Perspectives of Adult Education

Claire Aldenhuysen, Josie Campbell, Ashten Lail, 

La Tanya Robinson, Jayne Rohlfing

Ball State University

EDAC 631 Adult and Community Education

Dr. Chang

Group Member	Role	Commented On
Claire Aldenhuysen	Discussion: Museums	Group 2, 3, 4
Josie Campbelll	Implications, Summary Table	Group 3
Ashten Lail	Discussion: Health Care	Group 3
La Tanya Robinson	Discussion: CTE	Group 2
Jayne Rohlfing	Introduction, Editor	Group 3

At first glance, the field of adult education might seem to fit into tidy categories such as formal, informal, and nonformal education. However, taking a closer look at adult education will reveal the varied and multi-faceted genres encompassing the area even if “adult education” isn’t its official classification. In her interview, Adult Education with Different Hats (2019), Dr. Sharan Merriam discusses adult education and viewing it through different lenses. For example, she discusses how an educator in business and industry might view adult education through the lens of human resources or organizational development. While a teacher in higher education or adult basic education might view adult education as a process in human development and teaching the skills the students need to make it in the world today. At the same time, educators in social or cultural institutions such as museums could look at adult education through the lens of what their organization can offer to the public.

Viewing adult education as a practice with many different hats broadens the scope and gives educators the freedom to become experts in their particular arena of interest. “Everybody can’t cover all those areas,” Merriam states. Out of necessity of the broader view of adult education, she says, “I think you need people who are practitioners [...] to work out of a particular orientation” (2019). With this view in mind, out of the many adult education lenses, we will discuss three: career and technical education (CTE), health care, and museums. Merriam points out, “Learning is all around us,” while asking how it would be possible to fit these learning opportunities all under one umbrella (2019). Freedom for educators to find their area of passion and grow in their expertise benefits the practice of adult education and the adults who learn from it, regardless of the lens through which it’s viewed.

Career and Technical Education (CTE)

CTE, formerly known as vocational education, is an integral part of adult education that has had a long history in America and has had a significant impact on America’s economy. CTE can be viewed as the ultimate human resource department for the economy because of its ability to train and produce skilled workers for in-demand industries. Since 1917, the public vocational schools have trained large numbers of workers for occupations essential to the national economy in both peacetime and wartime (Gordon, 2014). CTE allows America to meet the occupational needs of its economy and creates opportunities for America to compete on a global level. The U.S Department of Education states that a well-trained vocational workforce also keeps America competitive globally (Travis, n.d). Apprenticeships and adult CTE programs are two concepts that can be utilized to meet the demand for skilled workers.

Apprenticeship, the oldest known type of vocational education in the United States (Gordon, 2014), has been used as an approach to meet the needs of the economy since colonial America. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “An apprenticeship is a proven approach for preparing workers for jobs while meeting the needs of business for a highly-skilled workforce” (U.S. Department of Labor, n.d, Apprenticeship basics section, para. 1). This proven approach allows the apprentice to learn the practical skills of a specialized industry through on-the-job training and the theory side through classroom and laboratory instruction. This combination strategically produces a highly-skilled, highly-motivated, and well-trained worker who is ready to enter the workforce, thus meeting the demand and needs of the specialized industry. The number of apprenticeships has grown over the years. As of 2019, there were nearly 25,000 registered apprenticeship programs active across the nation; and more than 252,000 individuals entered the apprenticeship system, a growth of 128% from 2009, bringing the total of apprentices nationwide to over 633,000 (U.S. Department of Labor, 2019). This growing number of apprenticeships and participants validates the beneficial impact and contribution that apprenticeship has on the U.S. economy. 

