack basic skills (those unable to fill out forms correctly or at all, those who avoid or have obvious trouble coping with printed material, etc.) and/or high school diplomas. Others can be made more aware, and may develop into good sources of information.
• Community focus groups . Drawing groups from various elements of the population, including, if there are any, current adult literacy learners from the community, can yield much helpful information.
• Key individuals and pre-existing formal or informal groups rooted in the community . Key individuals might include clergy, especially those serving immigrant or disadvantaged populations; "natural helpers," those individuals whom their neighbors seek out for help and counsel; officers of social clubs and similar organizations ; and merchants or business people who have a lot of contact with individuals (barbers, bartenders, small grocers, insurance agents, pharmacists). Community centers, sports clubs and teams, and informal groups (friends who gather in a particular restaurant, teens who play basketball every evening) might all be good sources of information about literacy needs.

I recently participated in a community assessment that used many of these sources of information. In the town we focused on, over 30% of adults lacked a high school credential. From census data, we found that, in a county of well over half a million people, this town of less than 20,000 claimed nearly half of all county residents of Portuguese descent. The planning team, which included representatives of town government, the school system, local politicians, other literacy providers, health care, and the employment training system, volunteered that a large proportion of this ethnic community was made up of immigrants. No one on the planning team - and this was confirmed by both census data and professional and community feedback - saw a great need for English-language adult literacy services in the community. Armed with this knowledge and an assumption that it indicated a need for ESOL services, we established contacts in the Portuguese community itself. Several meetings with key individuals and groups in that community confirmed the ESOL need. The volume of services needed was determined by a community survey and by circulating a sign -up list, both individually and through the church and a social club which are the hubs of community life. Ultimately, using all this information, the community was able to obtain funding for an ESOL program that answered the demand.

As you assess the need for services, be aware that need and demand are not the same. The need represents the number of people who could benefit from or make use of adult literacy services. The demand is the number of people willing to use those services, and is always much smaller than the need. Especially when the economy is good, demand may be less than 20% of need. When planning a program, it's important to understand what the actual demand for services is, because that will determine how large a program the community can support.

Step 3: Design a program to meet the demand

There are four elements that go into designing a program: First, what services will it provide to whom? Second, who will run the program? Third, what are the program's assumptions: i.e. what will it actually look like, should it be staffed by professionals or volunteers, etc.? And finally, how will it be funded? All are interrelated, but looking at each element individually will make the possible choices clearer.

What services will the program provide, and to whom?

Is the community most in need of English-language Adult Basic Education (ABE) or ESOL services - or both? What levels are most learners likely to need? In general, ABE and ESOL are each divided into three, but all three levels may not be needed in a particular community.

Who are members of the target population for this program? Will it be limited to people of certain income levels? (Federal adult education funding prohibits this, in most cases, while employment training funding often requires it.) Will ESOL instruction be limited to people of a certain language background? (Again, funding restrictions may apply, depending upon where your money comes from.) Will learners have to live in certain communities? Will learners be defined in other ways (women, young parents, adolescents, homeless, etc.), either by funding or by the purposes of the program? If there are to be any restrictions, there should be a clear rationale for the exclusion of others and for the inclusion of the target group, and some simple ways to identify members of the target group.

What entity will run the program?

The answer to this question may depend on what funding is available, since the funder may have requirements about who is to run the program. If not, there are many choices here: the establishment and oversight of adult literacy programs vary widely from state to state and from country to country. Organizations and entities that might establish adult literacy programs in various situations include:

• Federal government . In many countries, the national government has established literacy programs as part of an overall development effort, to improve the status of a particular group, or simply to try to alleviate extreme poverty. In the U.S., the federal government funds states, but conducts no programs itself, although it has done so in the past.
• State agencies . In many states, agencies such as the Department of Education, the Department of Welfare, or the Department of Labor may establish adult literacy programs, either as the primary oversight agency for the state (in which case, programs are contracted to existing local organizations), or as a direct provider (the Department of Education through the public schools, for instance).
• Local governments . A county or municipal government may decide that a local program is needed, and establish one with local funds.
• National organizations . Organizations such as Literacy Volunteers of America run local programs across the country through local and state chapters.
• Community based organizations . An existing community based organization - often an "umbrella organization," which offers a number of different services - may respond to a local need by seeking funding for a literacy program, or a separate entity may actually be formed to respond to a community concern about literacy.
• Employers. Workplace education programs are becoming increasingly common, as employers realize that they can improve accident records and increase production by increasing workers' basic skills or command of English. Employers often grant work-release time (i.e. paid hours which are part of a worker's regular job time) for on-site adult education.
• Public higher education . State colleges or, particularly, community colleges, may establish adult literacy programs, sometimes as the result of a mandate (in Illinois, until a few years ago, all state funding for adult literacy went to community colleges), sometimes as a response to a funding opportunity, and sometimes as a community service.
• Schools or education partnerships . Public school systems are often the founders and operators of adult literacy programs. Typically, these programs use already existing school facilities, equipment, and personnel (many adult literacy teachers in school system programs are moonlighting public school teachers, and program directors are often part of the system's administrative structure).

What are the program's educational assumptions?

There are several facets to this question:

How will the program view students?

Many programs see adult learners in the same way that many schools see children: as empty vessels waiting to be filled with knowledge. These programs set up a situation which generally looks a lot like a traditional school, sometimes right down to desks in rows facing a larger teacher's desk at the front of the room. Teachers lecture, write on the blackboard, etc., and are "in charge" of the learning. While such programs work for some students, they are ineffective for most, both because they repeat the circumstances of students' past failures, and because they fail to address the issues that often kept adults from learning in the first place.

Other programs see the school model as one that has already failed for adult learners, and try to create a relaxed atmosphere in which adults are treated as such, in which their past experience and knowledge is respected, and in which they are encouraged to control their learning. In many such "empowerment" programs there is an assumption that the purpose of adult literacy instruction is to help people gain more control over their lives, and that literacy experiences extend far beyond what happens in the classroom. These programs often help learners, as they gain skills and confidence, to take on tasks in the real world that use their new skills and encourage further learning.

At one of my program's sites, a local supermarket closed, creating a situation where all the available grocery shopping was in the next town, to which there was no public transportation. After one car-less learner described her difficulties doing her weekly shopping (having to hitchhike with two young children, avoiding sexual assault in the process, humiliating herself by begging strangers for rides in parking lot), a class discussion grew into a group to study and try to solve the transportation problem in the area. After two years of working with politicians, the local transit authority, and others with lots of encouragement but no results, they decided to take matters into their own hands. Ultimately, partnering with another agency, the members of the group procured a grant to buy a van, and became the operators of a transportation service that provided the means for people to gain access to shopping and other necessities. In the course of this endeavor, they also learned and practiced math, marketing, contract negotiation, writing, and numerous other skills. One student who had entered the program with minimal reading and writing skills found herself taking and passing several Business Management courses at the local community college.

While most programs probably fall somewhere between the two models described here, it is important to realize that empowerment can't take place without an educational plan that works: learners need to improve their literacy skills significantly, and to change their definitions of education from "a thing that you get" to "a process that you continue throughout your life." A program can achieve empowerment goals not by ignoring the educational process, but by emphasizing it, putting learners in charge of it, and helping them to integrate it into their lives.

What will take place in the classroom?

There is no one right way to run things, and certainly no one right curriculum, but in general, a successful program needs to do the following:

• Find ways to present material, and education in general, that don't repeat what learners have already failed at.
• Maintain the understanding that all adults should be encouraged to see the value of their own life experience and knowledge, and to bring those to their learning.
• Seek to relate learning in the classroom to the real world, and try to help learners find ways to practice their learning in meaningful ways (using math skills to save money in the market, writing a consumer demand letter, etc.).
• Incorporate into instruction critical, analytical, and creative thinking skills as well as academic subjects.
• Help learners to set their own reachable short-term and long-term learning goals, and to develop plans for reaching those goals.
• In a group situation, encourage learners to teach one another, and to use the group for support.
• Foster the development of abstract reasoning (being able to think about and work with things and ideas that aren't present) and of critical, analytical, and creative ways of thinking.
• Encourage learners to struggle with new concepts, rather than handing them answers. In this way, they will actually understand what they have learned, and will understand also that the learning belongs to them, rather than to a teacher or tutor who has pushed them through it.

Will the program be staffed by professionals or volunteers, or a combination of the two?

To some extent, the answer to this question depends on resources. A program that can't afford to hire a full professional staff will have to depend on volunteers to some extent. A program run by a public school will usually have to have a professional staff, because the school system will only employ certified teachers.

The fact that a teacher is certified doesn't necessarily imply that he can teach adults. In most states, there is no adult education certification, so an adult literacy teacher might in fact be certified in elementary education, or in high school Latin. Neither of these backgrounds necessarily equips one to work with adults, who need a very different approach from those generally used with children in a classroom. Current or former public school teachers sometimes have difficulty retaining adult students because they use the same methods and assumptions that they would in a school setting.

In the best of all possible worlds (again, depending to a great extent on resources), a program staffed with professionals would have most or all of the following characteristics:

• Full-time or nearly full-time staff , so they could devote all their energies to the program.
• A shared vision of goals, philosophy, and methods , so that every learner is approached in the same way, and so learners and staff are working together toward the same ends.
• Careful hiring practices to assure staff "fit." This doesn't mean that everyone has to agree about everything, but rather that all can work together harmoniously, and that disagreement leads to productive discussion and the strengthening of the program, rather than to bitterness and division.
• Regular (ideally, weekly) staff meetings and staff development , to assure that all staff members stay in touch and learn from one another.
• If the program is concerned with learner empowerment, then staff members must be empowered also - i.e. have adequate control over their jobs and adequate say in the organization - so that it's clear that the organization practices what it preaches. Staff members can't be expected to help learners gain control over their lives if they have none themselves.

