Canadian Council on Learning | Conseil Canadien sur l'Apprentissage

Adult Learning and Meaning-making in Community-based Guided Autobiography Workshops

Prepared by: James E. Thornton and John B. Collins, University of British Columbia

Description

Learning characterizes older adulthood as much as it defines the childhood years, but receives far less attention and systematic investigation. In this report, we review literature on learning among middle-aged and older adults. Secondly, we summarize initial findings from our exploratory study investigating learning reports from six guided autobiography workshop groups comprising older adults, mostly in their 60s and 70s when queried: “What am I learning in this guided autobiography workshop?”

Background

Guided autobiography workshops are designed to facilitate participants’ interests of writing and telling their life stories. We analyze learning reports of participants about how and what they were learning and the major topics and themes identified in their reports.

Key Findings

The older adults participating in this study were clear on the impact and value of their learning experiences. Their reports corroborated two recognized axes of adult learning: outcomes and processes (“learning that” and “learning how”), and expansion and consolidation—distinguishing between learning which is developing and expanding into new interest areas and learning that is consolidating prior life events or current experiences.

Their learning reports also identified 19 learning topics which focus on three major domains:

1. learning about themselves (self-value, well-being, new learning, beliefs-values, meaning-making, reminiscing, goals-tasks-plans, and mental health,);
2. learning about others while sharing their life stories (communicating, family, legacy, trust-openness, and universality); and
3. learning which derives from workshop structures and activities (developmental exchanges, small-group work, guided autobiography value, writing, triggers-primers, and thanks).

Finally, we highlight the intersections between themes in the literature and related topics in older adults’ own words. Collectively, their learning reports provide a rich and vital look into the learning potentials of older adults and how they acquire meaning and purpose in community-based programs.