Thursday, January 30, 2020
Essay Example for Free
Essay Increase in Quality of Care Until the second part of the last century, all medical records were on paper. This system worked fine in an age of family doctors making house calls and patients never travelling far from their local hospital. Our modern society has changed and our healthcare record management has changed as well. Computerized record management (CRM) and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are poised to increase the quality of healthcare. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, there are numerous ways that CRMââ¬â¢s are improving quality of patient care. Their web site lists problems with paper records. These include, illegible handwriting, multiple healthcare providers for one patient not communicating, and increased amounts of medical and new drug information. ââ¬Å"Patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes or congestive heart failure often have to monitor their blood glucose level, weight, blood pressure, and medication regimens in their homesâ⬠(AHRQ, 2012). CMR will allow health care providers to track any abnormal values recorded from patientââ¬â¢s home, eliminating the need to wait until the next appointment which may be a month away. With CMR, patients will be able to go to different specialists who can all plug in to the same medical record. Also, the medical record will follow the patient if he is travelling and needs to receive care far from his primary care provider. The switch to computer records will eliminate time trying to decipher a physicianââ¬â¢s handwriting. EMRââ¬â¢s will also be updated continuously with updated medical and drug information. This resource will allow the healthcare provider to keep up to date on all the latest research which will increase quality of care as well. Another aspect of increased quality of care is the patient id band being linked to the electronic record. ââ¬Å"The system of linking hospital ID bracelets to patients EHRs has curbed medication errorsâ⬠. Active Nursing Involvement While developing and implementing a CMR, it is very important to get input and direction from professional nurses. Nurses are a critical element in the management of health care records. They are the ones charting, administering drugs, identifying patients, and writing plans of care. According to the Hospital and Health Networks website, anyone who is uilding a CRM system, needs ââ¬Å"to spend time on the nursing units and see how nurses workâ⬠(hhnmag. com, 2012). Nurses are the professionals who care for patients. The input they can offer will be useful since they are the ones using the system. Nurses have firsthand knowledge about what really works on the floor and will simplify their jobs while increasing quality of care for the patient. Th e first step will be for the nurse to give input into exactly what they would use in an EMR. Then, nurses could guide the developers in the actual flow of their duties and charting. Without involvement of nurses, programmers may include items not used by nurses or put charts out of logical order for the nursing process. Handheld Devices The current trend in computerized healthcare management is handheld devices or PDAs. ââ¬Å"The functionality provided by PDAs has expanded exponentially from simple personal organizer to include healthcare databases and applications that check for drug interactions, aid in IV calculations, analyze lab results, provide charge capture information, scheduling functions, prescription refilling and other practice management tasksâ⬠(Online Journal of Nursing Informatics, 2001). Using a handheld device, nurses are able to keep current on research, standards of care, and drugs. The nurse will be able to access patient records from the bedside, drug room, or during change of shift report. A PDA will cut down on the spread of germs since each nurse carries her own device instead of sharing a computer keyboard with the entire hospital staff. The handheld device will be able to offer real time updates if there is a change in a patients status, perhaps to ââ¬Å"transmit telemetry waveforms from monitors at the nurses station directly to the bedside nurseâ⬠(OJNI, 2012). At change of shift, a nurse can handoff to the next nurse syncing the two handheld devices improving continuity of care and assuring that tasks are not inadvertently left off. Security Standards The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) is federal law in place to protect a patientââ¬â¢s privacy. Any computerized medical records must be in compliance with HIPPA as well as protect the computer records from being breeched in anyway. How to keep medical records safe and away from non-authorized eyes is a major concern for healthcare providers. The technical part of security