ADULT LEARNING AND

CONTINUING EDUCATION

ASHA SUCHARITA PATRA

M.Sc. (N) 1st year
Roll No:- 12
 ADULT LEARNING:
INTRODUCTION:

Adult learning is the practice of teaching and educating

adults at work place during in- service education program.
 The field of adult learning was introduced by Malcolm
Knowles.
 Adult education is a formal and informal system of education
for older and mature person. It is carried out on a part time
basis, and it is entirely voluntary.

 DEFINITION:
Adult learning is defined as the range of formal,
non-formal and in formal learning activities which are
undertaken by adults after a break, since leaving
education and training and which results in acquiring of
new knowledge and skills.
Adult education aims at the development of an
educational mind in an illiterate individual.
- Humayun Kabir.
Concepts:

The adults education program should mean not

only acquisition of literacy and numeracy, but also
functional development and social awareness with a view
to cultivating the habits of self education.
 Need of Education For Adults:
• For further education.
• Social efficiency and co-operation.
• Economic betterment and self sufficient.
• To train the adult for co-operative living.
• Properly planned program of social education will be
provided.
• A new hope for the illiterate people.
 Importance:

1.In a complex modern democracy, citizens must be

knowledgeable.
2.Research shows that older people who keeps their minds active
suffer less dementia and other memory type disease in old age.
3. In a complex modern economy workers must be up-to-date
date on new techniques, and technology related to their job.
4.To bring greater happiness and satisfaction to individuals.
 Scope of Adult learning:
The scope of adult learning and continue education in
nursing practice is very significant.
 Nurses are committed for life long learning to them selves and
it needs to be continued throughout the professional life.
 The purpose of adult learning is to improve knowledge and
competency for:-
• To meet the changing social trends.
• To know the health statistics.
 Improving health status and quality care.

 Employment and empowerment of nurses.

 Continuing education among nurses is essential for quality

performance which requires knowledge in broader aspects of

various fields a part from nursing subject biochemistry,

biophysics and microbiology, pathology etc.

 Following Principles of Adult Education:

1.Adults are autonomous and self directed:

 An adult learner prefers to be actively involved in their own
learning, and in directing their own learning goals.
 Respecting adults learners as decision makers of their own
learning principle that involves the recognition that adult are
decision makers in a longer part of their life.
 As adults are self-directed in their lives, they know there
learning need.
2. Adults have an accumulated foundation of life
experiences and knowledge:
 It may include work related activities family responsibilities
and previous education.
 They must recognize the value to experience in learning and
concepts to the participants experience.
3. Adults are Goal oriented:
 Students are motivated to learn when they have a goals.
 Adults have a need to know why they should learn something
before investing time in a learning event.
 Instructors must show participants, how this class will help them
attain their goals.
4. Adults are Relevacy Oriented:
 An adults learner will learn best when they can relate the
learning task to their own goals and what they want to achieve.
 Adults learners need to see the immediate use-fullness of new
learning.
5. Adults are Practical:
 Adults focus on the aspects of a lesson most useful to them in
their work.
 It is very important that to identify appropriate ways and convert
theoretical learning to practical activities.
 Work place is a way for student to apply the theoretical
concepts learned inside the classroom.
6.Adults need to be shown respect:
 Adults learners thrive in collaborative relationships with their
educators.
 Learners become more productive when there are considered
by their instructors as colleagues.
 Adults are more responsive to internal motivators such as
increase self esteem than external motivators like higher
salaries.
PRINCIPLES OF ADULT LEARNING BY STEPHEN BROOK FIELD:

