The Hidden Curriculum
Adapted from Various Sources by Roger Hiemstra
Introduction
As
a student of graduate courses in Adult Education, not everything available to
you or expected of you is listed in official documents. As with any program of
study, faculty, administrators, and the nature of any institution of higher
education have an implicit “hidden curriculum” and even “hidden” resources
seldom discussed. This can result in students sometimes saying, “no one told
me” or “I did not know that!” This is the telling of our hidden “stuff'” and an
attempt to make more explicit the nature of resources available to you.
Three Aspects of
Career Preparation
Your
faculty believe that any certificate or degree offerings are “professional” in
nature. In essence, our purpose is to prepare professionals. We believe you are
here for career preparation and a greater enhancement of yourself as a
professional teacher, trainer, or educator of adults, not just to get a certificate,
degree, or to pass a few courses. In that regard, there are three equally
important aspects of your graduate studies: Courses, personal relationships,
and professional experiences.
1. Courses.
It
is obviously important to focus on the courses, any exams, a final project, or
other course-related requirements and accomplishments. That means by being a
graduate student you accept the responsibility for doing the best you can in
your courses, in meeting deadlines, and in understanding the various program
requirements that are portrayed in the graduate catalog. Obviously, advising
sessions may be necessary and you will want to work with faculty and
administrators to meet all necessary expectations.
Courses
do give you the basic skills, practice, and knowledge to add to over the next
decades as you continue to learn, practice your craft, and grow as an
individual. However, we believe a certificate or master’s program is not the
end of professional growth; it is only the beginning in many respects. We
simply try to help you acquire enough personal resources so that you can
continue to grow and develop. To use a musical metaphor, we’ll teach you how to
play the scales and provide some chords for your professional pianos, but you
have to continue to practice, to improve, and to even learn to play new songs
throughout your professional career.
2. Personal
Relationships
Equally
important as the courses you take while involved with graduate studies are the
personal relationships you will form. Much of the enjoyment of graduate studies
comes from working and socializing with fellow students and faculty. This may
involve participating in local, regional or national conferences so you meet fellow
students and faculty from other higher education institutions as well as
getting to your program students and faculty better. It may include not only
attending any campus or social functions, but also agreeing to help plan and
implement them. Often it will be up to you to take the initiative in ensuring
that such functions are successful.
Perhaps
more important are the friendships and networking opportunities you develop.
Veteran students, for example, can give you real inside information on how the
system works, on course strengths and weaknesses, and on how to deal with
individual faculty. Students often engage in joint projects, study together for
any exams, share assistance on effectively utilizing the Internet, computer
software, and technological hardware, and generally support each other. You
also will develop personal and professional relationships that can serve as
career-long networking support mechanisms.
Graduate
study is often a time of rapid growth and change; it is often stressful, too,
both professionally and in one’s personal life. The faculty will try to help
you however we can and there are formal counseling and advising opportunities
you can take advantage of or make special requests when the need arises.
However, the source of your best day-to-day support will be other students in
your program. So, interact with your fellow students, even if you are shy or
have a more reserved nature. You will find it makes your graduate studies
easier and more enjoyable.
3. Professional
Experiences
The
third equally important aspect of your career preparation is the accumulation
of a set of professional experiences that will enable you to increasingly
participate as a full member of a profession. One important component of this
is becoming acquainted with your campus or other campuses where you have study
privileges to use the library, computer center, and other facilities. You also
will meet other faculty and students. In essence you will obtain a much better
understanding of your college and what it has to offer you over your life as a
professional.
We
also encourage you to think about the nature of your learning experience even
in each course. Consider ways you can tie your learning to the practical nature
of your professional work, expected professional work, and specific interests.
Visiting agencies, interviewing continuing education professionals, writing
journal articles, developing a personal portfolio (a related handout is
available), participating in mini-internships, professional reading, and
attending conferences all are ways you can enhance yourself as a professional.
Some Final
Thoughts
Following
is a collection of random thoughts, observations, and reminders of resources
you have at your disposal.
1.
Be
willing to accept ambiguity. Always remember there may not be a “right” answer
or definition, as some people will make certain assumptions while others may
make different assumptions.
2.
Learn
what others think and why they think that way. You can have your own opinion,
but be tolerant with the opinions of others. You don’t have to agree with every
thought expressed but accept that others have the right to think the way they
do. The resulting intellectual challenges and stimulation can become the most
important and pleasurable part of your graduate studies.
3.
Over
time learn to develop a personal filter or screen through which you assess the
appropriateness of an idea, theory, or stated piece of knowledge for your own
practice. In essence, become a critical thinker, reflector, and evaluator.
4.
Look
for the practical, but don't stop thinking.
5.
Some
courses will be more "practical" than others because they deal with
very practical issues, but they also have a critical and often rigorous
thinking, reflecting, and writing component.
6.
Learning
to think and learning to learn are important aspects of any graduate study.
Such skills will serve you well throughout your career.
7.
You
have access to library resources in various ways, but don't forget the power of
the Internet. Considerable information is available through the World Wide Web
that can help you in your graduate studies. Thus, we encourage you to obtain an
Internet userid, use email as a means of frequent communication with faculty
and fellow students, become adept at creating Internet resources such as web
pages, wikis, and blogs, learn to use one or more of the powerful search
engines available, access the thousands of useful web pages recommended by
faculty and others, and participate in chat rooms available to you.
Good
luck in all that you do! We are committed to your success.