CTE programs impact the U.S. economy on a national and state level. Just as apprenticeships, CTE programs strive to meet the demand for skilled workers for in-demand industries. Industries such as construction, welding, advanced manufacturing, health care, energy, information technology, and other high-tech fields. Besides meeting industries’ demand, CTE programs are created to meet the personal and professional needs of unemployed, unskilled and/or uneducated citizens by equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to gain meaningful employment. Educational institutions throughout the U.S. offer CTE courses and programs through adult education programs and postsecondary programs. Program offerings are directly related to the in-demand industries, creating opportunities for program participants to successfully enter into the workforce, thus having a positive effect on the community and economy. For example, Indiana needs 2 million residents to have additional training to compete in the 21st-century workforce. It will have over 1 million job openings by 2025 due to retirements and the creation of new jobs (Next Level Jobs Indiana, 2020). To meet this demand, Ivy Tech Community College has implemented the Next Level Job program. This program affords Indiana residents the opportunity to earn a free credential for a high paying, high-demanding job in Indiana (Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, 2020). The courses offered in this program are directly related to the knowledge and skills needed for the 21st century and 2025 job openings. There will always be a demand or need for career and technical education, whether it’s nationwide or at a state level. Whether there’s a need to meet skilled workers’ demand or produce skilled workers to compete globally, America must incorporate CTE to build a competitive, skilled workforce.

Health Care

Adult education in relation to healthcare seeks to improve the overall wellbeing of both individuals and communities as a whole. Educational opportunities present themselves through many different forms and approaches, including opportunities to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of individuals and communities. Focusing specifically on the American healthcare system, there are significant gaps in regards to accessibility and equitability of care for both physical and mental health services, meaning there are opportunities for growth for adult educators. 

The primary goal of adult education in relation to physical healthcare is to improve an individual’s health literacy. Berkman et al. (2010) define health literacy as, “The degree to which individuals can obtain, process, understand, and communicate about health-related information needed to make informed health decisions.” (para. 1). Working to improve the health literacy of populations leads to improved healthcare outcomes, improved overall quality of life, and the appropriate usage of healthcare resources. When one is able to actively participate in their own treatment, it allows for liberation and empowerment and provides a defense against challenges within healthcare delivery such as racism, sexism, and other deadly forms of discrimination (Sentell & Braun, 2010).  

Within the American healthcare system, minority communities often face discrimination and disparities in care that can prove to be life threatening. As discussed by Bridges (2018), African American individuals do not receive the same standard and quality of care that white individuals do; they are more frequently subjected to less effective or more invasive treatments that lead to negative health outcomes, a lower quality of life, and higher morbidity rates. Through the improvement of the health literacy of minority communities, educators can provide individuals with the tools to fight back against a broken healthcare system.

Improving the health literacy of communities while existing and operating within the American healthcare system can seem daunting, however, Paasche-Orlow and Wolf (2010) propose several interventions that can be implemented to work towards this goal. The first intervention outlined is to increase the amount of research that is taking place regarding the health literacy of adults; when one has a benchmark for their communities’ level of health literacy, it becomes easier to identify areas for improvement. Once these areas for improvement have been identified, the next step is to work to improve patient education regarding these topics. Paasche-Orlow and Wolf also discuss the importance of working to simplify the healthcare system that can so often be overwhelming. Making services more accessible and ensuring proper training of healthcare professionals, who often provide education to their patients can help make an already overwhelming healthcare system more manageable. Promoting self-care practices and effectively utilizing new technologies in creative ways that allow healthcare professionals to reach underserved populations are other ways to make healthcare less overwhelming. 

The rising demand for mental health resources and treatment can be traced back to efforts to improve the mental health literacy of communities and the development of appropriate treatment and resources. It has been observed that there is an increasing demand for mental health services, however, despite this rising demand, many individuals struggle with accessibility of appropriate mental healthcare (Waller, et al., 2018). This matter of accessibility can be related to an individual’s insurance and financial resources; cultural attitudes towards mental health; geographical location and distribution of resources; and health literacy relating to mental health. While accessibility due to matters of insurance coverage cannot be so easily overcome, adult educators can still actively work to improve the mental health literacy and wellbeing of their communities.

Most mental health interventions fall within one of two categories, depending on the time frame in which they are implemented and how they approach a problem. Interventions can be preventive or protective, or they can focus on health promotion (Svedberg, 2010). When seeking opportunities for continuing education and community improvement, many adult educators seek to make an impact through health promotion interventions. This could include working to raise awareness of mental health struggles through publication of educational materials; organized events and activities; social media campaigns; and working with primary care physicians to increase their vigilance and resources to proactively spot mental health struggles and symptoms (Thomas et al., 2016).

