27.3: Why Social Media for Adult Learners?
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“Blogging is using a new medium for what it is good for—connecting and interacting”. – George Siemens
The 21st century is compelling adults to become lifelong learners as they change jobs, and even professions, more frequently. To keep abreast of their profession, and remain competitive, they choose to learn, have a clear knowledge of what they want to learn and why they want to learn, and are highly motivated learners. Many adult learners often do not have the time or motivation to physically attend traditional classes. Learning online is a practical, speedy, and time-saving approach to satisfy their needs. They seek ‘just-in-time’ learning rather than ‘just-in-case’ learning to fulfill these needs.
Adult learners have different expectations, priorities, and time limitations, as well as fears regarding online learning from young adults and very young learners. Security, privacy, ease of technology, and finding the time to learn are factors to be considered in their professional and personal lives. The educator must not only cater to adult learning styles but must be able to choose an appropriate technology to support this online learning.
Emerging technologies are making this task easier for educators, but the plethora of new tools complicates the choice. In the mix of working adult learners who bring with them their own learning experiences and knowledge and their own expectations, any chosen technology must support a learner-centred approach, enabling a shared responsibility for learning and enabling the learner to develop their own network of learning.
Blogging, while a well-known concept, is not necessarily a familiar tool to working adult learners. By creating a private group within a social network blog, learners are placed in the centre of their own learning, without infringing on their privacy and without rendering their corporate information public. This privacy and security is particularly reassuring for newcomers to online learning, and enables learners to develop their own network of learning in their own time and at their own pace. Because a blog can be accessed at any time during the course, and after the course ends, this approach eliminates the problem of an abrupt end to a course, allowing distributed learners to continue to develop their own networks.
Asynchronous learning does not satisfy the learning styles of all learners, nor does it provide the necessary human contact, socializing, and real-time communication which purpose-led working adults require. The combination of asynchronous and synchronous tools offers kinesthetic, auditory, visual, and tactile support for learners. (See general overview, http://otis.scotcit .ac.uk/onlinebook/otisT102.htm.) E-learning that integrates social media offers flexibility, convenience, and sociability for the adult learner.
