Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice

by Sharan B. Merriam, Laura L. Bierema

Solidly grounded in theory and research, but concise and practice-oriented, Adult Linking Theory and Practice is perfect for master's-level students and practitioners alike. Sharan Merriam and Laura Bierema have infused each chapter with practical applications for instruction which will help readers personally relate to the material. The contents Adult Learning in Today's World Traditional Learning Theories Andragogy Self-Directed Learning Transformative Learning Experience and Learning Body and Spirit in Learning Motivation and Learning The Brain and Cognitive Functioning Adult Learning in the Digital Age Critical Thinking and Critical Perspectives Culture and Context Discussion questions and activities for reflection are included at the end of each chapter.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Textbooks, Teaching, Grad School, Professional Development, School

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Natalie]

Oof. I'm relieved to finally be through this book which I was reading for an endorsement class.

I can admire that the authors have put in a lot of time, have some good ideas, and give some sound advice, but it is as boring as all get out to read. That is partly due to the format. Just giant blocks of text without pictures, bullets, diagrams, or anything to break it up. The two books we read previously for this endorsement were so much more enjoyable.

I'll be honest, I'm probably not going to retain much of the information I read and I will probably never refer back to this text. There are many resources with the same information that are a lot more accessible.

There were two chapters in this textbook that I did actually enjoy reading. I'll share some quotes below.


Chapter 7: Body and Spirit in Learning

The body and our mind and our emotions are indeed connected.

Simply stated, embodied learning involves being attentive to the body and its experiences as a way of knowing. (Freiler, 2008)

Intuition is heart-centered, free, adventurous, imaginative, playful, nonsequential, and nonlinear. (Lawrence, 2009)

...the most primal way of accessing knowledge is through the body as our earliest forms of knowing are preverbal...(Lawrence, 2009)

...any path is only a path...Look at every path closely and deliberately...Then ask yourself, and yourself alone, one question...Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good, if it doesn't, it is of no use....(Griffin 2001)

[people who are allowed] to engage their whole selves and their whole bodies can set the stage for people to play new roles and discover new capacities.

[Spirituality is] an awareness of something greater than ourselves.

If spirituality in learning environments is thought of as an integral part of meaning-making for many adults then our task as educators is to promote the conditions where it can happen.


Chapter 11: Critical Thinking and Critical Perspectives

(I wish every adult in the US would read this chapter right now!)

The potential for liberation always exists when students are encouraged to step outside of the individual world, to develop empathy, to think historically, and to think critically. (Zamudio, Rios and Jamie, 2008)

Dominant ideologies are broadly accepted beliefs and practices that usually work to perpetuate an economically unequal, racist, homophobic, and sexist society with negligible resistance. (Brookfield)

Critical theorists as questions about social conditions such as "Who benefits from these arrangements?" "Who says X is true?"

This example shows a lack of critical thinking that could harm individuals.

The authors gave a lot of great examples in this chapter. I enjoyed reading it.

[Jillian Acreman]

Professors who assign 12/12 chapters of a textbook are the real MVPs.

[Caytlin Meribela]

I hate grad school.

[Ryan]

Great book on the topic. It’s written to be a textbook for adult learner students taking a course. I especially like the summaries and examples at the end of each chapter. I don’t know what it is about authors of textbooks and their refusal to include pictures in their textbooks. That’s my only critique, why are there no pictures? Yes, there are plenty of diagrams and tables...great! No pictures: bad! Ironically (because this book constantly refers to numerous research studies) anyone who looks at the many research studies on the topic would learn very quickly that information in books and presentations that include accompanying and relevant images is retained significantly better and longer by their audiences. Yes I know this is a college level book, but pictures would just improve the acquisition and retention of the content. Yes I know that pictures are more expensive when printing, but isn’t the improved retention worth it to both author and reader? Professors and researchers that still create books in this format are the same people that still give PowerPoint presentations with bullets only. If you’re taking a course or are interested in how adults learn, read this book and Knowles’ book Adult Learning.

