Developing Online Graduate Coursework in Adapted Physical Education Utilizing Andragogy Theory

Graduate adapted physical education (APE) courses have typically been taught using face-to-face formats where the instructor and learners physically meet in a classroom and engage in discussions and experiential exercises. However, because in-service physical educators have time demands associated with teaching, coaching, and family commitments, face-to-face meetings may not be feasible. Therefore, online learning may provide a more efficient and effective method for training in-service physical educators to become APE specialists. The purpose of this article is to disseminate guidelines for developing and implementing online coursework in APE within the theoretical framework of andragogy (adult learning). In this article, the authors describe characteristics and implementation of an online APE graduate course for in-service physical educators based on andragogy theory. Andragogy theory addresses the particular needs of adult learners and is based on the idea that there are significant differences in learning characteristics between children and adults (Knowles, 1989). This article first describes four components fundamental to andragogical instruction: experiential learning, self-directed learning, engagement, and transformative learning. The narratives provide information and characteristics about online APE course development for PE teachers’ professional development and how andragogy approach is a useful and beneficial approach to enhance learning.     

ANDRAGOGY AND THE AGING ADULT LEARNER

This article identifies the basic concepts and structures of pedagogy and andragogy as teaching‐learning strategies for aging adults. The distinguishing characteristics of andragogy are compared with the more traditional pedagogical processes. Andragogy is discussed as a relevant participatory adult education technique. The applicability of andragogy as a preretirement education process is explained and the task‐oriented training model of preretirement education is discussed. Aging adults are found to be competent, capable learners, and the andragogical process is one very effective way of assuring this end.     

从成人学习的特点看教师的导学支持

成人学习的压力大,困难多,他们的求学之路布满各种障碍,往往会轻易放弃学习.因此,了解成人学习的特点,以及采用相应的导学策略帮助他们学习,就成为我们应该加以关注,加以研究的问题.本文结合作者的实践经验,指出成人学习的动机、成人学习的特点以及相应的导学策略.希望本文能抛砖引玉,也期望更多的同仁在这一领域做更多有价值的探讨.     

成人学习英语的特殊性与成人英语语言交际能力的培养

不可否认,英语已经是世界上使用最普遍的一种语言。在我国,除了在校学生,各行各业的许多成年人为了让自己生活和工作的更好,也开始学习英语。文章作者在充分分析成人英语学习者的特殊性及他们所要达到的最终目的之后,从自己的教学实践出发,总结出一种较为有效的“三段教学法”供同行们探讨,并期待广大英语教育工作者在成人英语教育这一领域能做出更大成绩。     

A distinctive theory of teaching and learning for older learners: why and why not?

In the wake of the world’s fast-growing ageing populations and the increasing recognition of the benefits of later life learning towards successful ageing, opportunities for elders and senior persons to engage in learning have proliferated, resulting in an array of programmes and activities being planned and organized by governments, universities, schools, non-government organizations and even hospices in many parts of the world, particularly in developed regions and economies where the opportunities and challenges brought forth by an ageing populace are more pronounced. Amidst the rising importance of elder learning and the increasing provision of learning opportunities for older adults, attention is drawn to the differences in the teaching and learning of this particular group of learners, who are experiencing significant social and psychological transitions in addition to personal changes in senior adulthood. Yet, does the mere fact that they are different from other learners, such as children and younger adults, merit a distinctive theory of teaching and learning for this unique group of older learners? The aim of this paper is to present arguments for and against such a proposition on the grounds of pedagogical principles, needs and motivations as well as difficulties and barriers, pertinent to the learning and teaching of older learners as they advance into a later stage of the lifecycle. Also, suggestions are offered regarding the approach, methods and strategies to be used for the facilitation of learning and the planning and organization of learning opportunities, be they formal, non-formal, or informal, which are appropriate for older learners.     

