Adult Learning: Quick Tip #3
February 7, 2007 – 18:27 pm
This is the third segment in a series of Quick Tips covering a wide range of adult learning principles. So if you are an inexperienced instructor, you may want to read these tips carefully and think about how you can incorporate them into your curriculum. If you are an experienced instructor, you may find yourself thinking “Oh, I forgot about that.” Of course, if you are a really experienced instructor . . . well, they are short tips so it will only take a minute or so to read them. Well let’s get started.
Adults tend to come into training programs expecting to be treated like children and prepared to allow the instructor to take responsibility for their learning. However, when adults discover that they are capable of self-direction in their learning, as they are in their other life activities, they often experience a remarkable increase in their motivation to learn.
Many adults prefer self-directed and self-designed learning projects over group-learning experiences led by a professional. Given the opportunity to choose, adults will normally select more than one medium for learning and they also prefer to control the pace and the start/stop time of their training experience. This is consistent with the fact that most adult learners are trying to balance an number of obligations in addition to their learning goals. Obviously, this makes CD-ROM and on-line training sytems excellent options for adult learners. Additionally, other nonhuman media such as books, programmed instruction and television have become popular with adults.
As you will recall from Quick #1, adults tend to prefer single concept, single-theory courses that focus heavily on the application of a concept that is relevant to problems that they are facing. So, regardless of media, straightforward how-to instruction is the preferred content orientation. Adults are highly motivated to learn because they see the value of learning in terms of advancement, salary, success in the workplace and in life. Adults cite a need for application and how-to information as the primary motivation for beginning a learning project.
Of course, self-direction does not necessarily mean isolation. Studies of self-directed learning indicate that self-directed projects involve an average of 10 other people as resources, facilitators, coaches and so forth. But even for the self-professed, self-directed learner, lectures and short seminars get positive ratings, especially when these events give the learner face-to-face, one-to-one access to an expert. Again, this type of experience tends to accelerate the learning process and help the adult learner get on the fast track to accomplishing his learning goals.
Check Out Adult Learning: Quick Tip #1
Check Out Adult Learning: Quick Tip #2
Check Out Adult Learning: Quick Tip #4
Check Out Adult Learning: Quick Tip #5