From Theory to Practice : Insights into Faculty Learning from the Mellon Library, Faculty Fellowship for Undergraduate Research

Abstract

The literature of American Higher Education is rife with scholarly and popular books, journal articles, and web sites on the topics of adult learners and adult learning. Some address the topic from a theoretical perspective, sharing a range of observations on adult learners based on years of research representing a variety of disciplinary approaches. Others consider adult learning from a more practical, how to viewpoint, examining the conditions that need to be in place in order for adult learners to best learn. This paper addresses the work of leading American adult educational theorists, shares empirical data gathered on faculty learners over course of the four year Mellon Library/Faculty Fellowship for Undergraduate Research at the University of California, Berkeley and raises issues concerning the impact of both physical and social learning environments on adult learning.