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Volunteering and Adult Learning
ERIC Digest No. 202
Sandra Kerka
1998
"The history of adult education has been a history of voluntary activity and
voluntary association" (Ilsley 1989, p. 100).
Today, volunteerism, and the growing field of volunteer management,
continue to
reflect close associations with adult education. Research and practice in
adult
education can inform the development of learning opportunities for volunteers.
With this in mind, this Digest describes some of the similarities between the
fields of volunteer management and adult education and examines some of the
types and methods of learning that occur in the context of volunteering.
Volunteer Management and Adult Education
Like adult education, the field of volunteer management shows increasing
movement toward professionalization, as practitioners attempt to define a
knowledge base, establish philosophical and ethical foundations and standards
for entry and practice, form a distinctive subculture, and achieve recognition
(Fisher and Cole 1993). The demographic profile of both adult learners and the
volunteer pool is changing. No longer do full-time homemakers constitute the
majority of volunteers; opportunities for service draw senior citizens,
students in service learning projects, full-time professionals, and people
with
disabilities (Geber 1991). These changing demographics propel changes in the
practice of both fields. Volunteer managers are changing the type of tasks
assigned to volunteers, the hours and places in which tasks are done
(including
offsite and online), and the kinds of training and recognition they offer to
accommodate the needs of the new breed of volunteers (ibid.). Both fields are
concerned with issues of recruitment and participation. People with more
education are more likely to participate in adult education as well as in
volunteer service (Morris and Caro 1995; Rumsey 1996).
The establishment of standards both for the profession of volunteer management
and for volunteer service itself is generating debates similar to those among
adult educators over purposes and objectives. Ilsley (1989) suggests that
professionalization is making the volunteer field more technical and market
oriented, similar to the way business language and methods are being borrowed
in adult education. The agenda of volunteer organizations, especially those
focused on social change, is in danger of being coopted as government and
corporations formalize what may have been more grassroots, nonformal efforts
(ibid.). Elsey (1993) identifies a similar debate in both the volunteer field
and adult education over focus on individuals or society. He envisions the
two
fields forming a "third way" between government and the free market in the
formation of civil society. For Elsdon (1995), voluntary activity is about
bothindividuation and good citizenship, for it is through individual
empowerment,
achieved by participating and learning from that experience, that service is
rendered.
Learning through Volunteering
"Learning is part of the contract between the organization and the volunteer"
(McCabe 1997, p. 18). "Volunteering is a powerful source of learning"
(Ross-Gordon and Dowling 1995, p. 307). Altruism may be the most obvious
reason
behind volunteering, but there are many other motivational factors that
have an
explicit or implicit link to learning. For some, learning new skills for
career
advancement or exploring job options is an important motivator (Geber 1991;
Rumsey 1996). For others, skills and experiences gained through volunteer
service fulfill a need for relationships, personal growth and development,
achievement, or affiliation. Acquiring a sense of purpose and making
meaning of
experience is a goal of other volunteers (Freedman 1994). Comprehensive
orientation and volunteer training programs show that the "organization values
them enough to make an investment in them" ("Seven Steps" 1997). Learning
motivations vary by age. Rumsey (1996) found that younger volunteers
especially
valued the knowledge and career-related experience they acquired. Freedman
(1994) discovered that older volunteers were less motivated by altruism than
desire for purpose, affiliation, growth, and meaning.
The types of learning that occur in volunteer settings cross the spectrum of
adult learning. Different contexts result in different types of learning,
depending on the objectives of the organization and volunteer and the content
and methods involved (Ilsley 1989). For example, institutions such as Literacy
Volunteers of America may focus on instrumental learning to meet
organizational
goals, providing training in skills needed for specific tasks such as literacy
tutoring. In ad hoc groups such as hospital guilds, social-expressive learning
fulfils volunteers social needs and imparts organizational values through
group socialization and collaborative activities. Problem-focused
organizations
such as a volunteer fire department might emphasize problem solving,
experiential learning, teamwork, and group process to accomplish their
mission.
In organizations dedicated to social causes, such as environmental groups,
critical/reflective learning might focus on political processes and
empowerment
to achieve desired social change (ibid.).
Formal education and training are essential, because volunteers need initial
and ongoing orientation to learn about the organization and training to
perform
particular tasks or assume additional responsibilities. Workshops, seminars,
mentorship, apprenticeship, training manuals, and other methods familiar to
the
education enterprise are integral to the mission of volunteer agencies.
However, research shows that formal education is not "the primary source of
the
most significant learning" (Ross-Gordon and Dowling 1995, p. 313). Learning is
a crucial factor in volunteers satisfaction with their experience, and
satisfied participants are more likely to remain committed to the
organization.
However, "much of that learning is beyond managerial control" (Fiset et al.
198, p. 75). Volunteers frequently report learning by experience, interaction,
or observation (ibid.). Informal and incidental learning that occurs in the
process of activity is a significant part of the volunteer experience.
Self-directed learning (SDL) projects can involve both formal and informal
methods. However, although a majority of volunteers Portelli (1997) surveyed
had conducted SDL projects, they did not consider their volunteer experiences
to be SDL, perhaps because such projects were largely unplanned and learning
needs were not explicitly expressed. Similarly, Elsdon (1995) found that many
volunteer activities have no ostensible learning objectives but do result in
such outcomes as personal growth, confidence, and interpersonal skills.
Although many instances of deliberate learning and change among volunteers
were
evident, the "single most important finding from our work is that this
unpremeditated group of changes confidence, empowerment, making constructive
relationships, organizational learning, ability and willingness to shoulder
responsibility is mentioned as the first and most important one by an
overwhelming majority" (ibid., p. 79).