Volunteer programs are often very different from those staffed by professionals. First, they most often employ one-on-one tutoring rather than group instruction. This arrangement means that learners have little or no contact with one another, and implies a particular dynamic between learners and volunteers. Second, volunteers are seldom able to give more than two or three hours a week, rather than the six to as much as twenty hours available in most professional programs. And third, volunteers are just that - volunteers - and may leave on short notice. While some are totally committed, and may remain reliable volunteers for years, others, after an initial flush of excitement, lose interest and disappear.

Although both volunteer and professional programs have pros and cons, professional programs by and large provide a better quality of instruction and services, are more reliable, can provide more hours a week, are more likely to allow learners access to group support, etc. However, volunteer programs have advantages as well. First, nothing works for everyone, and everything works for someone. While one -on-one instruction is not the ideal, it's appropriate on occasion for many, and the preferred method for some. Having a variety of instructional options is a positive in adult education. And one-on-one need not be the only option in volunteer programs. Second, many learners, especially those who are reasonably successful and well -known in the community, would rather not have services at all than have their friends and neighbors find out that they have a literacy problem. A volunteer program can provide the privacy and security they need in order to learn. Third, volunteers, being unpaid members of the community, are credible spokespersons for the issue of literacy in general and the program in particular. They can help raise the level of community understanding of the issue, dispel myths about learners, and act as ambassadors in the community. Anything that can be done to increase the number of people in the world who have a better understanding of adult literacy is a plus. Finally, there are many excellent volunteers - people who continually strive to improve their work with learners, are committed to those they tutor, and truly make a difference. Without a volunteer program they might never have the opportunity.

To work well, a volunteer program needs several elements.

• Initial screening : Potential volunteers should be interviewed. Those who clearly have no sense of what the work involves, or who seem unsuited for working with adults - or who are simply inappropriate, because of such conditions as substance use or prior sexual offenses - should be gently but firmly discouraged from volunteering. (Some programs even do CORI checks - background checks for criminal records.)

In addition to the initial screening, it might make sense to have a second screening interview after training. At that point, some people will have determined that volunteering in a literacy program is not for them. Others may have revealed, by their behavior during the training, that they simply aren't going to work out. It's better to catch these people before they actually begin working with learners. An interview at this time could also serve to help place volunteers, discuss issues they might have, allay fears, etc.

• Serious initial training : Volunteers, before they start, need an initial training (ideally at least 15 to 20 hours) which includes an educational and philosophical framework, instruction and practice in technique, and some supervised practice with lots of feedback. If, at the end of training, a potential volunteer decides that literacy work is not for him, that's fine: it's better to make that decision than to start working with a learner and quit in a month, or to discourage the learner. By and large, those for whom the work is inappropriate, or vice versa, will know it by the end of the training, although some may have to be told.
• Ongoing training : While they're working, volunteers should be offered at least one to two hours a month of continuing training.
• Regular supervision : Each volunteer, either individually or in a group, should meet with a supervisor at least once a month to discuss specific issues, problems, technique, etc. Volunteers should also be observed and given feedback on their work with learners at least three or four times a year. This level of involvement probably means a paid supervisor position, but could be accomplished using experienced volunteers as well.

"Supervision" is used here in the same sense as it is in counseling and psychology: a collaborative arrangement in which the supervisor acts as a mentor to help the volunteer get some perspective on what she's doing and improve her performance.

• Commitment from volunteers : At the end of the training period, the volunteer needs to make a commitment if he's going to follow through. One way of doing this is to sign a contract, committing him to a particular period of service (usually a year), a particular number of volunteer hours a week, perhaps a particular number of hours of ongoing training, and the responsibility to notify the learner and the program if he's going to miss a session for any reason.
• Volunteer recognition : This can take many forms: certificates at the end of training and/or at the end of each year of service; an annual celebration for volunteers, learners, and their families; awards for outstanding or longstanding service; etc.
• Administrative function : A program needs someone - perhaps the same volunteer or paid person who functions as supervisor - to keep track of volunteer hours, arrange (and often conduct) training, match volunteers with learners, coordinate program -wide activities, etc. A volunteer program can't function without structure.

Professional and volunteer programs are often combined in some way. My own program used a lot of volunteers, either to supplement classroom work or to work with individuals in particular areas or on special projects, and hired a part-time volunteer coordinator to manage them. Other programs use volunteers to work with those who are unable to attend classes, or to work on such specific areas as resume writing. Volunteers working in a professional program need training, supervision, and all the other elements that go into making up a good all-volunteer program.

How will you evaluate the program?

The program design isn't finished until it includes a way of evaluating its effectiveness and the extent to which it has adhered to the philosophy and goals it started with. Some areas that are generally worth looking at are:

• Student numbers : Is the program full, or nearly so? Is recruitment a problem?
• Student retention : How many students are staying long enough to achieve their educational goals?
• Student satisfaction : What do students say about the services they're getting?
• Staff satisfaction : How do staff members, professional or volunteer, feel about what they're doing and about working conditions and atmosphere?
• Attendance : If students are getting what they need, attendance is usually high. If students are satisfied, but attendance is low, there may be transportation or other issues that the program needs to address.
• Student goal achievement : Are students reaching their short-term and long -term goals? Assuming they are, how long does it take most students to achieve their goals?
• Academic achievements : How many students passed the GED (if that's a program goal)? How many have made significant progress in their educational program (gaining reading or math levels, for instance)?
• Students' non-academic achievements : Are students involved in their communities? Are their kids doing better in school than before they entered the program? Have they learned valuable skills (running a meeting, conflict resolution, Internet research, etc.)? Have they become more self-confident, more independent, more socially adept? Have they gained more control over their lives? Have they gotten jobs more suited to their potential, or with the possibility of advancement?
• Staff development : Have there been opportunities (courses, workshops, learning circles, in-house seminars, etc.) for staff members to improve their skills and learn new ones? Have they taken advantage of those opportunities?
• Dynamism : Is the program continuing to experiment with new ideas and techniques? Is there support for trying new things, or improving on current methods?
• Practical issues : Is your space adequate? Is funding sufficient to run the program?

How will the program be funded?

There are several possible sources of funding for adult literacy programs, each carrying its own set of assumptions, regulations, and expectations.

• Public money. This might come from the state or from local government sources (city, county, etc.). Gaining access to such funding usually requires that your organization have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status , and that you write a response to a Request for Proposals (RFP) from a particular state or local agency. Public money almost always comes with a long list of restrictions, regulations, and demands, and it's important that you understand those and that your organization have the capacity to keep track of and report the use of funds in the ways required. On the other hand, public money can be the easiest to get, and generally comes in fairly large amounts.
• Less-familiar large and small foundations, many with specific educational purposes
• Business and corporate foundations, established to fund either specific causes or more general "good works"
• Family foundations, which distribute the assets of a family trust to charitable and nonprofit organizations
• Community foundations, which draw on both other foundations and contributions from the local community
• Local education foundations, which fund local educational projects
• Community funds . United Way, Community Chest and other such community funders could be sources of funding. Sometimes they are reluctant to fund a new program, and they almost always require some proof of the organization's financial responsibility and of its chances for survival.
• Simply asking individuals, organizations, and businesses in the community for contributions (often through directed mailings)
• Staging events (a carnival, for instance, or a concert) for which the public is charged
• Staging events such as a read-a-thon for which participants solicit pledges from friends and family at a set amount per page
• Offering for sale a product related to literacy, such as a book of writings by adult learners
• Raffling off a donated prize. Sometimes, if local businesses are sympathetic, the prize might be a car or other major item; such a prize can raise many thousands of dollars
• Memberships. You can offer people the chance to join your organization, for which they might receive a newsletter (typically two to four times a year) and an invitation to some activity in the course of the year. My program raised upwards of $10,000 a year this way.
• Endowment . If you can convince one or several wealthy people either to include you in their wills or to donate a large amount of money, stock, or income -producing property to you as a tax write-off, you may be able to start an endowment. This is a sum of money that functions as the core support of the organization. In general, you use only the interest, or some part of it, leaving the principal to grow and continue to fund the organization indefinitely.
• For-profit arm of the organization . If you have something valuable to offer - consulting, curriculum development services, etc. - you might form a separate, for -profit organization to feed money back to the literacy program.

It's best to aim for a combination of several of the above funding sources, rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. A single funding source puts you in danger of being out of business if your funder runs out of money or decides it doesn't like what you're doing. In addition, the restrictions on a single source of funding may make it impossible to do something that you could easily do with money from another source. The ideal is to try to find as much money with as few restrictions as possible: the work necessary for community fundraising is worth it if it gives you a large pot of unrestricted funds. However, keep in mind that sticking to the organization's mission and philosophy is more important than a few extra dollars. If you're committed to a particular way of doing things or of looking at literacy, don't take money that demands that you compromise that commitment. The amount of money, no matter how large, will not be worth the damage to your organization.

Once you've put together a plan for your program and secured initial funding, you're ready to enter on the next phase of program development: actually establishing the program in the community.

Adult literacy encompasses more than just reading and writing, and it's important to understand what the real literacy needs of your particular community are before you start planning a program. Once you've assessed the demand as well as your community's needs and assets, you can start planning a program. Consider what services you need to provide, and to whom; what entity or kind of entity will run the program; what the program's philosophical and educational assumptions are; and where funding might come from. When all of that is in place, it's time to actually establish the program in the community.

