| As an adult educator of visual communication design, I was interested in how the application of adult education principles and learning philosophies could enhance the instruction of graphic design as visual communication within an undergraduate university setting. In this thesis, I explore working definitions for both adult education and graphic design, briefly look at their historical and cultural context, and note major parallels and contrasts between these fields. I outline my use of adult education methods to meet the instructional challenges of teaching undergraduate university learners. I present data I collected from students on the multi-disciplinary aspects of visual communication design. I conclude with observations from my study and recommendations for further research in the areas of adult education, including visual learning and transformative learning, design education including program planning and evaluation, and visual communication including the use of visuals by communication technologies as a content-rich communication source. |
