Bierema, Merriam win AHRD book of the year award

College of Education faculty members Laura Bierema and Sharan Merriam have received the R. Wayne Pace Human Resource Development Book of the Year Award for Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice.

Bierema, professor and associate dean for academic programs and Merriam, professor emerita of adult education and qualitative research, received the award from the Academy of Human Resources Development (AHRD) at its Conference of the Americas in Houston on Feb. 21.

The book offers an overview of the major theories and research in adult learning. Written in highly accessible language and designed for use in both formal and informal settings, the book reviews the forces that influence today's adult learner including globalization, the knowledge society, technology and demographic changes.

The authors present an understanding of how life experiences and learning are integrally related and review the role of motivation in learning. They also write about new work in neuroscience and learning, and explore the brain's cognitive functioning such as memory, intelligence, cognitive development and wisdom. In addition, the authors address the pervasiveness of technology and reveal how the digital age both engages and distracts adults' ability to learn.