[Kathleen O'Mara]

Adult Learning introduces the reader to adult learning theory: andragogy, self-directed learning, transformative learning, experience and learning, body & spirit in learning, motivation and learning, the brain and cognitive functioning, adult learning in the digital age, critical thinking & critical perspectives and culture and context.
From the information contained in this book, designers are able to create learning objects that move the learner through the experience so that they grasp the new information and are able to demonstrate understanding in an assessment. Each of the theories provides the framework of learning that helps the designer move the learner to understanding.

[David]

A great book, unlocking the theories behind adult learning called Andragogy. I found each chapter building on the next, and providing a great overview of today's leading theories on how to get the most out of an adult education, and how to use these theories in my own classrooms in the future. Well done!

[Jessica]

This book was pretty dry reading, but that's probably due to the fact that I'm not a fan of theory rather than the writing. The putting theory to practice portion was more basic that I would have hoped for, but would be useful to those new to adult learning or education.

[Tonia]

After 20 years in education, I had many ah-ha moments reading this book. While it’s references to technology are a little dated (published in 2014), the theories and information shared was enlightening and succinct.

[Kate]

Great read for anyone leading trainings or courses for adults. It's a quick read with the necessary theory but also a ton of great ideas that can be applied immediately.

[Kristen Hall]

I read this for my Masters course at college. It was beneficial, but not as much as I'd hoped.

[Kelly]

The main text for school. It's full of basic but important structural information to guide the adult education journey.

[Tony Martinez]

If you are an adult, re-entering academia, or a student entering the adult teaching arena or a corporate trainer; this is a book you must read.

[Haley]

I had to read this book for a college course.

The book touches on a lot of aspects that must be considered when teaching adult students. I am interested in implementing some of the activities mentioned at the end of each chapter.

This book brushes over teaching strategies but could have been more specific. I also wasn’t a fan of the overall sequence - there wasn’t a clear order when discussing the various topics. The book probably could have flowed a little better versus jumping to completely different topics each chapter.

[Bookworm_Jess]

3.5 stars. It's a textbook, so it wasn't exactly a pleasure read, but it was a good one. Easy to get through, and the chapters were laid out really well. It is a little outdated at this point, particularly in the sections about technology and online learning, but most of it is still applicable and even the outdated stuff has solid bones.

[Missy]

Required reading for an Instructional Coaching endorsement. It was quite laborious to get through. The authors could use some help adding some white space, graphics, something to break up the condensed pages of just text. Good material. Just hard to physically read.

[Lyndsey]

Highly recommend for anyone studying adult learning: a comprehensive and interesting overview.

[Michelle Love-Day]

Great book for Instructional Coaches and a refresher on learning theories.

[Strick]

A decent introductory text

[Carol Mwaba]

i am unable to access the book and read it

[Mariah W]

Read as part of my Master’s degree. Enjoyed the format and applicable questions at the end of each chapter. Easy to read & follow.

[Matt Quintana]

Extremely dry reading, but lots of great information and research.

[Jasmine]

I read this book for school. It was very easy to follow and gave practical tools to be able to apply the theories learned

[Timothy]

As far as school books go, this has been one of my favorites. I would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in how adults learn.

[Madison]

4 Stars (Required-School-Reading Scale⭐️📚👩‍🏫)

Ok, definitely not a 4 start read compared to the books I choose to read, but for a school book, this was actually not too bad! I liked the writing style, it was easy-to-follow, and I pulled some great points from this that will definitely help me in the classroom!!

[Jocelyn]

An excellent review of the latest theories about adult learning. Read it if you teach anyone over the age of 20. Unlike many books about education, this one flows along pretty well.

[Sheri]

This was easy to read and understand. I felt like it was a good resource for adult learning foundations.

[Elske]

Oof, very dry reading. Occasionally interesting, but I think with some more examples, graphs and better formatting it could have been so much more enjoyable.

[Tere]

Very good overview of adult learning philosophy.

[Katrina V.]

4 for a text book, that is. Not for something you'd just pick up and read.