includes firewalls, protected servers, ncryption, and secure networks. Storage and back up of all information will be integral in protecting the electronic medical records. At Epic Systems, ââ¬Å"ââ¬â¢we have all sorts of firewalls and security systems in effect to prevent data breaches,ââ¬â¢ Ms. Faulkner says. On laptops used by doctors, files can be viewed but not stored. The same is true for smartphones and tablets. We do not store patient data on them, she says, so it cannot be misused if these devices are stolenâ⬠(Freudenheim, M, 2012). Hospitals also need role based access. This will ââ¬Å"limit access to a patientââ¬â¢s record to only those individuals who need the information for treatment. Audit trails can automatically record who viewed the health record and can be used after the fact to identify any unauthorized access, leading to improvements in training or, if warranted, corrective action (HHS. org, 2012). As with paper charting, nurses will need to carefully guard who has access to the patientââ¬â¢s chart and who is allowed to view it. Computer monitors need to go blank when not in use to prevent unauthorized viewing of patient records. Cost The savings to health care systems is not only in time, convenience and increased patient safety; CMRs can also save hospitals money. The Department of Health and Human Services published a white paper outlining cost benefits of transitioning to electronic records. ââ¬Å"The all cost-benefit analyses predicted substantial savings from EHR (and health care information exchange and interoperability) implementation. The quantifiable benefits are projected to outweigh the investment costs. However, the predicted time needed to break even varied from three to as many as 13 yearsâ⬠(AHRQ, 2006). The cost to implement electronic medical records vary tremendously. PracticeFusion is a company that offers an on line free EMR program. This company offers ââ¬Å"a comprehensive practice management software platform includes charting, scheduling, billing, e-Prescribing, lab integrations and secure messagingâ⬠(PracticeFusion. com). There are no charges to use the technology. If the user prefers to use PracticeFusion without seeing the ads, they can pay a nominal $100 per month fee. On the other end of the cost spectrum, Epic Systems provides electronic medical records for large hospitals like Cedars-Sinai and Kaiser. ââ¬Å"Kaiser estimates it will eventually spend a total of $4 billion on the software and related osts like those for equipment and training employees,â⬠(Freudenheim, M. , 2012). For large, multi-campus hospital systems, the costs are enormous. There are extra costs associated with CMRs. Training time, upkeep, new hardware, and IT employees all go in to the continuing ? Benefits to Care The benefits of electronic medical records to the patient can be many. Patient safety can be increased, health care providers receive the absolute most current research and evidence based best practices, and timeliness of care can go up as well. Communication between members of the health care team is improved. Medication errors decrease. Time savings from transcription to reading illegible handwriting leads to more time the nurse is able to spend caring for the patient. Even the US government wants to support CRMs. ââ¬Å"The federal government is contributing to the recent growth of Epic and similar firms by offering financial incentives to health providers who switch to electronic records. It sees these records as a way to improve patient care and reduce inappropriate costs like those for duplicated tests,â⬠(Freudenheim, M. , 2012). Recommendation The two providers I looked at are PracticeFusion and Epic Systems. Comparing these two companies is a little like comparing apples to oranges. Epic has been in business developing electronic medical record systems since 1979 and has an excellent reputation in the industry. Epic claims to have the medical records of 127 million patients and is used by 250,000 doctors. In an industry where cross platform communication can be difficult to say the least, it is reassuring to go with a company that has such widespread market share. Epic is relatively easy to learn and use. It is the system I learned while working at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and the system I recommend. PracticeFusion is not in the same league as Epic Systems. It may be a good choice for a small, detached practice to use for internal EMRs ? Justification The cost of using Epic Systems for medical records can be prohibitive. Once the decision to go electronic has been made, Epic works closely with the staff at the hospital to design a user friendly, safe, and effective program. The government is supporting the transition to EMRs. Other hospitals have made the move, private practices are involved. Quality of patient care can be increased and that is really the best reason to make the change.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Communications Between Parents and Children Essay example -- Communica
