Cary Alburn

I'm a bit puzzled. Previous courses have emphasized that adult learners want involvement--they're not passive learners. But now we're being told that the majority prefers to be lectured. 

The idea that the student is a customer seems antithetical to the idea that the student is there to learn. When a customer buys a product or a service, the only thing that the customer needs to do to get that product or service is to pay for it. But the student has to pay for the education and then has to learn--so there's a huge difference--at least, I think so. I'll be interested to see how this idea is developed.

I'm actually surprised a bit by the idea of a portfolio for most employment. I'd always thought of portfolios as useful for demonstrating artistic talent, such as painting or photography. So my question is this: do employers really look at portfolios? Or are they fluff that would only make a difference if a couple of apparently identical candidates were being considered? Or are they only useful in very high profile positions?  

My major takeaway from this module is the need for the student to see the relevance of the class to the ultimate goal of entering the profession he/she is seeking. That's what empowerment is all about--integrating the individual into the profession.

Extrinsic motivators such as rewards offer short term benefits in the learning process; intrinsic motivators such as internal satisfaction offer longer term benefits in the learning process. 

What I find interesting is that although I "knew" the concepts and have actually applied them in the past teaching experiences I've had, I really hadn't labeled them as "security" and "autonomy". So when I first saw the terminology, it seemed foreign--but as I got into it, I realized that I had used them, but without having ever labeled them.

Learning can be fun! 

As an attorney, I long ago learned that communicating with clients required understanding where they were coming from--their backgrounds, intellect, education, experiences, etc. The same "rules" apply to teaching adult students, whose backgrounds can be as varied as the stars in the sky. I have to understand where they're coming from and why they're here. I need to understand what motivates them, but also what interferes with that motivation. And then I need to tailor how I teach to those aspects, i.e., their intrinsic and extrinsic needs.