Volunteer Organizations as Learning Organizations
These findings suggest that "an organizational climate that recognizes the
motivation of volunteers both to serve and to learn" (Fisher and Cole 1993, p.
118) is an essential element in the success of a volunteer enterprise. If, as
Fiset et al. (1987) assert, much of the learning that will occur is beyond
managerial control, volunteer managers may need to focus on how their
organizational culture supports learning.
Elderhostel is an example of an organization that explicitly links learning
and
volunteering. A basic assumption of its Service Program is that informal
learning will occur as participants acquire new skills, work in teams, and
solve problems. This experiential learning is augmented by some formal
education. Beyond formal and informal learning, "participants are given
structured time for integrating what they have learned," which "helps them to
incorporate the service experience into their broader life experience in a
more
meaningful way" (Lamdin and Fugate 1997, p. 106). Norsman (1997) also found
that a climate in which participants can reflect, think critically, and act on
behalf of their organization resulted in transformative learning.
Elsey (1993) confirms the need for reshaping the climate and culture of
volunteer organizations. Although volunteers in his study valued training
opportunities and learning, there was some opinion that resources should
not be
spent "indulging" in training rather than service, "a reflection of old
culture" (p. 6). However, others recognized the importance of personal
empowerment through learning as a motivation for volunteering and acknowledged
the value it added to organizational effectiveness.
Conclusion
The value of learning through volunteer service is now being emphasized in the
involvement of elementary-secondary and college students in service learning
projects. Volunteering also holds great potential for adult learning, even if
the connections are not always explicit. Adult educators can help improve the
quality of learning through the volunteer experience in a number of ways:
Advocating a broader view of learning that goes beyond courses and workshops
to include mentoring, peer support, and information needs (McCabe 1997).
Sharing with volunteer managers current knowledge about self-directed
learning, program development, and assessment of adult learners (Ross-Gordon
and Dowling 1995).
Providing greater recognition and support for informal learning by
increasing
individuals capacity for critical reflection, enabling them to recognize and
document their volunteer activities as learning experiences.
Elsdon (1995) believes that "voluntary organizations are about individual
learning and change, about empowerment to fulfill one s potential, and about
mutual caring" (p. 80). Volunteer service is an important site of lifelong
learning opportunities that benefit both individuals and society.
References
Elsdon, K. T. "Values and Learning in Voluntary Organizations." International
Journal of Lifelong Education 14, no. 1 (January-February 1995): 75-82. (EJ
506
015)
Elsey, B. "Voluntarism and Adult Education as Civil Society and the Third
Way
for Personal Empowerment and Social Change." International Journal of
Lifelong
Education 12, no. 1 (January-March 1993): 3-16. (EJ 458 797)
Fiset, J. C.; Freeman, D. J.; Ilsley, P. J.; and Snow, B. R. "Adult Learning
in
Volunteer Settings: A Neglected Connection." In Proceedings of the 28th Adult
Education Research Conference, compiled by R. P. Inkster, pp. 72-77. Laramie:
University of Wyoming, May 1987. (ED 283 936)
Fisher, J. C., and Cole, K. M. Leadership and Management of Volunteer
Programs:
A Guide for Volunteer Administrators. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993.
Freedman, M. Seniors in National and Community Service. Philadelphia, PA:
Public/Private Ventures, 1994. (ED 373 178)
Geber, B. "Managing Volunteers." Training 28, no. 6 (June 1991): 21-26. (EJ
427
976)
Ilsley, P. J. "The Voluntary Sector and Adult Education." In Handbook of
Adult
and Continuing Education, edited by S.B. Merriam and P. M. Cunningham, pp.
99-111. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1989.
Lamdin, L., and Fugate, M. Elderlearning. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1997.
McCabe, A. "Constraints and Creativity." Adults Learning 9, no. 2 (October
1997): 17-19. (EJ 554 902)
Morris, R., and Caro, F.G. "Productive Retirement: Stimulating Greater
Volunteer Efforts to Meet National Needs." Journal of Volunteer
Administration14, no. 2 (Winter 1996): 5-13. (EJ 538 731)
Norsman, A. S. "Learning Organizations: Education and Change in the Voluntary
Sector." Ph.D. dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1997. DAI-A,
59/01, p. 1, July 1998. ProQuest Digital Dissertations AAT 9736082
<http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations/>
Portelli, P. "Self-Directed Learning Effects in Voluntary Associations
Organizational Framework." In Expanding Horizons in Self-Directed Learning,
edited by H. B. Long et al., pp. 255-267. Norman, OK: Classic Book
Distributors,
1997.
Ross-Gordon, J. M.; Dowling, W. D. "Adult Learning in the Context of
African-American Women s Voluntary Organizations." International Journal of
Lifelong Education 14, no. 4 (July-August 1995): 306-319. (EJ 507 794)
Rumsey, D. "Motivational Factors of Older Adult Volunteers." Ph.D.
dissertation, University of Idaho, 1996. DAI-A 58/03, p. 1, September 1997.
ProQuest Digital Dissertations AAT 9725203
<http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations/>
"Seven Steps to Achieve Effective Volunteer Support." Canadian FundRaiser,
August 13, 1997.
<http://www.charityvillage.com/charityvillage/research/rvol16.html>
Developed with funding from the Office of Educational Research and
Improvement,
U.S. Department of Education, under Contract No. RR93002001. Opinions
expressed
do not necessarily reflect the position or policies of OERI or the Department.
Digests may be freely reproduced.
Judy Wagner / wagner.6@osu.edu / http://ericacve.org/
ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education
1900 Kenny Road / Columbus OH 43210-1090
614/292-8625; 800/848-4815 (ext 2-8625); FAX:614/292-1260
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