Online Resources

Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)  is the world's largest digital library of education literature.

The Encylopedia of informal education  includes pages on a number of important thinkers in the history of adult education, including John Dewey, Paulo Freire, Malcolm Knowles, Eduard Lindeman, and others.

Literacy Information and Communication System , the federal literacy agency, which includes a  long list of important free publications  many available on-line (including the full text of Sondra Stein's " Equipped for the Future ."

National Adult Literacy Database of Canada  provides resources, articles, links, etc. on literacy.

The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy  is a federally -funded national adult literacy research and policy center at Harvard. Site includes research reports, copies of the NCSALL journal, and links to other adult education sites.

Print Resources

Dewey, J. (1966).  Democracy and Education . New York, NY: Free Press. 

Dewey, J.   (1963) . Experience and Education . New York, NY: Collier. 

Freire, P. (1983).  Pedagogy of the Oppressed . New York, NY: Continuum.

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences . New York, NY : Basic Books.

Hirsch, E. (1987).  Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know . Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Knowles, M. (ed.) (1984).  Andragogy in Action . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

Knowles, M. (ed.) (1970).  The Modern Practice of Adult Education: Pedagogy vs. Andragogy . New York, NY: Association Press.

Kozol, J. (1988). Illiterate America . New York, NY: New American Library,

Lindeman, C. (1926).  The Meaning of Adult Education . New York, NY: New Republic. 

Merriam, S., & Caffarella. R. (1991).  Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Mezirow, J. (1991).  Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning . San Francisco: Jossey -Bass.

National Adult Literacy Survey.  Adult Literacy in America: A First Look at the Results of the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS ). Sept., 1993.

Walsh, C, (ed .) (1991) . Literacy as Praxis: Culture, Language, and Pedagogy . Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corp.

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Adult learning, or the act of pursuing one’s own education as an adult, can be done in a formal setting such as higher education, a trade school, or an apprenticeship. It can also refer to an adult simply wanting to learn about a new skill or topic independently. For most adults, pursuing education stems from a desire for self-improvement, a professional need for specific skills, or a want to expand available job possibilities.

When imagining the role of an educator, it’s easy to overlook adult education when you think about schools and learning. But adult education happens every day, and understanding the theory, challenges, and principles that go into adult learning is important.

What Is Adult Learning Theory?

In the 1980s, educator Malcolm Knowles popularized the concept of andragogy , the practice of teaching adults, and contrasted it with pedagogy, the practice of teaching children. The andragogy theory states that adult learners are vastly different from children in terms of their motivation, the relevancy of the education to their lives, and how they apply that education. In practice, adult learning focuses on giving adults an understanding of why they are doing something, lots of hands-on experiences, and less instruction so they can tackle things themselves. Many adult learning theories developed out of Knowles’ work in the following decades, all with the specific goal to enhance teaching methods and experiences for adult learners.

Why Are Adult Learning Theories Important?

For educators and educational institutions, being informed about the many challenges and theories behind effectively educating adults will only strengthen student outcomes and success. Children and adults are very different when it comes to how they learn, so different techniques must be used in order to make learning useful for adults.

And for adult learners getting ready to pursue higher education, knowing your learning style , understanding the strengths and weaknesses adult learners may have, and preparing for your individual strengths will also help you be successful. 

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Challenges of Adult Learning

Learning new skills or studying new subjects as an adult can be challenging for many reasons, most notably:

• Lack of time: Adults often have full-time jobs and sometimes children or other dependents relying on them. This can make finding the time to continue learning very difficult.
• Self-doubt: It’s common for adult learners to feel that they are too old to continue their education. They may feel it is too late and that they have missed their chance, but whether someone has five years or 50 years left in the workforce, they deserve to follow a passion and pursue a career that they’re excited about.
• Neuroplasticity: The human brain has an element of plasticity that helps one learn and grow. Younger people have brains that are more plastic, so changes are easier for them. As one ages, the brain becomes less plastic. That can result in a struggle for adult learners who are trying to take on new concepts, forge new pathways, and more. These learners may have a harder time understanding new things simply because their brains are less plastic. While this is a difficulty, it isn’t something that is insurmountable.
• Financial Barriers: Younger learners may have parental help when it comes to higher education. That’s usually not the case for adult learners. Finances can get in the way of learners pursuing their dream of earning a degree.
• Contradiction: Some of the things adult learners will learn in their education may be different than what they thought they knew or learned before. This can mean a shift in a person’s worldview, opinions, and knowledge, which requires mental flexibility.
• Lack of Support: It can be overwhelming to try and tackle earning a degree without a strong support system. Adult students may find they don’t have the emotional or social support they need in place to be able to tackle the difficulty of classes and learning.

What Are Adult Learning Principles? 

There are 10 simple principles of adult learning for future educators to keep in mind. All of these aspects are important when building curriculum and expectations for adult learners:

1. Adults Are Self-Directing:  For many adults, self-directed learning happens naturally without anyone explaining it or suggesting it. Adult learners are more prone to plan, carry out, and evaluate their learning experiences without the help of others. When instructing adults, it’s important for learners to set goals, determine their educational or training needs, and implement a plan to enhance their own learning.

2. Adults Learn by Doing : Many adults prefer not only to read or hear about subjects but to actively participate in projects and to take actions related to their learning. Project-based curriculum utilizes real-world scenarios and creates projects for students that they could encounter in a job in the future. Many adult learners find that this kind of learning is hugely beneficial for them as they apply what they have been taught to their careers, giving them direct access to seeing what they can do with their knowledge. 

3. Adults Desire Relevance: While some enjoy learning as an end in itself, adult learners are more likely to engage in learning that has direct relevance to their lives. For example, if they’re taking a certification course to improve their chances of promotion on the job, then the course should immediately address their needs. 

4. Adults Utilize Experience:   Adults are shaped by their experiences, and the best learning comes from making sense of those experiences. Adult learners can greatly benefit from finding ways to get hands-on learning. Internships, job shadowing opportunities, projects, and other experiential opportunities can help them get a firmer grasp of their learning and be more excited about how what they learn can be applied to their interests and careers.

5. Adults Process with Their Senses: Most adult learners don’t thrive as well in a lecture-style environment. Due to the lack of brain plasticity in older learners, it’s important to fully engage the senses when learning to successfully solidify new knowledge. Learning practices need to incorporate audio, visual, reading/writing, kinesthetic, independent, and group techniques. 

6. Adults Appreciate Repetition:  Repetition is essential for adult learning. If learners can practice new skills in a supportive environment, self-efficacy will develop to take those skills outside of the classroom. And the more they can practice a particular subject or skill, the better the chances are for mastery.

7. Adults Guide Their Own Development:   Utilizing dilemmas and situations to challenge an adult learner’s assumptions and principles helps them guide their own development. Adults can use critical thinking and questioning to evaluate their underlying beliefs and assumptions and learn from what they realize about themselves in the process. 

8. Adults Thrive with Goal Setting:  Learners who have a specific career or personal goal in mind will have a better experience as they pursue their degree programs. For example, if a student wants to learn Spanish before a trip to Mexico, they might have a specific goal to be conversational by a certain date. Adult learners need these goals because their learning is more in their own hands than younger learners.

9. Adults Learn Differently Than Children:  Children and adults are very different when it comes to how they learn, so different techniques must be used in order to make learning effective for adults. In addition to reading and memorizing, adult learners utilize their past life experiences and their current understanding of a subject as they learn. Also, adult learning needs to be problem-centered, making the impact more focused on current events or real life.

10. Adults Require Ownership:  With a more nuanced and advanced hierarchy of needs, adult learners place more value on intrinsic motivation and personal ownership of their learning. It's important to give adults internal motivation by recognizing their success and promoting increased self-esteem and confidence.

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Have you considered going back to school to gain the skills needed for a new career? Are you finally at a place to focus on your education? There are many great reasons to become an adult learner. With low, flat-rate tuition and a competency-based education model, WGU offers the support and flexibility needed to earn a degree at your own pace and comfort level.

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The ultimate guide to adult learning theory: knowles’ principles & more, share this article.

You know the saying; you learn something new every day? Well, it’s true! You never stop learning new things, and you’re never too old to start using that brainpower of yours.  

Learning takes place at all ages and in all kinds of shapes and forms. Some people automatically assume that you need to be young to learn new things or skill sets, or that it’s too late to go back to school once you reach late adulthood.   

This is totally false! While adults may learn and process information differently than children do, it doesn’t mean that adults are set in their ways and shouldn’t use the working part of their brain.   

Let us introduce you to adult learning theory: a set of guidelines and principles that support the practice of adult learning.   

Also known as andragogy, this principle facilitates learning for adults, who are self-directed learners. This is the opposite of pedagogy, which translates to “leading children.” Pedagogy is the teaching of children, or dependent personalities. Andragogy is the facilitation of learning for adults, who are much more autonomous.  

This concept was coined by Malcolm Knowles, an American educator, in the 1960’s. Knowles used the term andragogy as synonymous to adult education.   

The goal of adult learning theory is to inspire adults to educate themselves in ways that suit their needs and learning styles.   

In this blog, we will go into depth on the key principles of the adult learning theory and how this can translate to your life or for teaching adults:

• The importance of adult learning theory

The five assumptions of adult learners

Transformative learning theory, experiential learning theory.

• Self-directed learning theory
• Project-based learning theory 
• Action learning theory 
• Collaborative learning theory 

Challenges of adult learning theory

• Principles of adult learning

Adult education programs

Corporate training programs, online learning environments, future directions for adult learning theory research and practice.

Related: How to Use Cognitive Learning Theory

The importance of adult learning theory  

Why, might you wonder, is adult learning theory so important?  

