ADULT LEARNING CONCEPTS
Brittney Wallop
INFT 101-70B LUO
February 21, 2013

Summary In today’s world many people believe that adult learning is one of the most debated topics. In this report there will be three centuries of research on adult learning theories. There will also be information about how we as human beings can use games as a means of learning. Some researchers will even argue about how adult learning is a multidimensional phenomenon. Adult learning in many ways will keep several researchers motivated in their studies due to the fact that there are many ways adult learning can be viewed, studied, or compared. The adult learning theory has been researched several times by different researchers to find out what it means. The more we learn about adults and how they perceive information the better it is to create different activities. Throughout the adult learning theory there have been three changes from volume to volume but one thing that has remained constant is the transformational learning (TL). In the first chapters of adult learning theory transformational learning was more or less describing theory, but in the twenty- first century it is based on research. Researchers from the twentieth century believe that adult learning theory was surrounded around individual learner, how that learner processes information, and how learning allows the person to be more empowered and self-sufficient. In the present day “adult learning was understood as cognitive process, one in which the mind took in facts and information, converting it all to knowledge which then could be observed as subsequent behavioral change.” Adult learning can be effective in more ways than one. This example focuses on adult learning with the use of games. One advantage for learning with games is that it is a hands-on experience which can also motivate individuals to learn. Concentrating on what’s being taught rather than fun most researchers sees gaming inappropriate for adult learning. There are two theories researchers use with game engagement. One is flow theory, which is said to be “the state of optimal experience, thought to bring happiness.” Flow theory is described as when a person is engaged in an activity without any other care in the world. The second theory is androgogy. The theory of andragogy focuses on the fact that adults have different means of motivation than younger learners. As researchers have found that learning through games all comes down to the individual’s ability to keep information stored. Also researchers like to use gaming to learn to step out of the traditional ways of learning. What I have learned from these