2019 Annual Conference

History and Philosophy of Adult Education

Concurrent Session (45 minutes)

This session will focus on the published 2019 update of Malcolm S. Knowles' 1989 Autobiobraphical Journey, Making of an Adult Educator.  Various aspects of his work are included:  identified/annotated since his 1997 passing; awards honoring his name; dissertations focused on him; previously unpublished ideas/concepts; clarifying one misunderstanding of his work.

The Following People are part of the Target Audience:  1. Those interested in an update of Malcolm's work;      2. Inquirers of the History of Adult Education;    3. Those desiring the possibility of buying the 2019 Book Copy; 4. Newcomers into the Field of Adult Education; 5. Veterans in the Field of Adult, Continuing, Lifelong Learning, Human Resource Development;  6. Colleagues doubtful about the scope and impact of Knowles;                   7. Researchers curious to inquire in-depth about other leaders.  Some may wish to challenge the importance of the impact of those leaders considered as elder states persons in the Adult Education Field.

At the conclusion of this session, participants will know: A broader scope of Malcolm's work than they have previously - eight doctoral dissertations on various aspects of his work: 79 references in the adult education field they had previously not been aware of or were attributed to Malcolm; Malcolm had articulated a 12 step 'Hierarchy of Andragogy' which was not previously published; Malcolm's generally unacknowledged piece of adult education was his work in group dynamics, community involvement, and societal emphasis. Each participant will be challenged and able to decide her/his willingness to pursue researching the contributions of another adult educator.

To be discussed:  The Making of an Adult Educator:  An Autobiographical Journey Update - by Malcolm S. Knowles.  Table of Contents: 1. Forward to the Updated Version of the Book; 2. Short Biography of Malcolm S. Knowles; 3. The Original 1989 Edition Text, Bibliography and Index of the Book;  4. Dust-Jacket Comments from the Original 1989 Edition; 5. Updated Annotated Bibliography for this 2019 Version; 6. A Missing Piece - Group, Community, and Societal Emphasis; 7. Knowles' Hierarchy of Andragogy - Not Previously Published; 8. One Person's Journey with Malcolm S. Knowles; 9. Last Student that Malcolm Served on a Dissertation Committee; 10. Tribute to Malcolm S. Knowles at 12/14/97 Memorial Service; 11. Professional Eulogy on Malcolm S. Knowles delivered at 12/14/97 Memorial Service.  The 2019 Updated Book will be available at the 2019 AAACE Conference in St. Louis, MO.

Before the presentation, the audience is asked to serve as "listening teams" - one section to listen for points requiring 'clarification', another for points with which they disagree 'rebuttal', another for points they wish to have 'elaborated', and a fourth for 'problems of practical application'.                                                               After the presentation the teams are asked to 'buzz' in groups of four or five to pool their thinking about the questions/points they want raised.  Each group presents in turn, a question/issue they ask the speaker - who responds to each item in turn until time runs out or all items are discussed.