What is it about Adult Learners?

Adapted from School Improvement Research Series: Staff Development
Article that covers issues on adult learners, learning and change, and planning for staff development.
http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/6/cu12.html

Adults learn throughout their lives.	Age reduces the speed in which learning happens, so provide additional time to adjust to new ideas.
Stages of development affect learning.	Personal: cognitive, moral, ego, conceptual Chronological: early adulthood, mid-life, etc. Professional: new or experienced teacher
Adults exhibit a variety of learning styles	No one "right" way of learning. They learn in different ways at different times and for varying reasons.
Past experiences affect how and what adults learn.	Previous professional and personal life experiences affect how adults will accept what they are learning. Adults learn best when new learning is tied to past experiences.
Adults prefer to control what and how they learn.	Trying to control the learning situation takes place at the conscious and unconscious level. Adults prefer to have a say in what they learn and how they will learn.
Adults tend to be problem-centered.	Adults learn best through practical applications of what they have learned instead of subject-specific trainings.
Adults learn best in non-threatening environments.	Adults learn best in environments of trust and mutual respect where they collaborate and take responsibility for learning.

Adults want to be successful and look for learning situations that allow them to be self-directed, self-motivated active participants in the learning process. If adults are given opportunities for reflection and practice, they will be able to take risks to transfer their new knowledge and skills to their classroom. Adults will continue to want to learn if they make progress toward learning goals in any opportunity that also reflect their own goals. Adults have special needs and strengths and are a valuable resource for each other in the learning process.

Adults learn best when these six conditions are met:

1. Adults feel a need to learn and have input into what, why, and how they will learn.
2. The learning situation relates to past experiences, and these experiences are used as a resource for learning.
3. What is to be learned relates to the adult's developmental changes.
4. Adult's learning styles are taken into account.
5. The learning environment is non-threatening and encourages freedom to experiment and take risks.
6. The learner's ability to take risks is compatible with the type of learning situation.

What affects how adults learn?

Attitude	how the adult feels about the concepts and information being taught and overall feeling about learning in general
Need	if the adult sees at the current time a reason to move toward the learning goal
Ability	the adult's sense of interacting effectively in the learning situation
Support	the learning situation reinforces the likelihood that adults will achieve learning goals
Comfort	any change or experience in the environment that could affect the learner's action

Adapted by Computer Strategies, LLC © 1999
Permission to use for educational use only

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