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An understanding of learning theories can help adult educators become more effective practitioners and meet the needs of the learners they serve. Adult educators who understand how individuals learn can be better prepared to use effective strategies during the learning process. This article addresses the use of concept maps as a strategy to engage adult learners in critical analysis, a skill educators often aim to help learners strengthen. The discussion situates within four learning theories: cognitivist, constructivist, transformative, and social learning. Examples from different contexts using concept maps and connections between theories, learning process, locus of learning, teacher’s role, manifestation in adult education, and activities are presented. The article concludes with putting concept maps and critical analysis into practice in formal and nonformal settings.

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The purpose of this interpretive research study was to explore how adult learners perceive they construct knowledge in connection to their participation in nonformal world affairs programs. The study context involved the exploration of 12 adult learners’ perceptions of their knowledge construction as participants in world affairs programs held in an urban setting in the United States including the changing global order, the Katyń massacre, and Russia. The three main themes drawn from the study include the dynamic learning process, influencers of knowledge construction, and individual experiences as connectors in the learning process. These themes broaden an understanding of the continuum of adult learners’ perceived knowledge construction within nonformal education and free-choice learning frameworks, areas that can inform world affairs adult education and program planning.

Retiring senior military officers (SMO) are a specific group of adult learners in role transition. SMOs have the shared experience of high‐level leadership roles, senior managerial experiences, and military rank. They experience some similar transition challenges as other military affiliated learners, such as military–civilian culture; however, in their military roles, these individuals are in powerful roles of command, often in high stress to include life and death combat situations. Therefore, the SMO adult learner transitioning into post‐retirement, second career work experiences has important context changes to explore. Those context changes include integrated ways of moving among levels of novice to expert in organizational structure, ethos, international experience, and managing and leading in crisis. Through reciprocal learning programs, hiring organizations and SMOs have an opportunity to make headway into bridging the military–civilian divide.