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Many adults become dependent in their formal college learning, despite their frequent success in many areas of their learning outside the college setting. In their more informal learning, these adults tend to display greater initiative and employ more learning strategies than they do in their formal learning. An explanation for this dependency in formal learning may derive from the hierarchical nature of the learning institution. Teachers occupy a higher position in the hierarchy than students, based on teachers' perceived superior knowledge of formal learning. Consequently, students often rely on teachers to make sense of their learning. Students, however, may need to make sense of their learning in different ways from their teachers.