We often forget that adults are constantly learning new things, and that you don’t have to be a kid and in school to learn. However, there are some key differences between learning as a kid versus learning as an adult to take into consideration…  

Kids in school have constant structure and guidance to their learning – they are there to dedicate most of their day solely to learning what is taught by their teacher. When learning new things, most adults don’t have the same kind of structure to their learning, which can make for more of a challenge.   

This is why adults want to know exactly what is expected of their learning and how it will be beneficial to them. Adults’ time is more precious than children’s time, as they have more responsibilities and perhaps even their own children to take care of. For knowledge to be retained, adults must be aware of both the significance and relevance of their learning.   

Malcolm Knowles’ adult learning theory   

Knowles spent his life theorizing what makes older people’s learning styles different compared to children’s learning styles. From this approach, he developed five assumptions about adult learners.

Here are the five key assumptions that make up Malcolm Knowles’ adult learning theory that describe the characteristics of adult learners: 

Self-concept

The first assumption of Knowles’ theory is that as people mature into adulthood, they automatically become more independent and self-directed than when they were children.   

Adults want to have more autonomy and say in how and when they learn. Adults have often realized what works best for them when it comes to their preferred learning style.   

This is why many different types of learning environments and practices have been introduced, such as eLearning through mobile devices. Learning tools like this have allowed learners the freedom to learn when they want and how they want. As adults have busier lives than children, and often don’t have a set time each day to learn, tools such as eLearning give adults the freedom to learn when it is most convenient and productive for them.   

Learning as an adult automatically takes on a more self-directed approach, as adults need less guidance and supervision than children do. This is because when learning as an adult, it is very likely that you want to learn either because you are very interested in the subject, or learning a particular thing will be useful in your job or career. 

Adult learner experience

The second assumption Knowles made is about the learner experience. As an adult, you have experienced much more that the world has to offer than a child has, which means you will have different perspectives and inherent knowledge to draw from when learning.   

Children don’t have any previous experiences to draw from as they are so young and learning things for the very first time. Adults have a plethora of information they can access, as each adult has had their own unique experiences that have led them to where they are today. This could mean experiences in past education, jobs, and life events that create a one-of-a-kind perspective.   

As humans, we are always soaking up information and knowledge in whatever environment we find ourselves in. This makes learning as an adult special as no one is truly starting out the same. Children have very limited experiences to rely on as they are so young, whereas adults are coming from very different walks of life. Depending on your life experiences, you could find learning something new to be much easier or a greater challenge than the person next to you. 

Readiness to learn

One of the biggest differences between teaching adults versus children is Knowles’ third assumption, which is the readiness to learn of adults.   

In most places, it is required that children attend school every day and learn until they graduate. This can make school seem like… more of a chore than something viewed as enjoyable. Adults don’t have the same structure for learning as children do, which makes their readiness to learn a lot different.   

Adult learners are much more selective about the information they consume, and so if they are learning something new, it’s most likely to benefit them in some way.  

There is a reason that adults want to learn when they are older (although some may like to learn new things just for pleasure and fun), and it often is directed towards the growth and improvement in their professional or personal lives. Often, companies will train their employees and adults will have to learn through programs that are applicable to their everyday job. When adults can see the light at the end of the tunnel (such as a promotion, raise, or career advancement), it makes them keener to absorb the information they need to properly learn what is expected of them. 

Orientation to learning

Knowles’ fourth assumption is adult learner orientation, which focuses on learning practical skill sets to apply to the real world.   

When children learn things in school at a young age, it is often subject-based learning, which is the idea of simply knowing about a concept. This fourth assumption found that adults tend to veer towards problem-based learning, which focuses on knowledge that directly relates to solving a problem.   

As adults, we show enthusiasm towards learning things that are applicable to our everyday lives, rather than memorizing common facts about a topic. It is more beneficial to our long-term goals as functioning adults in society to learn and develop skill sets that efficiently aid us in solving problems.    

Practical real-life examples and scenario-based learning is more challenging for children to grasp at a young age. Adults differ in this way as this type of learning is more useful to them, as learning applicable problem-solving skills can engage adult learners and assist them in performing better in their roles.

Motivation to learn

The last assumption Knowles made is regarding adult motivation to learn.  

There is a huge difference between the motivation to learn for children versus adults. Children have many various influences in their lives persuading them to learn and focus. They have multiple motivators, such as parents, teachers, school deadlines, and the societal push for higher education. Adults may not have any of these same factors to motivate them to learn.   

Children have so many external motivators, that they may not even need to think too hard about their internal motivation pushing them to learn. On the other hand, internal motivation is the biggest factor that pushes and drives adult learners. These internal motivation factors could be anything – from your job or career, personal goals, life circumstances, etc. – and they are personal to each adult.   

It’s beneficial for adults to understand what their internal motivation factors are when pursuing more education, as this is the reason behind learning as an adult. This is what shapes your learning experience as an adult.   

Other theories of adult learning  

There are several other theories of adult learning, in addition to the five key assumptions that make up Malcolm Knowles’ adult learning theory. 

Transformative learning theory is based on the idea that after personal experiences, changes to your viewpoints, expectations, and assumptions will affect how you process new information.   

This theory targets a growth mindset and seeks to assist learners in transforming their existing frames of reference through a process of problem-solving, procedural tasks, and self-reflection.  

Transformative learning theory challenges existing beliefs and works with complex analytical processes. It involves a lot of self-examination and can teach adult learners to become more critical, autonomous, and responsible in decision-making.  

People may overcome problems such as adapting to a new environment, changes in the workplace, career shifting, and adapting to transition points in the life process with transformative learning.

As Knowles’ theory on orientation to learning suggests, adults prefer learning that directly relates to solving a problem. Experiential learning theory relates to orientation to learning theory as this principle focuses on developing a “hands-on” learning approach.   

Experiential learning theory examines how getting real-life experience affects your learning. Most adults tend to want to apply their knowledge to their physical environment and reflect on what works and doesn’t work afterwards.  

This theory supports the idea that adults retain information the best when directly applying what they have learned to an applicable area of their lives. 

Self-directed learning theory  

Self-directed learning theory also goes together with Knowles’ theory on self-concept, and how most adults are fully independent.   

This theory narrows in on the idea of self-concept and independence and applies learning principles in a completely self-taught manner – learning at one’s own pace in one’s own way.   

Self-directed learning theory is not for everyone as some adults may need more guidance or social interaction when it comes to learning. This theory is for those responsible adults to practice who can efficiently self-evaluate their learning needs and goals. These types of learners are very self-disciplined and usually have no issues focusing or concentrating on what needs to be done. 

Project-based learning theory

Project-based learning theory is similar to experiential learning theory as it is more of a “hands-on” technique. Using this theory, adults learn through overseeing and managing a project-based problem. They are to investigate a real-life situation for an extended period, like a case study.   

Through this learning theory, adults learn important communication and collaboration skills with other people, also working on their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.   

This theory uses authentic and engaging scenarios to stimulate a real-world, complex challenge to mimic what learners would need to apply their skills to in real life.  

Action learning theory

Action learning theory is like a combination of all the above theories – this theory allows learners to take action by gathering knowledge and collaborating with others in a group environment to find a solution to a problem or scenario.  

Business simulations are an example of action learning theory, where learners are supposed to take on multiple management roles to solve a problem.   

Adults are expected to reflect upon the results of their actions, learning from experience under pressure. The purpose of this learning theory is to fill in those knowledge gaps and establish important team-building skills. 

Collaborative learning theory

This model of learning aims to direct learners to expand their knowledge through group learning. Collaborative learning theory involves peer-to-peer learning that develops higher-level thinking, oral communication, self-management, and leadership skills.  

While adult learning is more independent than learning as a child is, there are still many different scenarios where adults can benefit from learning in a group. This is especially true in the workplace, where adults may be paired together for group projects.   

Collaborative learning theory supports adults working cohesively to solve conceptual problems. This theory is also applicable to online learning and helps people establish connections virtually.

Related: What Is Universal Design For Learning? (Examples & Best Practices)

  There are many ways or reasons adults would want to pursue further education. This could be done in a more traditional higher education setting, through skill-based courses to advance in the workplace, for self-improvement, or simply for the enjoyment of learning a new subject independently.   

With all the different options for adults to pursue further learning opportunities, it’s not to say that learning as an adult doesn’t come with its own set of challenges.   

Some challenges as an adult learner include:

• The time to set aside for dedicating yourself to learning
• Lack of support from others (emotionally or financially)
• The financial burdens of pursuing higher education 
• Self-doubt or lack of confidence in learning as an adult
• Unlearning old habits and becoming more adaptable

These barriers may provide more of an obstacle for adults to overcome when trying to reach their learning goals.   

Principles of adult learning  

Adult education is all around us, which is why it is so important to understand the best principles and practices when it comes to learning as an adult.   

Consider these key points to take into consideration when understanding the adult learner : 

• Create a positive learning environment that makes people excited and eager to show up to (remember that no one is forcing adults to attend schools or lessons). Engaging adult students is the same as any age – make your course as interesting as possible. 
• Emphasize the practical application of what is being studied. This is why adults like hands-on learning and problem-solving… because usually they need to apply this knowledge to their work or personal lives right afterwards. 
• Encourage active participation to ensure students are retaining the information. Even for those self-directed courses, make sure there is a way to engage your students in any kind of learning environment they may be in.
• Provide assessments for learning outcomes. This is the best way to ensure everyone is on track and understanding the material. Assessments are also a good way to gauge what adults previously know from past life experiences.

