About one third of the way through my second face-to-face interview with Diana Orozco, she said something that provided a window into her current state as an adult learner. She stated that “Time is precious and I feel like I don’t have a couple of hours a week to continually be in a class or a course were I’m not going to gain anything.” This statement wasn’t even a direct answer to the question at hand. It was a side comment, but it gave me insight to build Diana’s profile as an adult learner. The statement provided a window into her motivation for mastery and biggest barrier which is competing demands.
I first started learning about Diana after our Adult Learning class on January 14. We were both waiting for rides after class and we agreed …show more content…
Diana has a need to know the meaning of what she is learning. This is tied to previous categories where she wants to know how the concept can be applied to her role as a leader. She has a high drive for challenge to find the truth behind what she is being taught. If this meaning does apply or line up with her life experience, she will engage and spend the time to learn. If it does not have the meaning she desires, she will move on like she did from OLLU.
Learner Barrier
Diana clearly has a busy life with many demands, but that didn’t stop her from attending classes. Instead of becoming a true barrier, time became currency for Diana. She would spend time when knowledge gained was valuable enough. She consciously compares learning opportunities against other aspects of her life. She weighs whether the “couple hours she spends away from family, church, and work is worth the information or skill she will learn.
Time spent becomes clearer when considering power and load with McClusky's Theory of Margin (Merriam & Bierema, 2014, p. 152). In Diana’s case there is a delicate balance of power and load. With the right scheduling, the Load stays manageable. She avoids taking classes on Saturdays to protect the high value time with her family. It’s the same weekend load that prevents her from taking personal interest classes. These type of classes do not bring the same value as she can get from family or from college courses that bring deeper practical
I first started learning about Diana after our Adult Learning class on January 14. We were both waiting for rides after class and we agreed …show more content…
Diana has a need to know the meaning of what she is learning. This is tied to previous categories where she wants to know how the concept can be applied to her role as a leader. She has a high drive for challenge to find the truth behind what she is being taught. If this meaning does apply or line up with her life experience, she will engage and spend the time to learn. If it does not have the meaning she desires, she will move on like she did from OLLU.
Learner Barrier
Diana clearly has a busy life with many demands, but that didn’t stop her from attending classes. Instead of becoming a true barrier, time became currency for Diana. She would spend time when knowledge gained was valuable enough. She consciously compares learning opportunities against other aspects of her life. She weighs whether the “couple hours she spends away from family, church, and work is worth the information or skill she will learn.
Time spent becomes clearer when considering power and load with McClusky's Theory of Margin (Merriam & Bierema, 2014, p. 152). In Diana’s case there is a delicate balance of power and load. With the right scheduling, the Load stays manageable. She avoids taking classes on Saturdays to protect the high value time with her family. It’s the same weekend load that prevents her from taking personal interest classes. These type of classes do not bring the same value as she can get from family or from college courses that bring deeper practical