Healthy family relationships depend on healthy communications. ââ¬Å"Good communication helps keep a family running smoothly and prevents misunderstandings from escalating into conflict or from being buried unresolved.â⬠(Feiden, 68) There are many ways and times to practice and teach good communication to children. There are many times that without good communication, the parent-child relationship suffers and sometimes ends abruptly. Allen Schwartz, PH.D., states that he knows of ââ¬Å"many cases where children are raised in an atmosphere of dark secrecy about both the matriarchal and patriarchal parts of their families. They grow up with a sense that something must be wrong but fear discussing this with their parents.â⬠(5) Most people have grown up with family secrets, but some secrets can destroy a family. The act of hiding the secret(s) provides an excuse to limit self-disclosure, and reacts negatively on oneââ¬â¢s self-esteem. When these become extremely limited or negative, there is an increased chance of a separation and possible ending of the relationship. The end of the relationship could mean that parent and child no longer talk, or they are forcibly separated for their own health in extreme cases. Unfortunately, ââ¬Å"emotional health can be passed down from generation to generation just as easily as abuse and dysfunction,â⬠(Bloch, 7) making such dysfunctions of communications a continu ous process. Sturges writes ââ¬Å"children will learn how to communicate with the world based in large part on how they have learned to communicate with their parents.â⬠(31) Children often learn their communication behaviors not only from what we say but also from our actions. For example, If you tell your child that they can talk to you about anything, but y... ... their minds. It is important for the parent to respect their wishes and let them know that they will be available when the child is ready to talk and that you wonââ¬â¢t be judgmental. Let the child tell the whole story before interceding with your thoughts. There are also instances where the child wonââ¬â¢t want your opinion; they just want you to listen to their problems. This can be tricky to know whether the child wants your opinion or your ears but if you are actively listening to your child, you will know what it is that they are wanting. Remember, good communication is the heart of everything you do in life. Without good communication skills, things wonââ¬â¢t get done properly and could cause hurt relationships. Learning these communication skills begins at home from the day that the child is born and should be continued into adulthood and for the rest of their lives.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Ethical issues in international business Essay
When we pay a large tip to secure a specific table in a restaurant. There is usually some personal happiness-related reason behind our action. Among many of our reasons could be that we want to be nearer to performers on the stage in order for us to secure a better view for our enjoyment. Another reason could be that we want to have a specific view available for us while we dine. If we do not pay a large tip, then there is a bigger risk that we would not get the table that we want. Therefore paying the large tip reduced that risk significantly and makes us likely to get what we want. This case is the same as when a business company pays a bride to certain entities in order to secure a contract. When perceived in Benthamââ¬â¢s perspective, ââ¬Å"happinessâ⬠to a business may be equated to progress and profit which in turn may be acquired through appropriate business actions such as securing profitable contracts. The company pays a certain amount in order to get more business which will eventually pay back several fold. This is exactly the utilitarian principle that Bentham explained which may be neatly applied to both cases. In the restaurant, the customer pays a larger tip in order to enjoy the ââ¬Å"happinessâ⬠of a specific table. In business, the company pays a bribe in order to enjoy the ââ¬Å"happinessâ⬠of obtaining a contract. Although one of the two situations is illegal, that does not mean that the principle between the two situations are different. In as much as companies are not allowed by law to make bribes for contracts, slipping a $50 for a waiter to secure a seat often happens without the knowledge of the waiterââ¬â¢s supervisor. In that sense we may see that both actions to have moral repercussions. It is just that one tends to be more pronounced with respect to its consequences than the other.