Related: The 5 Most Effective Teaching Styles (Pros & Cons of Each)  

Applications of adult learning theory  

Adults don’t have the same amount of time set aside for learning as children do – adults typically have many responsibilities along with the craziness that comes with, well… simply being an adult! This means that how adults learn will look a little different than how children traditionally learn every day in a classroom with a teacher.   

Here are some common ways that adults expand their knowledge: 

Adult education programs are an umbrella term for any kind of further education adults themselves wish to pursue. This can include getting your GED, a diploma in a specialization, an apprenticeship program, military training, post-secondary school, and independent studies. 

While these programs often have some structure, it is not the same as being in school every day and learning as a child. 

One of the most common ways that adults engage in learning is to further themselves in their career through corporate training programs. Seminars, workshops, and conferences make up a lot of corporate training programs, as well as specific case studies that offer a more hands-on approach.   

Adults learn specifically about the company they work for through corporate training programs, as businesses want to ensure that everyone is at an appropriate knowledge level for the position they are in. 

Online learning environments are a bit more niche than adult education programs, as these learning spaces are strictly virtual and usually are for a shorter duration.   

Some examples of online learning environments include coaching, taking a course in a specific subject matter, learning a language, and professional certification. Some adults enjoy taking online courses just for fun, simply because of the convenience of virtual learning.   

We have uncovered that the biggest difference between teaching adults versus children is that adults are self-directed learners. The goal of adult learning theory is to inspire adults to educate themselves in ways that suit their needs and learning styles. 

There are many different theories that explain how adults learn in the current day. From the five key assumptions that make up Malcolm Knowles’ adult learning theory to the other theories we uncovered – it’s been unveiled that there is no one or correct way to tackle the differences and challenges of adult learning.  

Our understanding of adult learning has evolved over the years, and future directions for adult learning theory research and practice will continue to evolve with technology and the changing needs of adult learners.   

For those who find themselves with adult students, keep in mind that it’s okay to test out different adult learning theories and try different approaches until you find what works best for your older students. Keep in mind that adults are very autonomous, and what works for one adult student could not work for another. Experiment and engage your students in the learning process, and ask them what their preferred learning style is.   

As adults are constantly changing and evolving, the adult learning theory should as well. Regularly access the application of your theory for teaching adults. Adult learning strategies should be in constant evolution.

  With that said, remember that it’s never too late to start learning something new. You can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it!    

Highly creative and curious about life, Megan is a blog writer and content creator who loves to inspire and uplift people with the written word. During her free time she is an avid yogi, travel junkie, beach enthusiast, and reader.

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EAEA is actively participating in European projects, both as coordinator and partner. Our aim is to achieve concrete outcomes in EAEA’s areas of interest and to influence adult education and lifelong learning policies through advocacy.

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EAEA is requested as a partner in European projects with increasing tendency. An important role that the association often takes over in these projects is the dissemination and the promotion of their results. Due to this specialization, EAEA offers specific dissemination services to organisations all over Europe.

The projects are focused on strategic facets of adult education. Browse the project by topic: Policy and advocacy , Professionalisation , Social inclusion , Validation of learning , and Intergenerational learning .

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Projects working with policy and advocacy aim at influencing policies related to adult education.

The Partnerships and stakeholder engagement for Upskilling Pathways (Partner UP) intends to improve the implementation of Upskilling Pathways (UP) by identifying and engaging new stakeholders, establish and improve cooperation mechanisms and implementation plans with them. It intends to have a systemic impact on the implementation of Upskilling Pathways (UP) by developing new cooperation mechanisms.

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The COPE project aims to prevent and combat social isolation and loneliness through art and culture. The project will introduce cultural activities facilitated by non-formal learning and training offers for adults.

The project Artificial Intelligence 4 Adult Learning (AI4AL) aims to facilitate a mindful adoption of AI technologies in the Adult Learning and Education (ALE) sector.

E-engAGEd aims to bridge generational divides and enhance digital, social, and political engagement among young adults (aged 18-25) and older adults (aged 50+).

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The MOTIV-ACTION project aims to create new career opportunities for unemployed adults by increasing and improving digital guidance services in Europe. 

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The All IN project aims to foster inclusive adult education by analysing and transferring the model institutions – in the sense of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  The key factor of this successful model is the cooperation between people with disabilities, relevant institutions and networks, and the project partners.

The aim of DIVERSITY is to accompany the EU adult education systems in the mentality shift from focusing on migrants as distinct target groups and preparing them for integration into the society around them, towards including migrants into the providers’ regular programs as an equal target group.

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EAEA sees validation as a key tool to promote lifelong learning, to ensure more flexible learning pathways, to encourage learners and build their self-confidence as well as to create a more comprehensive understanding of competences. Projects on validation promote all these things.

The MASTER project facilitates the participation of low-skilled adults in formal education/training opportunities and in the labour market by developing or reinforcing their personal, social, and learning competence (PSL competence).

The main aim of the GLAS project is to develop methodology for assessment and validation of ICT, numeracy, and language skills for adult education and guidance services practitioners.

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Projects on sustainability aim at adult education to provide competences, information, debating spaces and creativity to develop new approaches necessary for sustainable development

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Just4All- Adult Education for a Just Transition is an EU-funded initiative promoting a just transition through inclusive and innovative lifelong learning and adult education. The action’soverall objective is to support an inclusive recovery and digital and green transitions in Europe.

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Engage4BIO will strengthen circular, sustainable bioeconomy and sustainable regional development through engaging quintuple helix actors – taking into account their diversity of societal, economic and cultural perspectives from five regional bio-based systems (and five associated regions) in processes of design thinking, co-creation, (re)training and skills development.

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The Tale project responds to the urgent need to transform into a more climate-friendly and sustainable society. Tale project explores solutions to this challenge by using transformative learning approaches.

Intergenerational learning

Projects working with intergenerational learning are based on reciprocity and mutuality involving people of different ages where the generations work together to gain skills, values and knowledge

Archive – completed projects on intergenerational learning

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Home Blog Everything You Needed to Know About Adult Learning Theory

Everything You Needed to Know About Adult Learning Theory

Research suggests that the adult brain starts getting lazy at around 25 years old . Of course, that doesn’t mean we aren’t capable of learning new concepts. It just means we need to engage in things that keep the brain busy and keep us learning.

Hobbies are one way to accomplish this. They can improve creative thinking, memory, and job performance. It’s easy for adults to revisit the learning process. We just need to rely on different strategies to retain the material.

In this blog, we unravel the intricacies, motivations, and strategies that shape how grown minds grasp new skills and insights. We’ll introduce the theory’s main pillars along with a few competing theories as they apply to adult learning needs.

Table of Contents

What Is Adult Learning Theory?

Adult Learning Theory is a framework that goes beyond the one-size-fits-all model. It delves into the diverse needs of adults, considering factors like prior experiences, responsibilities, and personal motivations. By acknowledging these nuances, educators can craft tailored strategies that make learning not only effective but also engaging and relevant.

American educator Malcolm Knowles introduced the concept back in 1968. Today, it is more commonly known as Adult Learning Theory.

The Importance of Adult Learning Theories

Unlike the traditional pedagogical approaches used with children and teenagers, adult learners bring a unique set of experiences, motivations, and challenges to the table. Adult Learning Theory takes center stage to decipher this enigma and provides educators and trainers with insights that can reshape education.

But why is this theory so vital? The answer lies in its power to bridge the gap between theory and practice. By understanding how adults learn best, educators can design courses, programs, and training sessions that tap into the real-world context of learners. This isn’t just about transferring knowledge; it’s about equipping adults with skills they can immediately apply to their careers, hobbies, and everyday lives.

The 8 Pillars of Adult Learning Theory

The principles of adult learning, often referred to as Andragogy, were formulated by Malcolm Knowles, a prominent figure in the field of adult education. These principles provide a framework for understanding how adults learn best. There are several adult learning principles, and the number varies depending on the source. Here are eight of the most commonly cited principles:

• Adults are self-directed learners.
• Adults have a wealth of experience that can be used to facilitate learning.
• Adults need to know why they are learning something and how it will help them achieve their goals.
• Adults learn best when the learning is relevant to their lives and work.
• Adults learn by doing and prefer hands-on experiences.
• Adults are ready to learn when they perceive a need for new knowledge or skills.
• Adults learn best when the learning is problem-centered and focused on real-world issues.
• Adults learn best when they are intrinsically motivated.

The Difference Between Adult Learning with Childhood Learning

Understanding the differences between how adults and children learn is essential for educators and trainers to design effective learning experiences for adult learners. Here’s an overview of the fundamental distinctions between these two learning processes:

Additional Adult Learning Theories

Click here to learn more about hands-on learning and how it might apply to business management.

Though Knowles’ Adult Learning Theory remains an incredibly influential method of instruction, competing theories do exist. These theories are important components of instructional design.

The more familiarity individuals responsible for our learning experiences have with them, the better they can instruct a diverse cast of adult learners.

Transformative Learning

Introduced in 1970 by sociologist and professor Jack Mezirow, this adult learning theory revolves around the premise that adults can adjust their thinking based on new information.

The theory, also known as “transformational learning,” is reserved for adults, as they possess the necessary set of experiences needed to undergo a significant thought transformation.

Mezirow says his theory revolves around two specific focuses: instrumental learning and communicative learning. The first relates to task-oriented problem-solving, while the second emphasizes how people communicate their feelings, needs, and desires.

Both elements are central to the transformation process, as students must embrace new perspectives that are both logical and emotional to challenge their previous understanding.

There is, however, a certain amount of criticism that follows Mezirow’s transformative learning theory. Concerns have been raised surrounding how the theory interacts with cultural contexts, relationships, and feelings. While new perspectives are often welcome, it’s difficult to accept them as a means of altering existing principles.

