{"id":383,"date":"2025-11-20T20:59:30","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T04:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0280\/?p=383"},"modified":"2025-11-23T19:58:35","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T03:58:35","slug":"lost-in-translation-adult-learning-theory-in-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0280\/lost-in-translation-adult-learning-theory-in-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"Lost In Translation:  adult learning theory in practice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"1080\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1920 \/ 1080;\" width=\"1920\" autoplay controls loop src=\"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0280\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/262\/2025\/11\/LRNT517-Blog-Post.mp4\" playsinline><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Video created in Canva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cEducation underpins all social progress. Our aim is to harness technology to make all education and skills training available to anyone, anywhere for free\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mike Feerick, Alison CEO<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of LRNT517, I participated in a learning event on the Alison platform.&nbsp;The Alison mission statement hit a little differently than it would have before I started my MALAT learning journey. On the surface, it seems to aspire to equality and democratization by calling for free education for anyone, anywhere. But technology is never neutral. Sriprakash et al. (2025) urge us to look beyond a \u201ctechno-fix\u201d to addressing social and physical barriers to access. While Veletsianos and Selwyn urge us to think beyond the effectiveness and efficiency of technology and to ask deeper questions about the social, political, and ethical impacts of technology in education. As I explored the platform and consumed my course, <em>Mastering Modern Day Parenting Techniques,<\/em> I was painfully aware that only one worldview of parenting is presented. Although the theories, concepts and strategies are valuable, they represent only a Western and Eurocentric view, which reinforces the damaging effects of colonialism. Notwithstanding this pretty significant shortcoming, the platform has provided learning opportunities to over 15 million learners in 27 countries (Alison, n.d.), and I did enjoy exploring the platform and course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reviewing the platform and course through the lens of heutogagy, a self-directed adult learning theory that extends beyond andragogy (Blaschke, 2012), was enlightening.&nbsp;Equipped with new knowledge, I experienced the learning environment through fresh eyes, recognizing features and strategies that had previously been hiding in plain sight.&nbsp;In addition to adult learning theory, the Community of Inquiry (CoI) helped me to identify and categorize various design strategies and features into teaching, cognitive, and social elements.&nbsp; The framework supports adult learning theory by fostering deep learning and meaning-making by balancing presence in online environments (Dunlap et al., 2018; Mello &amp; Pittman, 2020, 1:34).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CoI helped me to think more critically about how the platform and course design did, or did not, support key components of adult learning, such as opportunities for self-directed and self-regulated learning, meaningful engagement with other learners or facilitators, and reflection or metacognition activities that build self-efficacy and support capacity building (Blaschke, 2012). Also, learning environments that offer experiences of mastery help strengthen self-efficacy and, over time, contribute to behaviour change (Bandura, 1977). Heutagogy aligns with these ideas by emphasizing active, reflective learning that allows adults to construct their own networks of knowledge, experience, and understanding (Blaschke, 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With over 6,000 online courses to choose from, the platform offers learning flexibility and content choice, which support self-directed and self-regulated learning.&nbsp; As learners make decisions about their learning path, motivation becomes intrinsic (Deci &amp; Ryan, 2002). Although the course I chose was ironically called \u201c<em>Mastering Modern Day Parenting Techniques<\/em>\u201d, there was no opportunity to master anything related to parenting, other than some of the theory that underpins it.&nbsp; It did little to translate theory into practice, leaving learners without the opportunity to apply concepts, build mastery and develop capacity within the context of parenting. Key elements of adult learning, such as connecting with other learners through discussion forums, coaching from a facilitator, and self-reflection activities that encourage metacognition, were not present. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I continue to dig deeper into heutagogy, I have discovered the PAH continuum, which describes how learners progress from pedagogy to andragogy, then finally to heutagogy. As learners mature within their learning contexts, they move from consuming knowledge in a more structured, guided environment to a fully autonomous learning environment that they create (Blaschke, 2019).