Our state government’s terms for learners are attendees, enrollees, and, more recently, performers. I contend that these terms are inappropriate for adults accessing our educational program.
Why? These terms are passive. They imply that any learning
that might happen is purely because these adults happen to “drop in” or “show
up” one day. As Clay Shirky in Cognitive
Surplus (2010) puts it, attendees and enrollees are “looky-loos” who pop in
to consume, but not necessarily digest, our offerings. “Performers” is certainly
a more active term, but, come on, we are not circus acts.
Better terms are learners and participants. These terms
imply that interactions are occurring. Participants engage in making thoughtful
decisions, exploring options, communicating solutions, questioning results, and
adjusting to feedback. Oh, in other words, they are learning or participating in the building and exploration of their personal knowledge, skills, and abilities.
What terms would you
use to describe these individuals?