Self-Directed Learning

Self-directed learning ( SDL ) has roots in Andragogy. The theory maintains that adults must exercise control over learning decisions. Educators may act as supporting guides, but it’s up to the individual learner to take the initiative.

The idea here is that all students are responsible for their cognitive development. Students must be ready to self-regulate and self-evaluate their learning goals. This model is often used to describe eLearning environments.

Experiential Learning

Though he relied on existing theories to craft this adult learning theory, David Kolb introduced the concept of experiential learning back in 1970. This adult learning theory reflects a more hands-on approach, with actual experiences needed to make sense of new information.

In place of memorizing facts and statistics, adults will rely on real-world learning experiences to initiate reflection, review, and abstract thinking. They can then conclude and conceptualize the meaning of the experience.

Project-Based Learning

Project-Based Learning (PBL) was developed by American philosopher John Dewey back in 1897. This adult learning theory revolves around the concept of “learning by doing.”

Learners must demonstrate their knowledge by completing a project or overcoming an obstacle. The idea is that the adult learner will have an easier time retaining new information by completing a task than listening to someone explain it.

Find out what it means to attend a technical school today. Learn more about the kinds of learning styles they use.

Action Learning

Like many other theories on this list, action learning revolves around solving problems. Under this theory, learners need to exercise their critical thinking skills to isolate the problem and identify the solutions needed to resolve it. Only after these two steps have been completed should they take action.

This theory can facilitate learning in a group setting. This forces participants to both think critically and work collaboratively. Often, it is practiced in the workplace or across campuses.

Cooperative and Collaborative Learning

This theory applies to groups of two or more individuals sharing a common goal. It relies on collaborative skills, direct interaction, interdependence, personal accountability, and group interaction. Past experiences help learners form goals, resolve conflicts and post questions to the group.

Discovery Learning

This theory states adults learn best by formulating their own questions and answers. Originally introduced by Jerome Bruner, the theory encourages practitioners to rely on past experiences, knowledge, and even intuition.

Though instructors play a helpful role, it is up to the student to discover new information, correlations, and truths. Instead of absorbing recited information, learners should seek out original answers to their questions.

Elaboration Learning

Educational theorist Charles Reigeluth founded the elaboration theory. The model suggests that information should be presented in a specific order, from the most rudimentary to the most complex.

The idea is to help learners recognize connections between interrelated ideas. This method remains particularly popular among corporate learners.

Social Learning

Social learning theory was introduced back in the 1970s by psychologist Albert Bandura. The concept emphasizes the importance of observing, modeling, and imitating others’ behaviors and emotional reactions. The theory draws on both cognitive and behavioral elements.

Individualized Learning

This theory states that learners must be able to navigate topics independently to fully understand the ideas they involve. In a classroom setting, this typically involves some kind of assessment at the end of a chapter or unit. Social learning activities are peppered in to help broaden the learner’s understanding.

Behaviorism

Behaviorism frames all learning experiences as responses to external stimuli. Learners, in this case, can be considered “blank slates,” which may develop specific behaviors based on their interactions with the environment.

In this case, innate or inherited factors will have very little impact on a student’s existing knowledge base. The philosophy stems from the work of B.F. Skinner.

Cognitivism

This theory operates in contrast to behaviorism, asserting that individuals actively partake in learning. This kind of mental processing involves language, concept formation, and information processing. Cognitive theorists believe discrete changes in states of knowledge can measure learning.

Constructivism

Constructivism revolves around the idea that learners create meaning through experience. Though considered a branch of cognitivism, constructivism distinguishes itself through its unique definition of knowledge.

Constructivists believe we process new information through individual experiences. That means our catalog of knowledge is constantly subject to change.

Challenges of Adult Learning

Adult learners can face various challenges that can impact their learning journey. Recognizing and implementing strategies to address these challenges is crucial for creating effective adult education and training programs.

Here are some common challenges of adult learning, along with strategies that New England Tech offers to help adult learners overcome them:

Time Constraints

Adults often have busy schedules due to work, family responsibilities, and other commitments, which can make it difficult to allocate time for learning. Strategy: Offer flexible learning options, such as online courses or self-paced modules, that allow adult learners to fit learning into their schedules. Emphasize the value of small, consistent learning sessions.

Motivation and Relevance

Adult learners need to see the practical relevance of what they’re learning. If they can’t connect the content to their real-life situations, motivation can wane. Strategy: Clearly communicate the practical applications of the learning material. Incorporate case studies, real-world examples, and scenarios that resonate with their experiences.

Fear of Technology

Some adult learners may be uncomfortable with technology, particularly if they haven’t had much exposure to digital tools. Strategy: Provide user-friendly technology interfaces, offer tech support, and include tutorials to help learners navigate online platforms. Gradually introduce technology to build confidence.

Learning Styles and Preferences

Adults have diverse learning styles and preferences. A one-size-fits-all approach may not effectively engage all learners. Strategy: Offer a variety of learning materials and methods, including visual, auditory, and hands-on activities. Allow learners to choose the formats that suit them best.

Financial Constraints

Adult learners may have financial limitations that affect their ability to access learning resources or courses. Strategy: Offer affordable or accessible learning options whenever possible. Provide information about scholarships, grants, and financial assistance programs.

Learning Overload

Balancing learning with other responsibilities can lead to cognitive overload and hinder effective information retention. Strategy: Break down complex topics into smaller, manageable chunks. Use spaced repetition techniques to reinforce learning over time.

Limited Study Skills

Adult learners might not have well-developed study skills or effective learning strategies. Strategy: Incorporate study skills and learning techniques into the curriculum. Offer resources on time management, note-taking, and effective reading.

Adult Learning Theory isn’t just a concept; it’s a transformative force that has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach education for adults. It recognizes that the journey of learning doesn’t end with youth; instead, it evolves, adapts, and takes on new dimensions as we mature.

By acknowledging the autonomy of adult learners, valuing their prior experiences, and understanding their unique motivations, educators, and trainers can create learning experiences that resonate deeply. The principles of relevance, self-directed learning, and practical application become the pillars upon which effective education for adults is built.

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What exactly is Adult Learning Theory, and why is it essential for educators and trainers?

Adult Learning Theory is a framework that outlines how adults learn best, taking into account their unique experiences, motivations, and learning styles. It emphasizes principles like self-directed learning, relevance, and practical application. For educators and trainers, understanding this theory is essential because it enables them to create tailored, engaging, and effective learning experiences that resonate with adult learners, fostering better retention and application of knowledge in real-world contexts.

Is Adult Learning Theory applicable to all industries and professions?

Yes, Adult Learning Theory is applicable to all industries and professions. Its principles, such as recognizing prior experience, fostering relevance, and promoting self-directed learning, are universally relevant. Whether in corporate training, healthcare, technology, or any other field, understanding and implementing this theory enhances learning outcomes and engagement for adult learners across diverse contexts.

Can individuals benefit from understanding Adult Learning Theory for their personal development?

Absolutely, understanding Adult Learning Theory can greatly benefit individuals in their personal development. It provides insights into effective learning strategies, making self-guided learning more efficient. By recognizing one’s learning style, valuing prior experiences, and staying motivated through practical application, individuals can enhance their ability to acquire new skills, knowledge, and personal growth effectively.

How do you teach adults effectively?

Though different theories will emphasize different educational techniques, there are a few commonalities across the board. Most adult learning theories embrace the idea of angling lessons in ways that appeal to learners directly.

Drawing personal connections to information presented, keeping assignments relevant to the learners’ everyday responsibilities, and integrating existing academic training are good ways to approach adult education.

Why is Andragogy important?

Andragogy has been recognized as one of the first theories to distinguish adult learning patterns from how children digest new information. In other words, it was the first theory to point out that adults learn differently from kids.

This gives educators, coworkers, and even bosses much more direction when introducing new information to adult learners.

How do teachers use theories in teaching?

Teachers rely on adult learning theories when instructing older audiences in a variety of ways. These methods provide them with a basis to understand how their students learn.

At New England Tech, we know that everybody has their own way of learning. Our hands-on approach lets students learn and execute at the same time. Our faculty is prepared to work with students personally, armed with different tools to use when dealing with different kinds of learners.

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    Explore the Practices

The Advancing Innovation in Adult Education project was designed to identify and disseminate innovative practices implemented by Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) grantees. The project's goal was to inspire and promote innovation in adult education that resulted in high-quality services and positive outcomes for adult learners. Over a three-year period, 18 adult education programs were recognized for innovative practices. 

This video provides a brief overview of the Advancing Innovation in Adult Education project. 

Advancing Innovation in Adult Education application submissions are no longer being accepted. To learn more about the 18 adult education programs recognized for innovative practices, visit Explore the Innovative Practices . 

Questions about the Advancing Innovation in Adult Education project should be directed to [email protected] .   

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Project Learn provides literacy and lifelong learning services that help adults achieve their goals as family members, workers, community members and lifelong learners. Since 1981, we have provided free classes to more than 27,400 adults throughout Summit County. By increasing educational attainment, community members not only improve their lives and the lives of their families, but also strengthen and improve our community and its economy.    

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In order to help the city and state meet goals to build a highly skilled Indiana workforce, Marian University has established Project Build , an adult education outreach program.

• Project Build provides diverse groups of adults with the educational and career training opportunities they need to (1) improve literacy and numeracy skills and (2) advance their careers.
• The Klipsch Educators College at Marian is committed to embedding Project Build programs within some of the city's most at risk neighborhoods.

The Project Build Adult Education program offers FREE instruction to adults needing to improve their college and career readiness skills.