These tools used by mental health and primary care physicians can include the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to screen for depression; the Columbia Suicide Severity and Rating Scale (C-SSRS) to screen for suicidal ideation; and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) to screen for anxiety. By utilizing tools to help identify symptoms, and by continuing to destigmatize mental health through conversation, educators can more effectively assess the needs of their communities and work to deliver appropriate and timely care. Continually working to improve the health literacy and mental health literacy will lead to improved quality of life and the empowerment of individuals and their communities.

Museums

With the wide variety of educational programming designed for adults available at museums today, it may appear that adult education has always been an integral part of the museum landscape. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case. Museum education scholars have long fought against the internal and external perception that access to museums should be restricted to the privileged few. Detractors from this belief point to the museum as a public institution that, as the name implies, is meant to serve the public and diffuse knowledge in a nonformal setting. The effort to recognize museums as viable adult educational resources in the United States can be traced to the late 1930s and early 1940s. 

  Morse A. Cartwright (1939), founder of the American Association for Adult Education, presented before the American Association of Museums in 1939 on the role of museums in adult education. He saw the museum as a powerful instrument of popular education affecting the social history of the American people. Additionally, he believed that the museum should not only act on its own motivation as an adult education resource but also serve as an auxiliary to other agencies promoting adult education. This is an attitude that still prevails today; 94% of museums offer content specifically designed for adult audiences, including lectures, workshops, gallery tours, classes, and more (Sachatello-Sawyer & Fellenz, 2001). These programs tend to differ from those intended for children in that the learning experience itself takes precedence over the curriculum.

  In 1942, Theodore Low wrote What is a Museum? while working in the Education Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This essay would eventually become a part of his influential book, The Museum as Social Instrument. He firmly believed that the purpose of museums was educational: 

“Education in all its varied aspects, from scholarly research to the simple arousing of curiosity. That education, however, must be active, not passive, and it must always be intimately connected with the life of the people. It must be thought of as existing for the public and not as processes isolated and self-sufficient unto themselves” (Low, 1942, p. 56). His definition of education was anything that can “increase the knowledge, happiness, and experience of the individual” (Low, 1942, p. 62). His views have influenced the museum field for decades, especially the argument that museums are a vital educational resource along with schools and universities (Anderson, 2004, p. 25).

  The concept of the museum as an educational institution has not always existed—in fact, it can be argued that it is a purely American invention (Low, 1942). Throughout history, much emphasis has been placed on the collection and care of museum artifacts, and mere lip service paid to the potential educational use of the artifacts. Low (1942) argued that this was due to the fact that a “block of conservative men” (p. 52) composed of curators, directors, and trustees were in direct opposition to educational efforts in the museum. All three groups typically acted in their own self-interest and ignored the issues and concerns being vocalized by members of the education department. Ironically, the education department would get the attention it deserved by the conservative block only when funding became an issue, and educational programming was seen as a potential revenue stream.

  Low (1942) also argued for museums to focus attention on “popular education,” (p. 54) which he defined as “vastly more comprehensive [than formal, academic education], part and parcel of the everyday experiences of life, and more often than not it cannot be recognized as education in the accepted sense of the word” (p. 62). Low (1942) goes on to say: 

      It embraces such things as books, the theatre, the movies, sports, radio, almost 

every branch of human activity to a greater or less degree depending on the 

relative power that each has to increase the knowledge, happiness, and 

experience of the individual. (p. 62). 

He acknowledged popular education’s connection to adult education, specifically in relation to the conscious effort of the individual to improve themselves through various life experiences. He believed the museum, as an “already established institution with vast resources of material of all kinds and descriptions” (Low, 1942, p. 64) must take its place beside libraries as a resource for adult education.

  The connection between adult education and museums is plain to see. As public institutions, museums are well equipped to provide meaningful nonformal learning opportunities to adult learners seeking to gain knowledge in as many subjects as there are different types of museums.