Stephen Brook field’s 1991 publication further developed this

field. He saw adult education and adult learning theory as
comprised of 6 leading principles.
1. Voluntry participation in learning.
2. Mutual respect among participats.
3. Collaboration facilitation.
4. A praxis apporach to teaching learning.
5. The necessity of critical reflection upon the breadth of life.
6. A proactive and self directed empowerment of participants.
 VELLA’S 12 PRINCIPLES FOR
EFFECTIVE ADULT LEARNING:
1. Needs assessment participation of the learning of the learner
in naming what is to be learned.
2. Safety in the environment between teacher and learner for
learning and development.
3. A sound relationship between teacher and learner for
learning and development.
4. Careful attention to sequence of content and reinforcement.
5. Praxis action with reflection or learning by doing.
6. Respects for learners as subjects to their own learner.
7. Cognitive, affective and psychomotor aspects, ideas,
feeling, actions.
8. Immediacy of learning.
9. Clear roles and developement.
10. Team work using small group.
11. Engagement of the learning in what they are
learning.
12. Accountability How do they know.
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING NEEDS:
• An educational need\learning need is basically something we
thought to learn for our good.
• The learning need is the gap beetween a traineer’s present level of
competence as required by the task.
• The standard set by organization or by the profession itself.
• Learning needs depend on context where a person works and his
knowledge and skill in relation to his role and responsibilities.
For e.g. need of a person who work in rural area in different from a
person working in urban area.
• If educational system is formal and not based on learning need
assessment it will be instrumental process, not a creative or
professional one.
• Learning need assessement should be identified on the basis
of what has been experienced or what the experienced
members of profession think is relevant.
PURPOSE:
1. To help in educational planning/further training planning.
2. To encourages trainee to become aware of his/her own limits
which provide a sound base for furthure learning.
3. To find out individuals learning need.
 Process of learning Need Assessment:

It consists of 3 steps:
Identify learning needs.
Prioritizing needs.
Need analysis.
Identify learning needs:
There are many method of need assessment some are formal and
some are informal.
a.Gap analysis:-
This is a formal method of need assessment. This may be by self
assessment, or objective testing.
b.Observation:-
This can be formal (eg; a planned event where trainee knows
performance is being observed.
c. Peer review /comparison by peers:-
It involves assessing each others practice and giving feedback or
perhaps advice about possible education, training or strategies to
improve performance.
d. Document analysis:-
A routiene review of medical records, charts prescribing letters, test
results, incident reports can be identified learning needs if format is
designed in such a way that it indicates what is satisfactory and where
improvement is required.
Prioritizing Needs:-
After identifying gaps in performance or learning needs their
importance is assessed and prioritized. Some of the learning needs are
appropriate to present circumstances, some will be too costly or too
time consuming.
Need Analysis:-
It is finding ways to close the performance gap or meet the
need. Type of problem identified is a major determinant of
learning method chosen, so there may not be one educational
solution for identified needs. Need analysis should also try to
identify who, how, where and when the training might be best
employed.
 PRIORITIES:-
 Changes in Nursing practice.
Hospital changes
Community related changes.
Ethical and legal issues.
Changes in nurse education and training.
Technological changes.
 CONTINUING EDUCATION IN NURSING: PLANNING,
IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION:
Introduction:-
Continuing education in nursing includes the experiences after initial
training which helps nurses to maintain and improve existing knowledge
and acquire new competences relevant to the performance of their
responsibilities.
We have a department of continuing nursing education at the RAK
college of nursing, New Delhi, where regular continuing nursing
education programmers are conducted nursing education programmers.
 Definition:-
“ That education which builds on previous education.”

( SHANNON)
“Continuing education is all the learning activities that occurs
after an individual has completed his basic education”.