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As a Project Build Adult Education student, you set your own goals, work at your own pace, have access to university professors, and, best of all, instruction is free.

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Our Adult Education classes provide math, reading, and writing instruction free of charge to help you acquire the skills needed to earn a high school equivalency diploma, go to college, or participate in an entry-level occupational certification program.

Este curso promueve el desarrollo de habilidades de inglés como segundo idioma incluyendo la lectura, escritura, comprensión de escucha y expresión oral. El objetivo es ayudar a los hablantes no nativos de inglés a desarrollar la capacidad de interactuar con otros utilizando el idioma ingles en sus actividades diarias tanto en el hogar, el trabajo y en sus comunidades. Este programa también tiene como objetivo promover el desarrollo de las habilidades lingüísticas que los estudiantes necesaran para comenzar sus estudios académicos.

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The Southside Times ran a very nice article about the new Adult Education site at Hope Center Indy. Marian University collaborates with Hope Center Indy through Project Build.

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Meet Angela Gilder, Project Build's Student of the Month. We are so proud of Angela and her accomplishments! We asked her a few questions and here is how she responded. 

What made you decide to join Marian's ABE program? "I realized I need to further my education. I wanted to take another trade. I have been a certified nurse's aide for seven years, but it's not the field for me. So, joining Marian's ABE program refreshed the education I needed to complete the BICSI (cable technology installation) program."

To learn more about Angela's student experience,  click here or go to the Project Build Facebook page.

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Dr. Judy Bardonner, Ph.D. Project Build Adult Education Klipsch Educators College (317) 955-6545 [email protected]

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© 2021 Marian University Notice of Nondiscrimination Marian University does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin, age or disabilities in the selection of administrative personnel, faculty and staff, and students. *Placement rates are gathered from data collected from graduates within six months of graduation.

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Epale - electronic platform for adult learning in europe, from ireland to portugal, iwa teams up with associação salvador.

Inclusion4All teamed up IWA and Associação Salvador for an awareness project towards inclusion and diversity.

Associação Salvador has partnered with Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA), in an Erasmus+ funded small-scale partnership focused on Inclusion and diversity in all fields of education and the broader area of advocacy. Inclusion4All is the project that we, and IWA, are very excited to talk about. It has given us the opportunity to learn from one another, and build a real partnership across European organizations.

Inclusion4All intends to create awareness for the problem of social inclusion of people with physical disabilities in the field of school education. The way we are commited to is by implementing and promoting activities that promote awareness and self-advocacy, using creative teaching practices with music, theatre, custom assessments, role-playing and inclusive games.

A diversity of cultural and social backgrounds is key to the success of this project ; indeed it is understood that such an exchange across backgrounds is essential for alternative ways of thinking and acting differently. In order to succeed, we must include cultural and social diversity as key to understanding the issues people with disabilities face across Europe, achieving more just and equitable futures.

The importance of knowing the other side

As part of this partnership, the IWA hosted Associação Salvador in Dublin from 17 th to 21 st April. The Associação Salvador team was represented by Ester Rosa, Project coordinator; Margarida Cardoso, Manager of the Awareness Project in Schools and by Ambassador César Coelho. During these five days, the Portuguese team had the opportunity to learn more about the Advocacy project, how IWA implements their initiatives and how the DAISY project is built, from the beginning to its implementation.

The IWA team, made up of John Fulham, Public Engagement Manager; Martin Kelly, Disability Awareness in Schools & Youth Projects Manager; Mark Barry, NRH Liaison Officer and Aidan Stacey, Commercial Director, came to Portugal from the 22 nd to the 26 th of May. On this visit to Portugal, the Irish team had the opportunity to experience all the activities that Associação Salvador develops in schools: School Awareness Activity– “A School for all” at Red Bridge International School; School Awareness Activity – Puppet Show, in Almada; School Awareness Activities – Peddypaper and Lecture in Torres Vedras.

Where to next on the Inclusion4All project

With this field work done, Inclusion 4 All passes for the next phase, dedicated to studying and analysing the knowledge acquired from each team. The idea is to use the knowledge to structure the best way to implement one of the activities of the other organization, in its school context, through a pilot project.

Despite being two weeks of hard work, for both organizations it is very clear that this is a successful partnership, since we are very aligned in our values ​​and in the way we see the importance of the social inclusion of people with motor disabilities in society, also being us both open to new experiences and, above all, to new approaches.

We are extremely pleased with this partnership and looking forward to creating meaningful change together!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

About Associação Salvador : nonprofit organization founded in 2003, which mission is to integrate and improve the quality of life of people with physical disabilities, boosting their talents and creating equal opportunities in society.

About Irish Wheelchair Association : one of Ireland’s leading representative organisations and service providers for people with physical disabilities. Founded on the belief that everyone should be able to live a life of choice and equality. It provides a nationwide assisted living service, access to a community centre in every county, a fleet of accessible buses, a national parking permit and driving school service, wheelchair-accessible social houses and help young people with disabilities to build employability skills and confidence. Their flagship sports programme, IWA Sport, is the national governing body for wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and powerlifting and runs sports clubs for children and adults. Many of Ireland’s finest para-athletes started their careers with IWA Sport.

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Class of 2025 faces final state tests, highlighting Oregon’s troubled relationship with standardized exams

Oregon 11th graders haven’t taken state tests in math and reading since they were in sixth grade. with low participation rates, will test results actually tell us how they’re doing.

OPB has been following 27 students since they were in first grade as part of the Class of 2025 project to track the state's progress toward 100% high school graduation starting in 2025.

Flashback to Spring 2019.

No one knows what COVID-19 means. January 6 has no meaning beyond a date on the calendar. “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X is taking over the Billboard music charts and Game of Thrones is airing its last episodes.

The Class of 2025 is in 6th grade, and they’re taking state tests, something they’d been doing every spring since 3rd grade. They’re supposed to take tests in 7th and 8th grade too, but those tests would be canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oregon freshmen and sophomores don’t take state tests.

Fast forward to 2024 — and a lot has changed. This spring, the Class of 2025, now 11th graders, are taking state assessments for the first time in five years, and for the last time in their school career.

But the state’s testing system doesn’t really work the way it’s intended to. Thousands of Oregon 11th graders decline to take state tests every year, which undermines the validity of the results as an actual gauge of student progress. Some teachers don’t think the tests are worth the disruption to class time. And even in the best of circumstances, education researchers acknowledge that state tests are just one data point among many to assess student progress. Both the lack of participation — and the lack of data — raise a central question for the Class of 2025 and other Oregon students: do the test results actually tell us how students are doing?

At David Douglas High School, where about half of the Class of 2025 students attend high school, English testing recently wrapped up.

“It went fine — I have no idea how I did,” Class of 2025 student Dude said.

He also recently took his math test, a subject he struggles with more as a high schooler than when he was younger.

“I think I’m less confident now — math is way harder than elementary, but English, I feel fine.”

“I tried my best,” classmate Joel said of his English assessment.

Class of 2025 student Ava says the last time she remembers taking state tests was all the way back in elementary school.

“We’d all go into a computer lab all at once and take it all together,” Ava recalled. “At first, I was really bored by it and I didn’t like it.”

This time around, Ava said she put effort into her English test, using it as a “check-in” to see her progress.

“A lot of students didn’t really care about it and just wanted to get it over with — but I feel like for me it was a good exercise to figure out how far I was and how experienced I am at writing essays,” she said.

Spring is state testing season in Oregon, when students in grades 3 through 8, as well as 11th graders, take tests in math and English. Students in 5th, 8th, and 11th grade also take science tests.

In Oregon and 11 other states, students spend several days at a time taking the Smarter Balanced Assessment .

Students in grades 3 through 8, as well as 11th grade, take tests in math and English. Students in 5th, 8th, and 11th grade also take science tests. In 12 states, including Oregon, students take the Smarter Balanced Assessment.

Rob Manning / OPB

It’s one of many ways schools learn how students are progressing academically. Districts use other assessments, like MAP tests, which are intended to measure growth over the course of the school year, especially for elementary and middle school students. And just about every teacher assesses their own students throughout the year.

But from a statewide perspective, the SBAC in 11th grade is one of the only ways to see how high school students statewide are faring academically. It’s also one of the few standardized exams researchers and policymakers use to compare student achievement across state lines. And for the Class of 2025, it’s the last big assessment before they graduate from high school.

When the Class of 2025′s results come back next school year, many will be paying attention. This spring is the first time juniors have taken the tests since they were in 6th grade, before the pandemic.

The results of this spring’s testing may offer insight into how this group of students is faring academically and recovering from the educational impacts of the pandemic and distance learning.

State assessments as a measure of “adult accountability”

State tests are required by federal law under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Over the years, the way they’ve been administered has varied in Oregon and across the country.

But state tests are a summative assessment measure — they’re meant to test what students have learned near the end of a school year.

Northwest Regional Education Service District superintendent Dan Goldman compares it to judging how well you prepared a dinner after you’ve served it.

“The meal is already cooked — you can’t really change the thing, now you have to eat it,” Goldman said. “But you can basically be like, ‘did that taste good?’ and the next time you make the food, you change the recipe.”

In other words, the spring state tests are less about helping the students who take them and more about improving the school system.

Andrea Lockard, Director of Assessment and Student Reporting at the Oregon Department of Education, suggests state test results are like a pixel in an image — a small piece of a puzzle that helps both district and state leaders get a clearer picture of how well schools are serving students.

“It helps us to identify different spots that are bright spots that we can learn from and it identifies different grow spots where we can lean into and improve,” Lockard said.