Implications

Adult education cannot be confined to one label because it occurs in various settings and for many different reasons. Because adult education is so complex in nature, it is important that individuals understand the numerous lenses used to view adult education. After listening to Dr. Merriam, our group was inspired to identify the facets of adult education in our lives, especially as it relates to some of our careers.

La Tanya has worked in CTE, with a major focus on secondary education, for many years, and she has a passion for helping develop, implement, and improve CTE programs. La Tanya understands the significance of ensuring that individuals are equipped with the skills they need in order to thrive in society. The focus on CTE has been initiated by the private and public sectors in an attempt to help improve the economy as well as the productivity of the workforce. The increasing focus on CTE due to demands in the workforce has created an opportunity for adult education practitioners who believe that adult education should help individuals who need work-related education or training. Due to CTE programs already beginning to reevaluate their methodologies and expand, adult educators will have more chances to work in CTE. In addition, policies that will provide more funding to CTE programs and allow CTE programs to hire more adult educators have already been enacted.

Ashten works in behavioral health services. Performing clinical assessments and taking part in crisis intervention are just two of Ashten’s many duties. The role of adult education in health care is becoming more dominant because there is an increasing focus on adults being active participants in their health care. There is concern that individuals will not be able to improve their health if they are not fully aware of the impact of their diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, individuals may have better health care experiences if they are well-informed. The use of adult education in health care means that individuals who may not have previously considered themselves adult education practitioners have been required to adopt an adult educator’s role. Adopting a new role for health care providers has been a slow but steady process that has opened a new door for adult education practitioners who have a passion for teaching adults about health-related topics.

Claire is a curriculum coordinator at a museum, and she has observed how impactful adult education can be for an individual’s cultural awareness and social identity. Claire understands how valuable experiences are in education. The use of non-formal adult education in social or cultural institutions allows the adult educator to create a unique learner experience. During experiences at social or cultural institutions, such as a museum, adult education practitioners can focus on the learner’s experience as opposed to a stringent curriculum. When adults visit a museum, they are typically willing to learn. As a result, adult educators are afforded the ability to easily aid in a learner’s discovery without much resistance. Adult education practitioners in museums can help the learner become more socially and culturally aware as a result of the learner’s experience.   

        There is power in freedom, and it is important that adult education practitioners understand that they have the freedom to view adult education through the lens that suits them the best. The field of adult education will only continue to improve and expand if adult education practitioners do not attempt to simplify the field. The complexity of adult education ensures that adult learners can be taught various content despite their circumstances, location, or motives.

 

Area	Summary
Introduction	-   Adult education is broad and varied -   Viewing adult education through different lenses creates better experts in the field -   Career and Technical Education (CTE), museums, and health care to be discussed
Discussion	-   Career and Technical Education (CTE): Since 1917, CTE, formerly known as vocational education, has been used to equip American workers with necessary skills for the workforce. Apprenticeships have also been used to meet the needs of the economy since colonial America. Besides meeting the economy’s needs, CTE provides unskilled, unemployed workers with skills and knowledge that they can use for their entire lives. Educational institutions are beginning to create more CTE programs such as Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana creating the Next Level Jobs program. -   Health Care: Adult educators have more of an opportunity to participate in health-related education due to health illiteracy. Several interventions can increase health literacy, such as ensuring the proper training of health care professionals so that they can educate their patients and ensure that patients have access to health services. Adult educators play a role in educating the community by helping plan and organize community events and ensuring that community resources about physical and mental health are available. -   Museums: Since the late 1930s and early 1940s, there has been a battle regarding the significance of museums and education. Most museums are structured for adults and provide adult content. Therefore, the museum is able to highlight the learner’s experience as opposed to the museum’s curriculum like they do with children. Viewing museums as an educational experience did not become somewhat popular until funding was needed at museums and educational programming was seen as a potential revenue stream.
Implications	-   CTE expanding provides more opportunities for adult educators -   The role of an adult educator has been extended to health care providers who may not consider themselves to be adult educators -   Adult education in museums allows for adult educators to focus on the learner’s experience -   The freedom provided to adult educator practitioners will help further the field of adult education

 

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