ERIC Number: EJ897342
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Oct
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1356-2517
EISSN: N/A
Re-Conceptualizing College and University Teaching through the Lens of Adult Education: Regarding Undergraduates as Adults
Halx, Mark D.
Teaching in Higher Education, v15 n5 p519-530 Oct 2010
In this paper, I advocate for enhancing critical thinking skill development in undergraduate education by taking advantage of the increased experiential maturity of today's students. I argue that many undergraduates are in fact "adults", by virtue of their age or experiential maturity, and they should be educated as such. Undergraduates who have not yet transitioned into "adulthood" would also benefit greatly from exposure to the adult education teaching techniques that emphasize critical thinking development. The demographics of higher education today demand a reexamination of outdated pedagogical practices. Considering college and university students to be the adults that most of them are, or soon will be, would more effectively educate all of today's undergraduate students.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Undergraduate Study, Maturity (Individuals), Adult Education, Critical Thinking, Skill Development, Thinking Skills, Cognitive Ability, Teaching Methods, Higher Education, Adult Students, Academic Achievement, Colleges, Learning Theories, Transformative Learning
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Adult Education; Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A