What are some of Knowle's assumptions about adult learners?

Snow Falling on Cedar House ... Reflections on Andragogy During a Pandemic, Overdose Crisis and a Snowstorm

From Malcolm Knowles (1980) Assumptions About Adult Learners:

• #2: An adult accumulates a growing reservoir of experience which is a rich resource for learning and;

• #3: The readiness of an adult to learn is closely related to the developmental tasks of his or her social role.

These two quotes, or rather assumptions, about adult learners caught my attention because they acknowledge that a) adults learners have a great deal of expertise based in lived and living experience and b) there is always more to learn as we strive to succeed in life, work, and play and that readiness and immediate applicability are key motivating factors to excellent learning.

I chose these quotes because of a rather complex task I am currently undertaking, which is to design and deliver a new program in my community for and with ‘peers’, specifically peers who use drugs (PWUD’s). We are in the midst of a dual health emergency (Overdose and Pandemic) and death by drug poisoning exceeds death from COVID. 2021 was the deadliest year ever since the Overdose Public Health Crisis was declared in BC in 2016.

According to Ti L,Tzemis D, and Buxton J, (2012), "a Peer can be defined as a person with equal standing in a community, who share a common lived experience". As a Facilitator with the Nanaimo Community Action Team on the Overdose Crisis I have come into contact with many ‘peers’ who have joined the team to help turn the tide of death by toxic drug poisoning and prevent more of their friends and family from dying. It is clear to me that besides safe supply, peers are the most effective at advocating for, working with and supporting other peers.

I identify with the assumptions because of my own lived experience of supporting and advocating for my brother, a PWUD, since teen-hood. In so doing, I have gained experiential knowledge coupled with my own desire to learn, in order to help him through life struggles with substance use disorder. And as life would have it, I have an opportunity to not only plan a 30 hour course as part of my PIDP program, but I will also get to test run it with PWUD’s in my community this year (there’s a budget and everything!).

During the current dual crisis, many marginalized community members have been pushed to the edges of society, have concurrent mental health, cognitive or physical impairments and challenges (e.g. brain injury), along with substance use disorders, criminal records etc. There are other obstacles as well: lack of housing, employment, education and training, lack of access to acceptable drug treatment programs, an inadequate diet, and, above all, lack of fair and equitable treatment and respect. In fact many have been trying to maintain their right to even exist.

It is clear to me that peers turn to one another for support and resources, as they have lost faith in mainstream ‘anything’, much less the big systems be it health care, criminal justice, mental health.

In 2017, substance use cost Canadians almost $46.0 billion to our health care, criminal justice, other systems, and lost productivity. As well it led to over 275,000 hospitalizations and contributed to the loss of nearly 75,000 lives. After alcohol and tobacco, the use of opioids cost the healthcare system the third-highest amount at $439 million (3.4%). (Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms 2015–2017).

The needs and demands are great for no-barrier services and peers create an atmosphere of acceptance and approachability for many that have been harmed by and are outside of 'the systems'.

My challenge in relation to Knowles ‘assumptions’ is how to create a program that a) acknowledges and taps into the experience and expertise of ‘PWUDs’ and b) offers peers concrete learning opportunities and skills to enhance their social roles ... specifically leading to work and involvement in the ‘care economy’.

Knowles assumptions help me to understand that the peers I will be working with are experts in their field (and that I will learn a great deal from them) and they need to co-design the program. Peers will be able to apply the learnings not only in informal, but also paid work opportunities, as more and more organizations realize and recognize that peer to peer support work is needed and desired. Being a peer is a social role, and if can lead to paid employment and other opportunities, all the better.

My main insight is ‘build it with them, and they will come.’ Which reminds me of another quote:  

"People are fucked up and they don’t want to go out. Bring the services to them because a lot of people won’t come. So what happens? Magic happens.” (Learning From Each Other 2008)

By reflecting on these two Knowles assumptions particularly, I am even more committed to creating learning opportunities with adults - not for. This points me towards best practice of co-creating relevant and applicable learning opportunities with the groups / target audiences that I most hope to ‘teach’ or rather impact.

According to Greer (2019) "Engaging with ‘peers’, or people with lived experience of illicit substance use (past or present) who use their experiential knowledge to inform their professional work in decision-making and service provision, has been increasingly recognized as best practice within mainstream health and ham reduction institutions across British Columbia, Canada, and elsewhere."

The patch work system of addressing the opioid crisis and related problems is patriarchal and often harmful to marginalized folks, and does little to address the actual sources of problems such as trauma and social disconnection. According to the Canadian AIDS Society and the Canadian Harm Reduction Network (2008 Learning From Each-Other), when allowed to participate fully, Peers have a sense of ownership and commitment to the program and will help you to tap into existing resources and reach people who would otherwise not be accessible to you.

Here’s a great video that helped me realize the expertise of peers: #PeerLife: a day in the life of a peer’.