Monday, January 6, 2020
How Do I Learn Chemistry Tips and Strategies
How do I learn chemistry? If you have been asking yourself this question, then these tips and strategies are for you! Chemistry has a reputation as being a difficult subject to master, but there are steps you can take to improve your chances of success. The Hype Versus Reality You may have heard that chemistry, particularly organic chemistry, is a weed-out or flunk-out course, intended to keep students who arent serious about their education from going on to the next level. That is not the case at the high school level or for college general chemistry or introductory chemistry. However, chemistry class may be the first time youve had to learn how to memorize or work problems. It is true that you will need to master these skills to proceed with an education in the sciences. Organic chemistry requires much more memorization. It is considered a weed-out course for pre-med or pre-vet in the sense that youll need to memorize much more to be successful in those fields than youll encounter in organic. If you find you truly hate memorization, then those fields of study may not be for you. However, students who are taking organic so that they can become doctors or vets usually feel the memorization that is more directly related to their field of study is more interesting and therefore easier to remember than organic functional groups. Common Learning Traps No matter how you learn, these are traps that will make learning chemistry difficult: Assuming the learning style that worked in other classes will work for chemistry. Be flexible and willing to change your approach to learning.Thinking you can cram chemistry the night before the exam. You cant!Assuming understanding a problem means you can work it. This is like assuming you can speak a foreign language based on understanding a conversation. How to Learn and Understand Chemistry Concepts The key to learning chemistry is to take responsibility for your own learning. No one can learn chemistry for you. Read the Text Before Class... or at least skim it. If you know what is going to be covered in class youll be in a better position to identify trouble spots and ask questions that will help you to understand the material. You do have a text, right? If not, get one! It is possible to learn chemistry on your own, but if you attempt this, youre going to need some sort of written material as a reference.Work ProblemsStudying problems until you understand them is not the same as being able to work them. If you cant work problems, you dont understand chemistry. Its that simple! Start with example problems. When you think you understand an example, cover it up and work it on paper yourself. Once you have mastered the examples, try other problems. This is potentially the hardest part of chemistry, because it requires time and effort. However, this is the best way to truly learn chemistry.Do Chemistry DailyIf you want to be good at something, you have to practice it. This is true of music, spo rts, video games, science... everything! If you review chemistry every day and work problems every day, youll find a rhythm that will make it easier to retain the material and learn new concepts. Dont wait until the weekend to review chemistry or allow several days to pass between study sessions. Dont assume class time is sufficient, because it isnt. Make time to practice chemistry outside of class.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Wool Medieval Europes Common Cloth
In the Middle Ages, wool was by far the most common textile used in making clothing. Today it is relatively expensive because synthetic materials with similar qualities are easy to produce, but in medieval times, woolââ¬âdepending on its qualityââ¬âwas a fabric virtually everyone could afford. Wool could be exceedingly warm and heavy, but through selective breeding of wool-bearing animals as well as sorting and separating coarse from fine fibers, some very soft, lightweight fabrics were to be had. Though not as strong as some vegetable fibers, wool is fairly resilient, making it more likely to retain its shape, resist wrinkling, and drape well. Wool is also exceedingly good at taking dyes, and as a natural hair fiber, it is perfect for felting. The Versatile Sheep Raw wool comes from animals such as camels, goats, and sheep. Of these, sheep were the most common source for wool in medieval Europe. Raising sheep made sound financial sense because the animals were easy to care for and versatile. Sheep could thrive on lands that were too rocky for larger animals to graze and difficult to clear for farming crops. In addition to providing wool, sheep also gave milk that could be used to make cheese. And when the animal was no longer needed for its wool and milk, it could be slaughtered for mutton, and its skin could be used to make parchment. Types of Wool Different breeds of sheep bore different types of wool, and even a single sheep would have more than one grade of softness in its fleece. The outer layer was generally coarser and composed of longer, thicker fibers. It was the sheeps defense against the elements, repelling water and blocking the wind. The inner layers were shorter, softer, curlier, and exceedingly warm because this was the sheeps insulation. The most common color of wool was (and is) white. Sheep also bore brown, gray, and black wool. White was more sought-after, not only because it could be dyed virtually any color but because it was generally finer than colored wools, so over the centuries selective breeding was done to produce more white sheep. Still, colored wool was