成人“学习能量”初探

“学习能量”与学习倾向、态度和价值观有关,它对成人学习者进行有效学习具有重要意义。通过对成人“学习能量”的研究,可以帮助我们从理论上把握成人有效学习的规律,从而激发成人学习者的能动性,为成人教育的课程、教学法改革以及成人进行有效学习提供有力的实践指导。     

Toward constructivism for adult learners in online learning environments

Since online learning has a different setting from the conventional classroom, online educators need to use some special techniques and perceptions to lead to success. Moreover, adults have special needs and requirements as learners compared with children and adolescents, thus online educators should know how adults can learn best because of their special characteristics. Philosophical and methodological shifts also affect instruction. Many researchers have suggested that constructivism should be applied in distance education. Thus, this paper attempts to examine the impact of constructivism in online learning environments when focusing on adult learners. The author develops the connection between constructivism and adult learning theory. In addition, the paper proposes instructional guidelines using the constructivist approach in online learning for adults.     

成人教育脱产学生现状及其工作针对性的探索

本针对成人教育脱产学习形式的快速发展，及其学生教育、教学管理上探索与实践的不成熟；通过对成人教育脱产学生的调查分析，探索出适合成人教育脱产学生教育、教学管理的方法。     

成人函授英语教学之我见

伴随着函授教育向更高层次的发展,英语教学在函授教育中的作用日益突显。文章对目前成人函授英语教学中普遍存在的学员基础差、缺乏学习动机;教师教学模式单一、教学方法陈旧等问题进行了分析,在此基础上探讨了成人函授英语教学的改革和对策。笔者认为,要想提高成人函授英语教学的质量,教师应注重激发学员英语学习的兴趣和信心,改革教学模式和方法,培养学员自主学习能力,帮助学员找到适合自己的英语学习方法。     

英语教学中的文化渗透

伴随着英语语言教学研究的深入，文化对于英语教学的影响越来越受到人们的关注。本文围绕文化对语言学习所产生的影响，从大学英语新教材中的一段心理描写入手，通过大学英语新教材对于教学方法提出的新要求、以往对于语言教学的文化渗透和跨文化交际的相关研究以及本人在大学英语教学实践中的思考等几个方面，论述了文化渗透在英语语言教学与学习中占据的越来越重要的地位。进而提出，英语语言教学中除了要强调学生扎实掌握语言知识之外，更应该使其深入了解不同语言中渗透的文化因素，这样，使学生不但从表面而且从本质上真正了解和掌握所学的语言，从而减少语言交流的障碍，真正学好、用好英语。     

远程开放教育成人学习心理分析——对南京电大开放教育成人学生学习心理的调查

本文研究根据成人学习理论,采用问卷调查和个案访谈相结合的方式,从认知、情绪与情感、学习行为倾向性三个层面对南京电大开放教育成人学生的学习心理进行调查与描述,指出当前开放教育成人学习心理具有学习动机多样性、学习活动自发性、学习支持网络完整性、学习行为自主性和适度的学习自信心等特点。     

对反思性教学及反思型教学价值的反思

反思性教学是指教学主体(教育者、学习者)在教学过程中,借助行动研究,不断思考、探究、解决自身与各教学要素诸方面的关系问题,将学会教学(learning to teach)与学会学习(learning to learn)相统一,努力提升教学实践的合理性,促使教学最优化发展的过程。文章阐释了"反思性教学"的内涵,并论证了反思型教学的价值。     

How Adults Learn from Self‐Paced,Technology‐Based Corporate Training: New focus for learners,new focus for designers

How do adults learn from self‐paced, technology‐based corporate training, which they select based on its relevance to their current employment responsibilities? Specifically, how do adults use the following learning strategies: prior experience, reflection, metacognition, conversations, generative learning strategies, and authentic experiences? Based on a recent dissertation research investigation, the author found that learning starts with, and is sustained by, metacognition which was defined as self‐assessment and self‐correction. While learners using metacognition is by no means a new phenomenon, learners using metacognition significantly more often than other learning strategies has important implications for the design of new generations of online distance instruction. Similarly, that learners frequently use conversations to learn from self‐paced, technology‐based training strongly suggests that dialogs and discussions are important in the design of these new ways of learning.     

