Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Malcolm S. Knowles is the founder of the theory of Andragogy (Adult Education), and I agree with him on many of the points he makes.

The problem is that the book seems to have been written for academics to accept Malcolm's theories, and not written for students who wanted to learn to be better teachers in Adult Education.

Unless you have to use this book for a textbook for a class, I would not buy it as your first introduction to Adult Education. I'm not sure which book I would buy, but someone must have written a better one to actually learn the subject!

A little background: I am not a college professor or corporate HR director, so to some degree there are things in this book that were lost on me for that reason, HOWEVER...

I have worked in the past as an instructor for adult learners (in corporate and other environments), and earned a degree in Journalism, so I do know something about good writing hopefully. I purchased this book to gain insight into the motivations behind adult learners. Why do some go back to college even when their job does not require it? What motivates them? How do they learn compared to teenagers, etc? What techniques are best in a classroom full of adults? And FWIW I have been able to glean some useful bits of information in these respects. But this book could be so much more, if the authors would simplify the writing style. Get out of your own way and tell the story! Let me explain further...

My biggest problem with this book is that it reads like a college thesis. I always value and appreciate a well annotated work that references other respected works, however this book goes completely overboard. In some chapters, almost every page is a pulled quotation from another work or book. There are so many references as to be distracting to the reader IMO. The original point being discussed (and its relevance to the person teaching adults), is often lost and you have to go back and read again so you haven't wasted your time.

The information itself is sometimes helpful and enlightening, but buried among wordy descriptions, run-on sentences and frankly, verbal pomp. And though I recognize this book is geared towards those in HR development (companies that teach their employees IOW), there are clearly parallel lessons to be learned for anyone teaching adults, regardless of the environment (work, leisure or vocational). This book is simply not approachable enough, though there are some very good nuggets of info to be found and applied to our work. You just have to dig and re-read more than anyone should have to, in order to process that information.

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.

So, I'm writing a paper on Adult Learning. Basic definitions abound in this book. Excellent beginning book, but not very exciting. I bought it to use as a main reference book. Unfortunately, all the references are older than 10 years ago, and where's the research?? I want to love Andragogy, but the two current authors are not doing anything to perpetuate it. The latest theory definitions are not included in relation to Andragogy either. How about transformational theory, critical pedagogy, adult learning theory, and any others that are around? I contacted one of the authors by phone, but he never responded to my voicemail.

This book was the text for an adult learning course, and all 300+ students judged the book to be incomprehensible. So many complaints were received that the instructor apologized, saying it was the only book the school could find. There is good information in this book, but you need dynamite to unearth it. I have a better than average vocabulary, but I had to keep a dictionary by my side as I read, and even then I found words from the text for which I could find no definition. Some chapters had to be read 4 times before I understood the authors' message. Reading this book was a guarantee for a nap or a headache. Please, somebody stop this book before it kills again!

A recommended reference to those who are taking andragogy, adult education, life long education, training and development or alike in HRD or HRM programmes at undergraduate and graduate level.

Definitely definitive. Must read for today's web designers, instuctional designers, course developers, and any educator trying to figure out how to get instruction to be more inclusive for all adults, including aging learners.