utilized and could also be overdyed to produce darker material. Types of Wool Cloth All grades of fiber were used in weaving cloth, and thanks to the diversity of sheep, the variations in wool quality, different weaving techniques and the wide range of production standards in different locations, a great variety of wool fabrics were available in the Middle Ages. However, its worth noting here that there were, generally, two main types of wool cloth: worsted and woolen. Longer, thicker fibers of more or less equal lengths were spun into worsted yarn, which would be used to weave worsted cloth that was fairly lightweight and sturdy. The term has its source in the Norfolk village of Worstead, which in the early Middle Ages was a thriving center of cloth production. Worsted cloth did not require much processing, and its weave was clearly visible in the finished product. Shorter, curlier, finer fibers would be spun into woolen yarn. Woolen yarn was softer, hairier and not as strong as worsted, and cloth woven from it would require additional processing. This resulted in a smooth finish in which the weave of the fabric was unnoticeable. Once woolen cloth had been thoroughly processed, it could be very strong, very fine, and much sought-after, the best of it exceeded in luxury only by silk. The Wool Trade In the medieval era, cloth was produced locally in virtually every region, but by the dawn of the High Middle Ages a robust trade in raw materials and finished cloth had been established. England, the Iberian peninsula and Burgundy were the largest producers of wool in medieval Europe, and the product they obtained from their sheep was especially fine. Towns in the low countries, chiefly in Flanders, and towns in Tuscany, including Florence, acquired the best wool and other materials to make particularly fine cloth that was traded throughout Europe. In the later Middle Ages, there was increased cloth manufacturing in both England and Spain. The wet climate in England provided a longer season during which the sheep could graze on the lush grass of the English countryside, and therefore their wool grew longer and fuller than sheep elsewhere. England was very successful in turning out fine cloths from its home-grown wool supply, which gave it a strong advantage in the international economy. The merino sheep, which bore especially soft wool, was indigenous to the Iberian Peninsula and helped Spain build and maintain a reputation for excellent wool cloth. The Uses of Wool Wool was a textile with numerous uses. It could be knitted into heavy blankets, capes, leggings, tunics, dresses, scarves and hats. More often, it could be woven into large pieces of cloth of varying grades from which all these things and more could be sewn. Carpets were woven from coarser wool, furnishings were covered with woolen and worsted fabrics, and draperies were made from woven wool. Even underwear was occasionally made from wool by people in colder climes. Wool could also be felted without being woven or knitted first, but this was done by beating the fibers while soaking them, preferably in warm liquid. Early felting was done by stomping on the fibers in a tub of water. The nomads of the steppes, such as the Mongols, produced felt cloth by placing woolen fibers under their saddles and riding on them all day. The Mongols used felt for garments, blankets, and even to make tents and yurts. In medieval Europe, less-exotically-produced felt was usually used to make hats and could be found in belts, scabbards, shoes and other accessories. The wool manufacturing industry thrived in the Middle Ages.
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Essay on Poverty No Simple Solution to this Multi-faceted...
Describe In preparation for this reflection paper, I read the texts by Shipler and Walls, reflected on my life experiences, and then identified the following key themes: individuals who are in poverty are marginalized from mainstream society, poverty is a systemic problem, and the struggle for upward mobility is compacted by lack of education and an inadequate social services system. The families identified in the texts were from varied backgrounds; however, they each experienced the common struggle of poverty. ââ¬Å"The poverty rate in 2006 stood at 12.3%, which represented 36.5 million individuals, or about one out of every eight Americans.â⬠My initial reaction to these texts was one of intrigue at the resiliency of the families as they metâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦My own use of literature and learning about other lifestyles helped me to embrace another way of life in place of the chaotic one I experienced in my youth. My parents were adamant that I pursue higher education, in s pite of their lack of such an accomplishment. Their empowerment and resilience has played a significant role in my pursuit of higher education and middle class socio-economic status. Examine ââ¬Å"The first step is to see the problems, and the first problem is the failure to see the peopleâ⬠(Shipler, 2005, p.11). Shipler and Walls go into great detail to describe the adversity that overwhelms families in poverty. There are limitations to the texts that were read. Shipler writes from the perspective of a journalist and subjectively presented the information about the individuals he followed through a number of interviews. The limitations of his research are based upon information presented by those interviewed and a series of interviews conducted over a limited period of time. Walls wrote from the vantage point of an adult child who overcame childhood poverty experiences. Her recall of