Theme 3: Adult Learning
Review of Qualitative Research Article
Course: EAC 551 - Research in Adult & Higher Education

This narrative discusses a review of a qualitative research article. I selected the article, “How Adults Learn from Self-Paced, Technology-Based Corporate Training: New Focus for Learners, New Focus for Designers,” by Jackie Dobrovolny (2006). The review discusses the main sections common to qualitative research articles: Introduction, Methodology, Analysis, and Discussion.

The introduction section of the article states a research problem and justification as to why it needs to be studied. Dobrovolny referenced previous literature on the effectiveness of self-paced, technology-based instruction that improves performance, and noted that prior research had rarely been conducted with adults above college age. She was specifically interested in how adults use learning strategies, such as prior experience and reflection.

The methodology of the research included study participants completing a training course of their choice at their workplace, and then participated in two face-to-face interviews. During the interviews, participants were asked how they personalized the course information or made it meaningful, and what strategies they used to determine their understanding of the instruction.

The analysis of the research included interpreting the study data by coding themes and findings. Dobrovolny found that participants used self-assessment and self-correction more often than other learning strategies, and that learning occurred both during and after the participants’ training courses.

The discussion section of the article considered the implications of the study results for practice and future research. Adult learners “customize instruction to meet their needs, based on their prior experiences, their current responsibilities, and their expectations of future responsibilities,” so it is important for instructional designers to create instruction that can be manipulated and personalized (Dobrovolny, 2006, p. 167).

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