What are at least three major barriers for adult learning participation and why?

According to Merriam, Caffarella and Baumgartner (2007), the three major barriers for participation in
adult learning activities, based on research, are cost, time, and family responsibilities. The textbook also
mentions social and psychological barriers to participation. Merriam, Caffarella and Baumgartner (2007)
point out that the three categories of barriers are personal, situational, and social. The authors give
examples for each of these barriers. Based on their findings, educational level and job position have a
significant impact on whether someone participates in adult learning. For example, it is mentioned that
those in managerial type positions were more likely to participate because of the nature of their jobs.
Cost can be a large factor in whether an adult chooses to participate in learning activities. Job-related
training, conferences, college, etc. are funded by some employers, but not all. This creates the case that
only those who have good jobs with good benefits (tuition reimbursement, job training, etc.) have a
great likelihood of participating in adult learning activities. The cost of learning can be very expensive,
especially if there are no funding opportunities available that can alleviate this burden. Certain learning
activities require large time commitments, such as college courses. Family responsibilities fits into a
similar group in that this area may be what is competing for available time.

Differentiate the concept of barrier and resistance when it comes to engaging with learning.

Merriam, Caffarella and Baumgartner (2007) posit that, based on the perspective of critical theory,
instead of personal barriers to participation, people have resistance to participation because it is a
conscious choice. In contrast to a barrier to participation that the person cannot overcome, resistance is
viewed as a choice made by the person. Given this perspective, it is assumed that people should be able
to find a way to participate, if they choose to do so. In essence, they have the ability to remove the
barriers or overcome them.

Explain how using stimuli in the environment can have a positive use in learning and how it can have a
negative use in learning.

Stimuli in the learning environment can produce different results from each student. The intent for
Behaviorism in learning is to use stimuli to improve learning (behavior) of certain knowledge and/or
skills. Positive stimuli, if applied appropriately, should produce positive results in the learning
environment. In some instances, an unexpected negative result may occur. This is because people
associate things (the way they feel, certain smells, sounds, etc.) with past experiences. If they have had
a bad experience and the stimuli in the environment reminds them of the negative event, their behavior
may have the opposite effect of what was expected. For instance, certain sounds may frighten people.
This is an issue when working with adults with PTSD from military backgrounds. Fireworks, for example,
are supposed to be positive and celebratory in nature, but they may not be viewed that way by
someone that is reminded of active warfare. This example is not necessarily applicable to the learning
environment, however, it does depict how individuals react to stimuli in their environments differently.

Discuss how behaviorism may be used in learning design that also respects the need for intrinsic
motivation.
Intrinsic motivation refers to doing something because it makes us feel good, it is fun, or it is just the
right thing to do. It is personal motivation for learning, in this situation. Behaviorism involves changing
something in the environment, offering rewards, or reinforcement to get the desired behavior or
outcome (learned skill, knowledge, etc.). When designing for learning, goals and objectives for the
course are explicitly stated. It should be designed in such a way that learning is engaging and fun (if
possible). Designers need to know the audience and then they can understand how best to elicit the
desired behavior from that particular group. What kinds of activities would this group of students find
engaging? What would they consider valuable and meaningful? How can each learning activity or
experience relate to the desired knowledge outcome or behavior? These are all things the designer
must consider when trying to incorporate behaviorism into the learning design, while also allowing for
intrinsic motivation.

Summarize with an overview of the learning contexts most useful for applying behaviorist strategies.

Two learning contexts that come to mind for using the behaviorist approach are in an individual, online
setting and in a classroom setting with a group of students. When students are expected to learn
vocabulary, using a quizzing platform, such as Quizlet, to learn the terms and test their knowledge with
instant feedback (reinforcement) would be an example for an online learning environment. In a group
setting, a round-table discussion with points awarded to students or teams for correct responses would
also apply.

Reference

Merriam, S., Caffarella, R., and Baumgartner, L. (2007). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.