2019 Annual Conference

Colleges and Universities

Roundtable (45 minutes)

This session will explore introversion and extroversion in adult learners through the lens of mind/brain/education (MBE) science as a conceptual framework. The intersection of neuroscience, psychology, and education provides a rich body of knowledge from which to draw influence and guide the direction of future research in adult education.

The target audience for this roundtable is graduate students, instructors, professors, and other adult education practitioners with an interest in discussing the role of introversion/extroversion in adult learning and offering insight to shape the direction of future research on the subject.

After attending this session, learners will be able to:
• Use mind/brain/education (MBE) science as a conceptual framework
• Understand how introversion/extroversion (I/E) affects adult learning
• Identify directions for future research related to I/E and adult education

Much has been written about introverts and extroverts in popular literature of late but scholarly research has yet to thoroughly explore the role of introversion/extroversion in adult learning. Do introverts and extroverts learn differently? How do we know, and what does it mean for adult educators?
To answer these questions, researchers must examine the issue from multiple perspectives. Neuroscience has identified a number of biological factors related to introversion/extroversion, and temperament has long been studied in the field of psychology. So why has the subject received so little attention in adult education, and how should we research it? In recent decades, a new interdisciplinary field known as mind/body/education (MBE) has emerged, blending influences from neuroscience, psychology, education, philosophy, and other traditionally separate disciplines (Immordino-Yang & Fischer, 2010; Sousa, 2010; Whitman & Kelleher, 2016). According to the International Mind, Brain and Education Society (IMBES) the purpose of this emerging field is to “facilitate cross-cultural collaboration” among various disciplines with an emphasis on practical application and future research directions (“IMBES - About Us,” n.d.). Using MBE as a conceptual framework, the roundtable will generate discussion around research ideas on introversion/extroversion in adult education practices.

The presenter will first provide a brief overview of mind/brain/education (MBE) science as a conceptual framework and summarize key findings from existing research. Then, using the roundtable format, presenter will facilitate discussion to gain attendees insights about experiences with introverted/extroverted learners in the classrooms (or their own prior experiences as adult learners) and how these insights – combined with findings from neuroscience and psychology – should shape future directions in adult education research. Also, the roundtable will discuss how limited research on I/E among English Language Learners may be generalized to other adult learner populations.