This online forum, moderated by Dr. Leslie Cordie, shares interviews with experts on best practices across the transition to adulthood and reflections on lifelong learning.
Dr. Michael Wooten is the author of Chapters 4 (on the brain) and 13 (this podcast). He is Emeritus Professor of Genetics with the Department of Biological Sciences at Auburn University. Wooten reflects on his 36-year career as a faculty member within a land-grant institution of higher learning. He shares how the common practice of faculty members in the sciences begin teaching without any formal training in education theory and how he navigated the learning journey.
Dr Stephen O’Brien the author of Chapter 11 and is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, University College Cork, Ireland. He is Programme Director for the Postgraduate Diploma in Further, Adult and Community Education (PDFACE). O’Brien sets the scene for critically examining Further Education and Training learners’ transition to university, discussing how ‘voice’ is central to the university’s mission and can deepen inclusion in the Higher Education community.
Transitions Stephen O’Brien Interview Transcript
Dr. Luan is a researcher and educator originally from China and is one of 3 authors who collaborated on the Chinese chapter. She also shares the unique differences in Chinese higher education and culture that impact the adult learner and their growth as learners. Lingfei has a background in educational psychology and, in this episode, she helps us understand the perceptions of adult learners to better understand knowledge acquisition and memory in the learning process.
Colin McGregor is the former Director of Adult and Community Education (ACE) Aotearoa. ACE Aotearoa, a non-governmental organisation, is the lead body for Adult and Community Education in New Zealand. Our role is to support ACE providers through training, resources, conferences and sharing best practice. Colin says “I am committed to promoting the value of lifelong learning and ensuring access to learning opportunities.”
Mr. Colin McGregor has had a long career in Adult Education. He recently retired as the Director of the peak body for Adult Education in New Zealand (NZ) - Adult and Community Education (ACE) Aotearoa. In this podcast episode, Colin shares his thoughts about NZ’s bi-cultural society and how we might learn from collaborations and partnerships across the world. In addition, he discusses the importance of policy and funding for ACE.
Transitions Colin McGregor Interview
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| Jan Schiller |
Dr. Jan Schiller is a researcher at Helmut Schmidt University and has a sociology and educational philosophy background. In this episode, he highlights Bildung's importance to adult education and lifelong learning. This chapter highlights the digital transformations critical to higher education and learning in later life.
Dr. Jan Schiller has been a research assistant at the Chair of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning since November 2016. He currently researches and teaches primarily on questions of digitalization in adult education/further education, time-related issues in the context of education in connection with educational sociological and contemporary philosophical approaches, European and national educational policy, as well as formats, didactics, and target groups of academic continuing education. Jan Schiller did his doctorate on education for an uncertain future. Temporal Agendas in the Context of Continuing University Education awarded the 2022 Dissertation Prize of the German Society for Scientific Continuing Education and Distance Learning (DGWF). He worked on international comparative issues and those of open education in the completed ERASMUS+ joint project INTALL, previously COMPALL. He is currently working in the dtec-bw project DigiTaKS*.
Transitions Jan Schiller Interview Transcript
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| Shermaine Barrett |
Dr. Shermaine Barrett has been involved in adult education for many years, including environmental education for community leaders in Jamaica. In this episode, she shares how adult learning is about preparing people for the world of work. As educators, we need to understand our learners and engage them with a holistic approach that develops the skills and competencies needed in the 21st century.
Dr. Shermaine Barrett is a Professor of Adult Education and Workforce Development. She holds a PhD in Work and Human Resource Education from the University of Minnesota, USA and a Masters Degree in Adult Education from the Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada. She has a strong background in academic leadership and management, having served in various leadership capacities over twenty years at the University of Technology, Jamaica. She is the Acting Deputy President of the University of Technology, Jamaica. Her substantive post is Dean of the Faculty of Education and Liberal Studies (FELS) and has served as Head of the School of Technical and Vocational Education (SOTAVE).
Her professional experience goes beyond academia, as she has served in several other positions of leadership in industry and the not-for-profit sector. She has served as Principal Consultant with SAMBAR Associates, a training and development consulting company she founded. She has also served on several local and international Boards. She is the immediate past Caribbean Vice President of the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) and the Jamaican Council for Adult Education (JACAE) president.
She is the author of the book “Adult Education, Social Change and Development in Post Colonial Jamaica: Investing in Human Capital.” She has also authored several journal articles and book chapters.
Professor Barrett has been invited as a speaker at various conferences, seminars, and other forums, local and international, face-to-face and virtual.
Transitions Shermaine Barrett Interview Transcript
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| Lisa Breitschwerdt |
In this podcast episode, Dr. Lisa Breitschwerdt shares her research on the professionalization of adult education at the University of Wurzburg. She loves being a researcher and learning in the international context. Her passion and transition into adult learning came from her study of pedagogy in Bavaria, and she wants to help others enjoy and understand the broad field of adult learning.
Dr. Lisa Breitschwerdt is a research associate at the Professorship for Adult and Continuing Education at the University of Würzburg. She holds a master’s degree in educational science and a PhD in Adult Education. Her current research focuses on digitalization and professionalization in adult and higher education from a multilevel perspective. Further, she is working on organizational research, didactics, methods of teaching and learning, and dialogical perspectives in adult education research. She has experience working with international student groups on comparative perspectives in Adult Learning and Education. Further, she has expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methods. Within broader project contexts, she oversaw the realization of larger case studies with adult education institutions in Germany.
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| Colette February |
In this podcast episode, Dr. Colette February shares her experiences as a mature student in the South African higher education environment and how it has positively shaped her identity. She discusses the motivation and needs of mature learners and the importance of flexibility in time and space needs that higher education should consider.
Transitions Colette February Interview Transcript
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| Leslie Cordie |
