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January 01, 2005
Adult Learning
Much is known about how adults learn and how to improve adult learning experiences. Yet, we tend to fall back on the standard lecture with little or no audience participation as our major training approach. By addressing the principles described below, you will have the tools you need to design an excellent workshop.
Moving to Adulthood
As individuals grow and mature, they go through changes that affect how they learn. Some of these changes are described here:
From Dependency to Self-Direction:
Children are dependent on adults for many things, including direction about what is important to learn. As they move through childhood and gain experience, they become increasingly self-directed. They want to be more involved in choosing what they learn and when, as well as playing a part in how that learning is designed.
Experience is a Resource:
"Getting through life" teaches a lot and increases the knowledge base against which we evaluate new information. Children often accept what they are taught because their basis for questioning is limited. Added experiences give adults the ability to evaluate and judge the validity and applicability of new information. They become more discriminating.
Readiness:
As individuals mature, their readiness to learn is decreasingly the product of biological development and academic pressure and increasingly the product of the developmental tasks required for the performance of their evolving social roles.
Problem-Centered Need to Know:
Adults' orientation to learning changes from a content focus to a problem focus, in part because there is less time for learning, thus it is important to spend that time on what they really need to know.
Working with Adults
Any given group of adults gathered in a workshop or classroom situation will bring a variety of experiences and backgrounds to the training. Some things to remember when planning:
- Adults have different reasons for participating, therefore
trainers may want to try to find out what some of them are.
- Adults can choose whether or not to participate. If they don't
find the training engaging, they often have the option to leave.
- Adults are in different points in their adult development.
- Adults have different learning styles; training should combine
approaches (e.g., kinesthetic, auditory, visual).
- Adults probably represent a variety of backgrounds and cultures
and may respond to and process information differently.
- Adults prefer to be in charge of their own learning and thrive
under such conditions. Planners of training can accomplish this by
offering content choices to participants, by developing learning
contracts, and by allowing participants to choose learning
approaches, resources, and evaluation techniques.
Adult Learning Principles
Problem-Centered Learning:
Adult readiness to learn is related to what they need to know or do in order to fulfill their roles and responsibilities as adults in society. Participants can be involved in diagnosing their own learning needs.
Participation/Interaction:
Training should be characterized by give-and-take, as well as respect for different opinions. Participants' experiences should be used as resources before, during, and after the training event. Active involvement in the training increases retention and application.
Challenge/Question:
By allowing participants to challenge information, presenters increase the trust level.
Collaboration:
Participants can be involved in assessing needs, setting objectives, and selecting training methods and materials.
Reflection:
Many adults need time to think about new information in order to critically analyze it. Build reflection time into the agenda.
Relevance:
Information must have direct application to the needs of the learners.
Diversity:
Past experiences, learning styles, culture, personal goals may all vary in a diverse group of people.
Posted by Kristie at January 1, 2005 03:59 PM