Knowing the
Adult Learner
Guidance & Instruction
Strategies
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Jones, M., Shelton, M. (2011). Developing Your Portfolio--Enhancing Your Learning and Showing
Your Stuff: A Guide for the Early Childhood Student or Professional, Second Edition. Routledge.
The only person who is
educated is the one who
has learned how to
learn…and change.
Carl Rogers
Consider Your Philosophy: The
Basis for Practice
Human
development
theories
Teaching/learning
theories
Practice
Strategies, tools, methods
Our Initial Assumptions and
Observations about Adult
Learners
What we thought and what we’ve learned.
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Assumption
Observation
 Adults prefer
 Many adults enter
active, rather
than passive
learning
the learning
environment
expecting to be
treated as passive
learners
Assumption
 Many adults
consistently
operate at higher
levels of thinking
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Observations
 Many adults operate
at the concrete level
and require guidance
in developing higher
level thinking skills.
Formal thinking is
situational.
Assumption
 Adults continue
to construct their
own knowledge
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Observation
 Adults continue to
construct their own
knowledge, but the
process is often
complicated by
assumptions, beliefs,
expectations and
locus of control
Assumptions
 Adults want
choice,
flexibility, and
autonomy just
as we do
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Observations
 Adults differ in their
desire for autonomy
and locus of control.
Some adult learners
are highly dependent
upon instructor
approval.
Insights about Adult Learners
 A developmental continuum exists for
adult learners
 Developmental characteristics reflect
maturity, experience, and education
 Developmental level is situational
 Developmental levels must inform
guidance and instruction strategies
 Adults often need scaffolding in
constructing new knowledge
Instruction
Developmental Continuum
Direct
Facilitate
Mentor
Highest degree of specificity
General guidelines and
parameters
Sounding board – responsive
to initiative; feedback
Instruction as needed to
clarify process & product
Provide open-ended
parameters, guidelines &
expectations
Explicit direction in process
& product
Instruction in reflection &
reflective writing
Scaffold higher level
thinking through dialogue
Developmental
Characteristics
Concrete thinking
Monitor, help clarify, prompt &
explore ideas
Formal thinking
Needs specific instructions,
models & examples
More comfortable with
ambiguity
High degree of independence
as learners
Anxious, teacher pleasing,
frustrated w/ ambiguity
Wants general guidelines,
parameters, and
expectations
Ability to see multiple
applications
Sees goal as completing the
task
Limited reflection skills
(summary of events)
Understands application
More insightful reflection
Broadening of perspective &
perspective-taking
Sophisticated, multi-level
reflection
© Jones and Shelton, 2004
Guidance and Instruction
Process
Product
Collect, select,
reflect, connect,
& project (Barrett, 2000)
Purpose, audience,
content, evidence
& reflection

Concrete
operations
Formal operations
Post-formal
operations
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Teaching/Learning Transformation
Direct
Transitional
Facilitate
Formal
Mentor
Meaning-making
Concrete
Bloom’s Taxonomy
 Cognitive
concrete
transitional
formal
Knowledge
 Comprehension
 Application
 Analysis
 Synthesis
 Evaluation

 Affective
Receiving
 Responding
 Valuing
 Organization
 Characterization

Concrete
 Cognitive: Provide & clarify explicit
instructions and selectively use models
and samples
 Affective: Acknowledge anxiety and
fears & address openly without prejudice
 Reflective: Co-construct definition;
provide models or formulas (P-P-F; A-A-A);
guided practice & feedback
Transitional
 Cognitive: Explore their rationales, logic,
understanding of part/whole relationships
 Affective: Confront their quiet theories
about teaching and learning & help them
puzzle it out
 Reflective: Pose questions to clarify,
make explicit and deepen connections;
identify areas for improvement
Formal
 Cognitive: Engage in collegial dialogue;
compare viewpoints; challenge &
stimulate deeper thought
 Affective: Validate & convey our belief
in them; help them recognize &
appreciate their strengths & gifts
 Reflective: Listen; provide feedback;
use their work to scaffold others
Constructivist Model for Instruction
 Best
practice applied to adults
 Recognizes
 Values
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individual differences
process as well as product
End thoughts: Constructivist model
Assumptions
Observation
INSTRUCTOR
Revision of
guidance and
instruction
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Insights
Guidance & Instruction
Cognitive Learning
Affective Learning
Reflective Learning
Guidance and Instruction:
Product
 Purpose:
developmental, evaluation, interview
 Audience: clearly specified
 Structure:
reflects the purpose
 Evidence:
carefully selected; suited to purpose
 Reflection: connects theory to practice –
past, present, and future
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Guidance and Instruction Steps
1. Define “portfolio” product
2. Content (re: standards or guidelines)
3. Process – how to get there
4. Packaging (print or electronic)
Product
the completed portfolio
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Guidance and Instruction:
Structure
 Examples of frameworks that guide content
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
State standards for teacher credentialing

Learning outcomes established by a program

Objectives established for a course

Recommended checklist or outline
Guidance and Instruction:
Process
 Collect:
 Select:
 Connect:
 Reflect:
 Project:
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guidance on what to collect
exemplifies competence relative to
standards/guidelines
articulates connection between
artifact and standard or guideline
indicator of cognitive movement
the completed work
Guidance and Instruction
Levels of Reflection
1
2
3
Summary of
facts limited
reflection skills
More insightful
reflection
Sophisticated,
multi-level
reflection
TREES
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FOREST
ECOSYSTEM
Guidance and Instruction
Level 1 Reflection Strategies
(Summary of facts
limited reflection skills)
• Group process to define “reflection”
• Framework with samples and discussion
• Guided practice and feedback
TREES
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Guidance and Instruction
Level 2 Reflection Strategies
(More insightful reflection)
• Scaffolding by posing questions and
probing for deeper insights
• Helping them identify areas needing
improvement
FOREST
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Guidance and Instruction
Level 3 Reflection Strategies
(Sophisticated, multi-level reflection)
•Listen
•Provide feedback
•Use their work to scaffold others
ECOSYSTEM
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Guidance and Instruction
Reflection
Summary of
facts to
limited
reflection
skills
More
insightful
reflection
Sophisticate
d, multi-level
reflection

Concrete operations
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Formal operations
Post-formal operations
Guidance & Instruction:
Packaging
 Internal refers to the organization of
the document – print or electronic
 Table of Contents is a common feature
of print and electronic versions that
provides the map of the document
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Guidance & Instruction:
Packaging
 External refers to the container for the
document – print or electronic
 The mechanics for navigating print and
electronic versions differ:
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Print
Electronic
Dividers
Tabs
Scrolling
Links
Guidance & Instruction:
Packaging
Internal
TOC
Format
Print
External
Electronic
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Progression of Technological
Skill
Level 4: Multimedia (MovieMaker,
iMovie), www. links
Level 3: Scanning, PDF files, editing digital
images
Level 2: Word processing, PowerPoint
(digital images, navigational links)
Level 1: Word processing (charts, diagrams, clipart)
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