LERN's INTERNET CONFERENCE CENTER is dedicated to Malcolm Knowles, the father of modern day adult education.
Malcolm Knowles is the foremost promoter of the concept of self-directed learning, in which the individual is responsible for his or her own learning and initiates the learning. Self directed learning involves teachers and providers responding to the needs of learners. It asserts that everyone can learn, and that everyone wants to learn.
Dr. Knowles is a teacher, author, consultant and speaker. He served on LERN's first advisory board and helped our organization grow. He keynoted the 1979 annual LERN conference in Denver, Colorado, and contributed greatly to our newsletters and publications.
Dr. Knowles also worked with many other associations in lifelong learning. He was Executive Director of the Adult Education Association in the 1950s, and more recently worked with the American Society for Training and Development, as well as other associations.
His book, "The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species," was first published in the 1970s but has undergone several revisions and is still available. It is the foremost book on adults as learners.
We thank Malcolm Knowles for his contributions not only to LERN but to everyone in the field of lifelong learning. His is truly the father of modern day adult education.