( COOPER)
 Need:-

1.Development of nurses will occur by updating their

knowledge and prepare them for specialization.
2.For carrier advancement.
3.For developing wise leadership and competent
practitioners.
4.To ensure safe and effective nursing care.
5.To meet the demand for specialized nursing services.
6.To prepare the nurses for other positions.
7.To acquire specialized skills of personnel and meet
technological adjuncts.
8.To meet the needs of population.
9.To provide a verity of continuing nursing education
opportunities of high quality to nurses in both education and
services changes.
10.Clinical specialists are needed for direct patients care and
for teaching and consultative roles to help the student and staff
nurses to reach higher levels of competency.
PLANNING:-
A successful continuing nursing education programmers is the
results of careful and detailed planning.
Planning and organization is relation of efforts and capacities of
individuals aid groups engaged upon a common task in such a way as
to secure the desired objectives.
Planning is essential to:
1.Meet the nursing needs.
2.Use available resources.
3.Meet needs at all level ( that is local, state, regional, national,
international.)
4.The rapid technology advances and proliferation of knowledge
demands, continuous plan to meet ever changing learning needs.
 Planning Process:
1.While planning the continuing education programme,
The following policies should be kept in mind.
The purpose, the learning needs and social needs.
What methods of teaching will be used?
How resources and experts will be identified and used?
What methods of evaluation will be used?
2.Establishing goals and objective:
Planning moves toward goals which are significant and realistic that
can be attained.
Goals serve to stimulate and direct action should be reachable.
3.Determine the needs and priorities:
After assessing the needs prioritization of needs has to be
done.
Assessment of needs will be done by survey, through mailed
questionnaires, interview, formal and informal decisions with
participants.
4.Asses the available resources for establishing the program.
5.Plan the budget appropriate for the program.
FORMAT FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION:
1.Name of project.
2. Name of funding source to which proposal is directed.
3. Name of director or organizer.
4.Name of institution.
5. State assessed need/problems.
6. Aim of the program.
7. Objective of the program.
8. Duration of the workshop.
9. Stipulate the participants; type of group, and number of
participants.
10. Funds required.
 Example:
“Continuing education program on ward management for ward
sisters:”
Theme: Continuing education programme on ward
Participants: 30 ward sisters.
Date: 08/05/2023
Time: 10am to 4pm
Venue: MCH, Berahmpur
Coordinator: Mrs, "X"
Purpose: Better ward management.
Method Of Teaching :-Lecture, discussion, roleplay.
 Objectives:
•  Concept of ward management.
• Principles of administration.
•  Principles of organization.
• Job description.
•  Principles and methods of supervision.
• Developing in-service education programme.
 PROGRAMME SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, 08/05/2023 RESOURCE PERSON
10am to 11 am Registration Write the name of
resource person

11-12 am Inaugural session Nursing person

welcomeaddresssunfolding
oftheme,objectives

Inaugural speech From funding agency

12-12.30pm Tea break
12.30-1.30 Concept of ward 1 Principal college of
management nursing

1.30-4pm Principles of administration Nursing supdt

 Implementation:-
Before implementing check the following aspects
 Determine the purpose of the workshop or conference.
 Determine who will undertake direction.
  Determine time, Place and duration of workshop with date.
 Analyze desired participants.
 Develop a time table.
 Analyze methods of instruction.
 Determine the desired faculty, expenses to be met and
funding arrangements.
 Develop plan for controlling finances.
 Now we need to develop the agenda
• State purpose of agenda.
• State desired learning outcome on part of participants.
•  Determine topic coverage desire.
• Allocate time for registration, Allocate time for opening
remarks, introductio speakers.
• Allocate time for speakers and discussion Allocate time for
tea or coffee breaks.
• Allocate time presiding officials.
• Allocate time for summation, evaluation.
Prepare correspondence to guest speakers:-
• Letter or call of invitations, including consultant fee if
appropriate.
• Outline coverage desired.
• Include courtesy copy of agenda.
• Query or support requirements.
• Include information as to sponsor and planned activities.
• Develop teaching learning activities.
EVALUATION:
Evaluation is needed to assess the effectiveness of the
programme or the progress in order to find out what extent pre-
set goal have been archived. Evaluation should be done at
different stages of programme.
Evaluation may be done by rating scales questionnaires or
opinionnarire.
 CONCLUSION:-
Adult learning is effective when it is meaningful to the
learner. Every individual must be in a position to keep
learning throughout his life.
Adult learning is an important factor in the growth of an
individuals, the means by which individuals develop their
ability, enrich their knowledge, improves their technical skills
and professional qualification and bring about changes in their
attitudes and behaviour.