\u00a0Considering my Alison learning experience, the PAH continuum has helped me assess whether the design moves learners from simply consuming knowledge to real-life application and capacity building. I feel that this is how learning and behaviour change happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m looking forward to further exploring the science behind adult learning to consider practical ways a parenting course can be more personalized and relevant, motivating parents to reflect and apply strategies in real life to increase their belief in their ability to create behaviour change over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alison (n.d.). <a href=\"https:\/\/alison.com\">https:\/\/alison.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191\u2013215. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/0033-295X.84.2.191\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/0033-295X.84.2.191<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blaschke, L. M. (2012). Heutagogy and lifelong learning: A review of heutagogical practice and self-determined learning.&nbsp;The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning,&nbsp;13(1), 56-71. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.19173\/irrodl.v13i1.1076\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.19173\/irrodl.v13i1.1076<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blaschke, L.M. (2019). The Pedagogy\u2013Andragogy\u2013Heutagogy Continuum and Technology-Supported Personal Learning Environments. In: Jung, I. (eds) Open and Distance Education Theory Revisited. SpringerBriefs in Education(). Springer, Singapore. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-981-13-7740-2_9\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-981-13-7740-2_9<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Deci, E. L., &amp; Ryan, R. M. (Eds.). (2004).&nbsp;<em>Handbook of self-determination research<\/em>. University Rochester Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dunlap, J., Lowenthal, P. (2018). Online educators\u2019 recommendations for teaching online: Crowdsourcing in action. Open praxis, 10(1), 79-89. <a href=\"https:\/\/openpraxis.org\/articles\/10.5944\/openpraxis.10.1.721#:~:text=DOI%3A%2010.5944\/openpraxis.10.1.721\">https:\/\/openpraxis.org\/articles\/10.5944\/openpraxis.10.1.721#:~:text=DOI%3A%2010.5944\/openpraxis.10.1.721<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mello, N., Pitterson, N. (Host). (2020, October 18). Dr. Randy Garrison &#8211; Community of Inquiry (CoI) Framework and Online Teaching [Episode 3]. In&nbsp;<em>Reflective Teaching In A Digital Age<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reflectiveteachinginadigitalage.com\/podcast-episodes\">https:\/\/www.reflectiveteachinginadigitalage.com\/podcast-episodes<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Selwyn, N. (2010). Looking beyond learning: Notes towards the critical study of educational technology. Journal of computer assisted learning, 26(1), 65-73. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1365-2729.2009.00338.x\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1365-2729.2009.00338.x<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sriprakash, A., Williamson, B., Facer, K., Pykett, J., &amp; Valladares Celis, C. (2025). Sociodigital futures of education: Reparations, sovereignty, care, and democratisation.&nbsp;<em>Oxford Review of Education<\/em>,&nbsp;<em>51<\/em>(4), 561-578. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/03054985.2024.2348459\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/03054985.2024.2348459<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Veletsianos, G. (2021, May 31 to June 3). Keynote \u2013 effectiveness, efficiency, engagement. Where&#8217;s equity? [Conference session]. OTESSA 2021 (Congress) Calgary, AB, Canada. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.veletsianos.com\/2021\/05\/31\/otessa-2021-congress-keynote-effectiveness-efficiency-engagement-wheres-equity\/\">https:\/\/www.veletsianos.com\/2021\/05\/31\/otessa-2021-congress-keynote-effectiveness-efficiency-engagement-wheres-equity\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Video created in Canva. \u201cEducation underpins all social progress. Our aim is to harness technology to make all education and skills training available to anyone, anywhere for free\u201d&nbsp; Mike Feerick, Alison CEO As part of LRNT517, I participated in a learning event on the Alison platform.&nbsp;The Alison mission statement hit a little differently than it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":297,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lrnt517"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0280\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0280\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0280\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0280\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/297"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0280\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=383"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0280\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":398,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0280\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383\/revisions\/398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0280\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0280\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0280\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}