Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-28
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY the Booklouer

education. One question has TO 90 WITH
the ability of adults to learn as COM
pared with the learning ability OF chi.
iren The results of extended original
research on this problem have been
embodied in a volume entitled Adult
Learning" by Prof. Edward l.. Thorn
dixie of Teachers College. Columbia
University and three associates. The
book has many tables, graphs, footnotes
and other paraphernalia of investiga-
ton. and consequently is not very read
able. certainly not as whole. Inc
subject is, however. Of great interest and
Importance to those engaged in adult
education activities whether as teachers
or as learners. Fortunately the results
of the study and the conclusions reached
by DR.. Thorndike, leading authority
in educational psychology, are to be
found summarized in the Introductory
chapter and in chapter oil practical
applications.
* * X X
Many adults of various ages are
taking up courses OF study or are think =
ing OF doing so. Some never had much
schooling in childhood and now feel the
need of it either to gain better nVell-
hood or for a richer life. Some make
false starts or are discouraged by opsta-
cles at the outset. Are they we'll advised
in their efforts? Or should they accept
the proverbial conventional opinion that,
whereas it IS especially important to
train up the child in the way he should
go, it is so hard to teach an old dog
new tricks as not to be worth Wnle
making the attempt? In this study OIL
Adult Learning" DR.. Thorndlke and
his associates report the facts they nave
discovered concerning the changes IN
the amount and in the nature of the
ability to learn from about age Is TO
about age As and especially from about
age IS to about age AS They have
done this for guidance in all forms OF
adult education, such as public evening
schools the educational departments OF
the Y. M c. A. and similar organiza-
tions. correspondence schools, ali OF
which need better scientific basis for
the selection and training of students,
and for industrial concerns for training
workers to use new machines and new
methods. Individuals need ascerta'ned
facts rather than their own intuition
to guide them Teachers of adults need
to know whether old learners are the
especially ambitious old who make
sacrifices to learn more, or the dull Old
who did not learn when they were
young because they were dull. or the
gullible old who are enticed by seductive
advertisements
A few of the results of this study of
adult learning may be summarized
largely in the language OF the text Of
the book Many tests seem TO show
that the decline In intelligence or ability
to learn is very slight from % to IS,
so that DR.. Thorndike concludes that
Sin general, nobody under As should
restrain himself from trying to learn
anything because of belief or fear
that he is too old to be able To learn
it. Nor should he use that fear as
an excuse for not learning anything
which he ought to learn. If he fails
In learning it. inability due directly to
age will very rarely, If ever, be the
reason. The reason will commonly
be one or more of these: He lacks
and always has lacked the capacity
to learn that particular thing. His
desire to learn it is not strong
enough to cause him to give proper at
tention to 1t. The ways and means
which he adopts are inadequate. and
would have been at any age. to teach
him that thing He has habits or ideas
or other tendencies which interfere
with the new acquisition. and which
he Is unable or unwilling to alter" DR..
Thorndike finds that adults of from
25 to As should be expected to learn
at nearly the same rate and in nearly
the same manner as they would have
learned the same thing at Is to 20.
That rate and manner depend on the
general intelligence and special capaci-
ties OF the individual Men and won-
- -ys,lf 1@nlF sxF la4f
will not at any age learn after the
fashion of high school pupils, who are,
almost without exception, from the
bright half When willy
advertisements or oserenthuSiastic
propaganda seduce persons to enroll In
courses for which they lack capacity. or
interest. or both, there is sure to be
waste and disappointment. Age, In it
self, is a minor factor in either success
or failure. Capacity, interest, energy
and time are the essentials" DR.,
Thorndike, In commenting on the state
ment that in youth 1.-THE mind is much
more plastic. easier to mold into desir-
able ways, that is. much more educa-
BILE" says that since Elasticity simply
means ability to learn, the much" is
inappropriate II that is all then he
would replace childhood Is the time
for learning" by the time for learn
ing anything Is the time when you
need it." He goes on: For there are
great advantages which accrue when
learning satisfies some real need, bene-
fits some cherished purpose, and is
made use Of at once and so kept alive
and healthy for further use" After
making full allowance for the factors
of the growth of the mind during the
early school years habit formation the
protection of abstract and idealistic III
terests, teachableness, the small eco
nomic value of child labor and the
larger service of things learned early,
DR. Thorndike points out that early
schooling tends to be wasteful OF effort
by teaching things too long before they
are needed and things that never will
be needed.
DR.. Thorndike enumerates some of
the facts favoring the allotment of q
much larger fraction Of schooling to
adult years than accordS with present
or past practice. Such a plan would
make possible better selection of per-
sons to be taught. since the abilities
and interests of individuals can be bet
ter known each year of their growth
and experience, "A better selection of
the content of instruction could be
made, In the early years
many features of history and the social
sciences cannot be properly apprehended
because learners lack direct experience
OF certain facts OF life. Vocational
education of all sorts in early years Is
likely 10 be wide of the mark because
the individual often does not know
just what he wishes to do or is AT to
do, or can earn living by
doing. A better arrangement
and sequence of learning can be pro-
vided The young man who
Is working In advertising can study
craftsmanship or psychology A
loss of abilities by forgetting or of time
by relearning can be prevented, Chill
dren now learn about voting
seven years before they can vote.
The lag of schooling behind science
and technology can be lesSened, When