The Tall and the Short of It!

The biggest difference I find between the younger and older learner is one is usually voluntary and the other isn’t.  Young students are generally interested in a grade and progression to the next level. Adults have a more closed-ended product in mind. Policy makers, administrators and teachers generally frame the pre-graduates track and the undeveloped learner depends on others to map that path for them. The emerging scholar is more likely to be in a developmental process; to reach for his learning style and experiment with various ways to examine material. 

Learning Is Developmental Regardless of Your Age 

The established learner is climbing toward a learning goal within a framework of an application or relevant product.

Young learners and adults do share common ground and the trend has been to move pedagogy and andragogy together as a progression. Of course, in some instances it will, in fact, depend on the age span.  Both have objectives. At the end of the instruction period, a specific concept should have been explored and understood.  Everyone must be engaged and willing on some level to pursue learning.  Most students bring prior experience or a learning base; albeit, diverse.  In either realm, we can find different learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses and knowledge and learning are being developed

Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., & Smith, K.. (2003). Adult Learning. In M. Orey (Ed.),      /
     Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved  from 
     http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt
Hiemstra, Roger (2004). Helping people take responsibility for their own learning. Retrieved from 

     http://www-distance.syr.edu/distancenew.html

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