events may have been dramatized in order to capture the attention of her audience. Both authors describe those who intimately experience poverty as having difficulty finding healthy food, adequate shelter, reliable transportation and well-paying jobs (Shipler, 2005, and Walls, 2005). The cycle of poverty wasShow MoreRelatedPoverty : An Effective Means Of Population Control897 Words à |à 4 Pagesless fortunate and how they get there. As we learn more about the poverty-stricken, we can understand them better to aid them and break the cycle. Overwhelming amounts of people do not realize the global pandemic that poverty is today. The statistics are heartbreaking. Over half of the children in the world live in poverty, and there are nearly 2.2 billion children in the world. Campaigns have been established to recognize poverty globally. The effectiveness of these campaigns remains relativelyRead MoreRacism And Poverty : South Africa1640 Words à |à 7 Pagessignificant issues with racism and poverty. From the times of colonialism, to the era of apartheid, South Afri cans have been segregated in discriminatory contexts that have left a large proportion of the population living in desperate conditions. This segregation by race and socioeconomic status still exists today and is extremely prevalent in modern South African society. Townships that are prone to violence and extreme poverty surround every major city in this country. Within these townships, deeplyRead MoreAlthough The Association With The Use Of Modern Technology1918 Words à |à 8 Pagestheir child was slimmer than they actually were. The parents tended to underestimate their childââ¬â¢s excess weight or to dismiss the problem as ââ¬Ëpuppy fatââ¬â¢, despite soaring rates of obesity (Daily Mail). Additionally, family socioeconomic factors may dictate the quality of food available in homes. Poverty and access to food may contribute to obesity. ââ¬Å"One reason for this may be that high-calorie processed foods cost less and are easier to find and prepare than more healthful foods, such as fresh fruitsRead MoreIran And The United States1993 Words à |à 8 PagesIran and the United States are frigid bedfellows indeed. For the last thirty-seven years, these two cultures dogmatically opposed each other philosophically and theologically. To this day, the two countries monitor the otherââ¬â¢s actions with suspicion and disdain. The United States accuses Iranââ¬â¢s Islamic theocracy of state sponsored terrorism and proliferation of nuclear materials with the intent of use against Israel. Iran by contrast sees the United States as an aggressive interloper driven byRead MoreThe Toxic Organizational Culture at Wal-Mart3272 Words à |à 14 Pagesone central corporate culture as not all employees are the same. A perfect analogy to this would be a cohesive and successful work team. Their effectiveness and synergistic effects are based on the fact that they are small enough to have a personal connection and are able to figure out how to use each personââ¬â¢s skills in a complimentary manner. The larger the team becomes, the less cohesive they are because this close knit personal connection is lost. They begin to lose a sense TOXIC ORGANIZATIONALRead MoreCorrections Final Paper4809 Words à |à 20 Pages1989; Brandt, 2012. p. 552-553). This implies that it would behoove society to address both the conditions of life within its prisons and the quality of treatment available to those entering the system due to their illness. 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Instead, we chose to continue adopting for 75 years Commonwealth Act Number 1 or National Defense Act that was enacted in 1935. The American-sponsored Bill No. 102 providing for the defense of the Philippines was drafted and subsequently passed by the Philippine Assembly on December 20, 1935, and signed into law by President of the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines, Manuel Quezon, on December 21, 1935. This became Commonwealth Act Number 1 otherwiseRead MoreA National Security Strategy for the Philippines7617 Words à |à 31 Pagesnation on 04 July 1946 did not fit this model. Instead, we chose to continue adopting for 75 years Commonwealth Act Number 1 or National Defense Act that was enacted in 1935. 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Thursday, December 12, 2019
Andragogy vs Pedagogy free essay sample
Education is the extension of educational opportunities to those adults beyond the age of general public education who feel a need for further education or training of any sort. Even though it has been around for some time, it is still a growing field in the US that hasnââ¬â¢t caught up to the education of children and younger adults. There is a set of principles for Andragogy, how adults learn and another for pedagogy, how children learn. This paper will look at one main theory of adult education and how the ideas are portrayed. It will also compare the pedagogical and andragogical approaches to highlight the differences between how children learn compared to adults and how these differences affect learning needs, preferences and the type of instruction received by both adults and children. The two different approaches will affect the instructional methods used for adults and children. The pedagogical approach assumes that ââ¬Å"the learner enters into an educational activity with little experience that can be used in the learning process[1]â⬠therefore they become what are called ââ¬Å"dependent personalityâ⬠who relies on the teacher for everything. In this scenario, the teacher is the dominant person who has all the knowledge, they