Tracking how well students do on state tests is also meant as an accountability measure. At the federal level, it’s a funding requirement.

“For schools that are getting the federal dollars, we want to have that assessment, so we know where the gaps are,” said U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon.

At the state level, these tests are used to “examine the health” of Oregon’s public education system and make “big system annual decisions about curriculum and instructional effectiveness,” said the Oregon Department of Education’s Dan Farley.

For districts, the results from state tests are also used to make big decisions — like figuring out where to invest resources or what training is needed for teachers.

“It’s kind of an adult accountability and being able to fine-tune your systems is probably the most valuable use of that data,” said John Lynch, David Douglas School District student information data analyst.

At the high school level, David Douglas Director of Technology and Assessment Derek Brown says the test is supposed to be a measure of where students are in terms of college and career readiness using the Common Core state standards as a measure. But if a student’s proficiency level is low on the test, it doesn’t mean they’re not going to graduate.

“It’s just meant to say, your trajectory to get through high school and kind of meet that standard looks a little different than someone else,” Brown said. “To me — that’s still valuable information.”

But the information coming out of the test results is only as good as the test data going in. And there are big caveats surrounding that data. For one, many students opt out of the tests — depriving schools of insight on those students. Second, it’s hard to know how much effort students are making on a test that doesn’t count toward their grades. And, there are factors that have nothing to do with their school, like student mobility. For districts where many students have changed schools, will those test results be an adequate measure of how the student’s current school system is doing?

Lack of state testing data for Class of 2025

While states and districts use assessment data to help inform their decision-making, teachers — the most important factor in student achievement — largely don’t.

Tyler Scialo-Lakeberg taught high school juniors before becoming the president of the Salem-Keizer Education Association.

“My classes and their learning experience were disrupted for 6 weeks as they went through the testing window,” she recalled in an email to OPB.

Tyler Scialo-Lakeberg, president of the Salem Keizer Education Association, speaks at a press conference in Salem, Oregon, on Feb. 22, 2024.

Natalie Pate / OPB

She said a third of her class would be called out of class for testing at a time, which made it “very difficult to move forward.”

“Students were exhausted mentally from the testing,” she said, “and I didn’t want to create work that a third of students would have to make up.”

All of that disruption, Scialo-Lakeberg points out, for assessment results teachers won’t see until the next school year.

“By that time, I no longer have the same students in class,” she said.

Portland Association of Teachers president Angela Bonilla called testing a “waste of time” for educators.

“What I have heard from educators is that [Oregon’s Statewide Assessment System] testing is a measure to hold districts accountable for instruction, but we end up spending more time preparing for and administering this irrelevant test than we do connecting the test information to instruction,” Bonilla said in an email to OPB.

“It is a snapshot in time of how well students can take a test; it doesn’t measure if a kid made strides in learning.”

Both Scialo-Lakeberg and Bonilla say other assessments — from weekly quizzes and conferences to in-the-moment student check-ins — are more useful to teachers.

Portland Association of Teachers President Angela Bonilla talks with the media fo in Portland, Nov. 28, 2023.

Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB

Officials both at the district and state level cite a variety of other data points, including attendance rates, 9th-grade on track percentages, grade point average, dual credit enrollment, and results on Advanced Placement tests as important gauges of how students are doing.

Those data points have been collected for the last five years and for the Class of 2025.

In the David Douglas district, Brown said they’ve been using other information to fill in the gap missing from state assessment results.

“I don’t think those data points were holes that we were worried about,” Brown said, citing 9th grade on track and attendance as points they’ve focused on instead.

“My guess is the state test results specifically aren’t going to tell us a bunch of new things about these kids that we didn’t already know from experiencing their freshman, sophomore, and junior years with them,” said Derek Brown.

Goldman at Northwest Regional ESD is more interested in qualitative sources of information rather than things like test scores. He said hearing from students and families through things like empathy interviews “get people’s experiences into the conversation.”

We won’t know how the Class of 2025 did on state tests until next school year when they’ll be seniors. But that doesn’t stop teachers from working with students to get them to graduation, Brown said.

“Whatever those results look like, I think our educators right now are working with those kids and collecting information in other ways and they’re poised to continue to provide the support they believe is necessary to get the kids across the stage and shaking hands with our superintendent and getting their diploma,” Brown said.

The first thing state officials will be looking for?

How many students actually took the tests.

In Oregon, opting out of tests is permitted. And in several school districts, high schoolers opt out of these tests in droves.

Are state test results invalid when fewer than 20% of districts reach participation benchmark?

The federal government requires 95% participation in state tests. Yet in Oregon and a handful of other states, families can opt out of testing.

That means participation in testing can vary widely, with high schools having the lowest rates.

In Oregon’s 20 largest school districts, 11th-grade participation rates ranged from 11% on math tests in Redmond to rates in the 80% range on English tests in Salem-Keizer, Medford and North Clackamas. Fewer than six in 10 Portland juniors took math or English exams. Of those 20 largest districts, only one — Greater Albany Public Schools — managed to reach 95% participation, in either subject.

ODE’s Dan Farley said a lack of participation “undermines” the purpose of the Oregon summative testing system.

“When we don’t have participation rates that are above at least 80%, we really don’t have a complete picture of what’s happening, or how well our students are learning,” Farley said.

Farley said 80% participation is a recommendation from a state technical advisory committee. Still, many districts fall short of the 80% target at the high school level.

There are many reasons a family might opt out of testing for their student and few incentives to take the test. Until 2020, high school seniors needed to prove they had reached proficiency in “essential skills,” through specific measures, including SBAC scores, as a graduation requirement. Now, state officials say , “These tests are not designed to determine if a student should graduate from high school.”

Vince Swagerty, superintendent of the small coastal North Bend School District, said that change has sometimes made getting students to participate challenging.

“You try to talk kids into taking the test, and they say, you know, it doesn’t really matter,” Swagerty said. “The interesting thing is it’s not just the kids who might not be as successful — it’s the kids who are clearly going to ace it. They’re just not interested. ‘Why waste the time?’”

Some school districts have expressed concern over how lack of student participation might affect their district.

David Douglas is an outlier among Oregon’s largest school districts, with high school participation rates ranging from 88.5% in English last school year to 92% participation in science.

Class of 2025 student Josh said he took his time with his English test this year and gave it the same effort he would for a test in class.

“I’ll still do it the same way I would do in a regular class just because it’s for the state, everybody’s going to see how the state of Oregon’s academic rate is,” Josh said.

But that’s just one district. And for some, low participation renders low trust in the assessment results.

NWRESD Superintendent Dan Goldman oversees an agency that works with 20 member districts. But before that, he was a high-level administrator in two different Oregon districts. Back then, he used assessment data like the officials at David Douglas or North Bend do, to evaluate programs and make sure a school is serving its students.

If he were in those district roles now, would he trust the data?

“No, I would not,” he said. “I would not feel the same level of trust in them.”

Goldman said the state’s opt-out policy renders the use of the tests too flawed to be useful. Instead, he says both the media and the legislature use state assessment data to unfairly rate and judge schools.

“It’s just extremely damaging to school communities and communities at large, and schools are a big part of how communities feel about themselves,” he said.

Goldman said although assessments are necessary for accountability, Oregon’s current system does not live up to that purpose. He suggests lawmakers who evaluate schools based on their test results are the same people who pass laws that depress test scores.

“The legislature, through the opt-out scenario here, has itself lowered its own accountability for schools and it makes it very difficult for us to have a real conversation internally and externally about whether our schools are meeting the needs of our kids when you can no longer use these assessments for that purpose,” Goldman said.

He also points out the gaps in who opts out of state testing. “The students who are not taking the assessment are more likely to come from higher income homes, they are more likely to be a white, homogenous group,” Goldman said.

In one school district, raising participation increased tie between results and reality

State officials know there’s a participation problem. In spite of teachers like Bonilla in PPS and Scialo-Lakeberg in Salem-Keizer suggesting tests are a waste of time for students and educators, state officials are hoping teachers can help make the case for participation.

“It’s almost more of a social stewardship role for students,” Farley said. “What they get out of it is information about their learning that the state has validated, which is useful compared to other sources of information that they have.”

Officials in the small North Bend School District are trying to get participation rates back up after years of “almost inviting” families to opt out of tests by sending the necessary forms home with students.

“We’re putting systems in place where we’re [...] we’re actually encouraging them to take the test,” Swagerty said.

Those systems have paid off. Last year, high school participation in testing jumped 24 percentage points, from 50 to 74%. Martin and Swagerty say this year’s testing participation has been even higher.

Higher participation is important at North Bend, as they’ve started receiving reports from ODE that use detailed state assessment data to give school districts a better idea of student achievement over time.

Bruce Martin, the district’s director of Teaching and Learning, has worked in the district for more than 30 years. In the past, he said state tests have been a high-stakes check for districts and school leaders on whether students have learned what they should have.

With the new state reports, school leaders can more easily use results at the beginning of the year to help focus teaching and learning efforts. Martin said annual assessment results can help school leaders and teachers know what to include in more regular assessments for students.

“We can target areas that we see deficiencies within our curriculum,” Martin said. “Once we look at those areas and know what they are, we can begin to target those and improve our instruction.”

In North Bend, those in-depth conversations have mostly focused on the elementary level, but Martin says there’s interest at North Bend High.

When the Class of 2025′s state assessment results come back, Martin and Swagerty say they’ll be looking for improvement — and signs that students are recovering from lost learning during the pandemic and that the district’s use of state and federal funding is proving to be effective.

“It would give us hope that we’re going to get to the other side of this generational impact that loss of instruction during COVID kind of saddle these kids with,” Swagerty said.

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