Principles of Adult Learning
Those of us in the training profession often refer to the principles of adult learning. We talk about it to our stakeholders and subject matter experts, put it on our resumé, and mention it to each other in training discussions.
Do we know what those principles are? Over the years, I have attended many sessions that included the so-called principles of adult learning as part of the course, and I have seen similar yet unique lists of these principles for almost every course that I have been on. In most cases, we turn the page in our workbooks, and that's the last place it's mentioned. Here are some examples from my past that I have gathered up in one spot for comparison.
The local college where I took an Adult Teaching course used this list:
Adults must want to learn
Adults will learn only what they feel is a need to learn
Adults learn by doing
Adult learning centers on problems, and the problems must be realistic
Experience affects adult learning
Adults learn best in an informal environment
Adults want guidance, not grades
A company my former employer hired had this list:
Adults like active participation in their learning experiences.
Achieving goals is the adult learner’s responsibility.
Adults have a wealth of experience and like to share what they know.
New knowledge and skills must be integrated into previous learning. Information that conflicts with previous knowledge or values will be integrated more slowly.
Understanding how learning will be useful (WIIFM) motivates adults.
Learners need to practice performing a skill or solving a problem.
Self-esteem is a critical component of learning.
Adults learn better when they are having fun.
The energy level and interest influence attention span.
To maximize retention, adults need small chunks and frequent summaries of information.
Note: WIIFM = What's In It For Me (in case you didn't know).
Another such company had this list:
Adults need:
A clear introduction, including objectives, benefits, and an agenda
An opportunity to express themselves and share experiences
A variety of methods
The appropriate level of challenge
A comfortable learning environment
Immediate feedback concerning their progress
Here is a list provided by an individual hired to train us at the same company:
Adults want...
A sense of accomplishment
To save time
Adults bring...
Experience
Established behaviors
Adults expect...
Efficient use of their time
To know the end goal and the process
An American university used the following (I removed the subtext as it was rather long-winded):
Adults are autonomous and self-directed.
Adults have accumulated a foundation of life experiences and knowledge, including work-related activities, family responsibilities, and previous education. They need to connect learning to this knowledge/experience base.
Adults are goal-oriented.
Adults are relevancy-oriented.
Adults are practical, focusing on a lesson's most useful aspects in their work.
As do all learners, adults need to be shown respect.
Of course, I can’t talk about adult learning without mentioning Malcolm Knowles. He has written entire books on this subject. However, the following main points summarize what he has said:
Adult learners need to know why they are learning, what they are learning, and how they will learn.
Adult learners move from being dependent personalities toward being self-directed human beings.
Adult learners accumulate a growing reservoir of experience that becomes an increasing resource for learning.
Adult learners' readiness to learn becomes increasingly oriented to the developmental tasks of their social roles.
Adult learners' perspective of time changes from one of postponed knowledge application to immediacy of application, and accordingly, their orientation toward learning shifts from one of subject-centeredness to one of problem-centeredness.
Adult learners are internally motivated to learn by their intrinsic value and personal payoff.
After reading all these versions, I felt inclined to re-write it into my language, and in such a way, I might find it useful when conducting or designing training. Here is my attempt:
Paul Wilson's Principles of Adult Learning
Show your adult learners respect by providing a comfortable learning environment where training has a clear benefit, objective, and agenda.
Organize your training into easy-to-manage sections with clear summaries at the end of each section.
Adults bring experience to the classroom. Use this experience in your lessons. Adults can teach one another through group activity or discussion. Adults must see how new learning fits into their prior experience.
Adults will become motivated to learn when training can show value by providing solutions to problems they have a vested interest in. Adults will focus on those aspects and set their own goals for learning.
Remember that adults learn using various methods, and learning is retained when enjoyable. Adults are self-directed and cannot be told when it's time to learn.
Of course, like Knowles, I expect that I may go back and revise mine a little over time. He had over twenty years to consider his. I've just really thought about mine for a couple of days. Please let me know if you feel I've missed anything or got something completely wrong.