make every decision regarding the teaching/learning process including all the learning needs, what and how knowledge is learned and the classroom becomes teacher-dominated. In this teacher-dominated classroom, there may be little input from the students and student would not work together to share ideas and information to promote creative and independent thinking. The learning needs of the students become secondary as ââ¬Å"student achievement is at the forefront of teacher-centered curriculum, but teachers are driven to meet accountability standards and often sacrifice the needs of the students to ensure exposure to the standards. [2]â⬠Therefore what you find in this classroom is ââ¬Å"teacher talks, students listenâ⬠, ââ¬Å"teacher asks questions, students answerâ⬠and the teacher will monitor, correct and evaluate all studentsââ¬â¢ work. The classroom with adults will look totally different as the andragogical approach assumes that ââ¬Å"as a person matures, he/she accumulates a growing reservoir of experience that becomes a resource for learning. Adults tend to come into adult education with a vast amount of prior experiences compared to that of children. If those prior experiences can be used, they become the richest resource available. Adults tend to be actively involved in all decisions that occur in the learning environment herefore it creates a scenario where the role of the teacher shifts from the provider of information to resource personnel who provides input as needed. The teacher becomes more of a facilitator and the classroom is more student-centered where adults with their wealth of knowledge and experiences engage each other to share information and bounce ideas off each other as they try to solve problems. ââ¬Å"Student-centered approaches derive from constructivist views of education, in which the construction of knowledge is shared and learning is achieved through students engagement with activities. Due to the fact that adults are more self-directed, they prefer to discover the information rather than rely on the teacher to present all the knowledge. Therefore from anâ⬠instructionâ⬠point of view, the teacher has to provide an engaging environment that will promote learning and the instruction would focus on many different learning styles and are adapted based on adultââ¬â¢s strengths, interests, knowledge and experiences. This flexibility promotes group activity or teamwork as the teacher may just need to ask a question and allow adults to come up with the solution as they are more task oriented or more in problem solving. The teacher will have to make sure that the information or knowledge is relevant to adults as they may choose to learn the material only if it is relevant meaning they will use the new information in some capacity in their daily lives. One of the main theories of adult education comes from Malcolm Knowles who is often credited for putting adult education and adult learning at the forefront because of the researches he did on the topic and many papers and books he wrote about it. His idea of how adults learn was based on five basic principles. These first is that the motivation for adults to learn is more intrinsic as they may have greater self esteem or need to learn to achieve a better quality of life. The second is that adults are more experienced and that experience can be useful in the learning process as it is a form of resource. The third is ââ¬Å"self-concept: As a person matures his self concept moves from one of being a dependent personality toward one of being a self-directed human being[5]â⬠meaning adults are independent and will not rely on instructor for everything. The fourth is that there is an increased readiness to learn information that may prove useful in their daily lives and fifth, adult become more task or problem solving oriented instead of learning by subject matter. The principles of how adults learn are presented in a way to highlight the differences between how adults and children learn. Everything was compared to the principles of pedagogy or how children learn to illustrate the difference in thinking, motivation and orientation to learning between adults and children. The most interesting part of the article was that Knowles used two opposing areas of psychology, Behavioral and Humanistic to help generate and support his theory. The pedagogical and andragogical approaches highlights major differences between how children learn compared to adults. Comparing both approaches shows that there is a difference in the level of experience, motivation, the readiness to learn and how they learn. It shows that children are more dependent on the instructor for all information while adults a more independent and will want to gather information on their own. Adults are motivated internally and driven by the need to make their better while children are motivated by grades and other external factors. These differences affect the type of instruction they receive as with children, the instructor may be dominant and control everything aspect of instruction while with adults, they acts as facilitators instead of the main provider of information. Malcolm Knowles Theory of andragogy identifies five principles that affect how adults learn. These are in contrast to how children learn and presented so the differences between how adults and children learn can be seen clearly. All the principles of andragogy can be used by individuals who work with adults to adjust the instructional strategies, methods and approaches in order to meet the diverse needs of adults.
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