社会转型期的成人教育教师素质探析

在社会转型期,成人所需要的学习环境、成人的学习特点、成人学习所存在的问题与以前相比,均有较大变化,这就需要成人教育教师具备新的素质,在形成良好的教育教学态度、观念,创设适宜的教育、教学环境,指导成人学习者有效学习、学会学习,促进成人学习者素质全面提升等方面发挥重要的作用。     

The Blending of Andragogical and Pedagogical Teaching Methods in Advanced Social Work Practice Courses

Many social work educators have endorsed an andragogical appraoch to instruction as a means to reach the diverse student population of today's classroom, without recognizing the larger debate and concerns voiced by adult education detractors. Andrgogical methods provide practical experience-related learning opportunities where self-directed learning is emphasized. Although these methods are effective and have improved social work instruction over the past two decades, there is sufficient research to support the importance of and rationale for belnding pedagogical and andrgogical techniques. This paper will highlight innovative teaching strategies and evaluation components that were used in an advanced social work practice course that blended pedgogical and andrgogical teaching methods.     

现代远程开放教育中非英语专业学生学习策略及教学手段、教学方法改革与创新研究

本文对现代远程开放教育中成人非英语专业学生学习策略进行研究．其目的是归纳整理对成人英语学习行之有效的学习策略,并根据这些策略在教学实践中采用相应的教学手段、教学方法,建立适合成人特点的新的教学模式。     

Rethinking Creative Teaching and Teaching as Research: Mapping the Critical Phases That Mark Times of Change and Choosing as Learners and Teachers of Music

This article describes the use of a visual-based construct elicitation tool developed from the use of critical incident charting for the purpose of reflecting on our creative learning journeys either at significant points as music learners in childhood, in adult life, or as preservice or experienced teachers. In this article, I introduce diverse applications of this reflective tool called “Rivers of Musical Experience” that can help us to represent, construct, and reconstruct significant milestones or significant events in our creative learning journeys. It also considers what we can learn from each other's reflections on and about our learning journeys that enable us to reflect on the assumptions underpinning our own practice. In this article, by creative teaching or teaching for creativity, I mean creating a positive learning environment in which both teachers and students can take risks, engage in imaginative activity, and do things differently.     

Full time adult credential students’ instructional preferences at California State University,Long Beach: pedagogy or andragogy?

This study investigated the instructional preferences of full time adult credential students after they took a live course called Principles of Adult Education at California State University, Long Beach, (CSULB) in the fall semester of 2002. These full time adult credential students had been working on their adult teaching credentials to meet the competencies specified by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. The course introduced students to Andragogy developed by Malcolm Knowles out of the andragogical model, developed by Lindeman (1926). The study used Principles of Adult Learning Scales (PALS), advanced by Gary Conti in 1983 to measure instructional preferences. Data were collected from 30 (100% of 30) full time adult credential students enrolled in a live course to, determine their instructional preferences of helping adults learn. The results of the study showed in most cases these adult learning professionals taught adult students andragogically: in some cases they taught adult students pedagogically.     

Adult learning principles in designing learning activities for teacher development

The research reported in this paper is an investigation of the application of adult learning principles in designing learning activities for teachers’ life-long development. The exploration is illustrated by qualitative data from a case study of adult educators’ and adult learners’ insights and experiences of a teacher development course organised by a Greek university. Analysis focuses on the andragogical notion of design, i.e. selecting the combination of learning units and learning formats that most effectively accomplish the objectives of a programme. Findings of the study are somehow optimistic in that they do indicate, however imperfectly, that adult learning principles might be further applied in designing learning activities for teacher development, and make some tentative recommendations for Greece and elsewhere.     

开放教育中成人学习英语的优劣势及对策

在开放教育的英语教学中,成人学习英语的优劣势是共存的,帮助学员分析自身学习的优劣势有助于英语的学习。作为英语教师,应从学员的实际情况出发,更加充分、科学地体现教学中教师的主导作用和学生的主体作用,进一步研究并遵循教学规律和成人学生学习的特殊性,不断探索英语教学的新方法、新思维。