The Adult Learner: The Definitive Classic in Adult Education and Human Resource Development

by Petra A Robinson, Richard A Swanson, Malcolm Shepherd Knowles, et al.

Book Overview

How do you tailor education to the learning needs of adults? Do they learn differently from children? How does their life experience inform their learning processes? These were the questions at the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0750678372
• ISBN13: 9780750678377
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
• Length: 378 Pages
• Weight: 1.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

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Challenging, Insightful, Practical

If you're looking for a book which will enable you to grasp the concepts of adult learning in the 21 century then The Adult Learner is a must read. Covering the latest perspectives on adult learning this book contains practical information relevant to any field of education. The Adult Learner addresses more than just the theories of adult learning, it provides timely solutions to empower those who desire to transform the learning experience.

very comprehensive look at adult learning theory

This book is like a one-stop shopping guide to Adult education. It is so comprehensive that I doubt it leaves out one development in the history of adult education. My only warning is that the opening chapters which basically trace many theories of learning (both adult and traditional) are hard to get through -- it reads more like a research paper that summarizes every major educational theory since the beginning of time. But, if you don't want to know that much, you can simply skip these chapters and get right to the meat of the adult learning theories which are more appropos. For those who need a quick primer on learning theories, you'll love the first few chapters for their abundance of quick summary information. A useful guide to adult education.

Excellent primer of Adult Learning Theory

Malcolm Knowles is known as the "Grandfather of Adult Education" in many circles, and this update of his original book does him justice. I recommend the book as a primary resource for people looking for information about how adults learn (adult learning theory), as well as what works and how to make it work in different situations.

An essential read for HRD professionals and adult educators

For those new to Knowles work, this book really is a 'must'. It takes the reader through the essentials of adult education, both in the traditional environments of adult education and in settings such as the workplace. It provides a theoretical framework for understanding the adult learning issues faced by professional educators each day, and also offers significant guidance on future practice. To those who have read past editions of the book, as I have, you will find the Swanson and Holton work true to the spirit of Knowles, and the two authors have introduced more than enough new material to justify buying this Fifth Edition.