Tenets of Adult Education
Overview
Many adult educators are thrust into teaching roles with little knowledge about the science of effective teaching. This is actually one of the main reasons I enrolled in CSU's Adult Education and Training program -- I felt like I knew my subject well, but wanted to know more about how to teach. In their book Facilitating Seven Ways of Learning, Davis and Arend encapsulated my sentiments well: "Conscientious teachers want to make intelligent and creative choices about their teaching, but sometimes they don't know how to do so" (2013, p3).
This "tool" is intended to be a supplement to the other tools, to provide a theoretical background of adult education tenets to support your decisions when designing and implementing instruction for adults.
First, we'll explore the question: What makes a good adult educator?
This "tool" is intended to be a supplement to the other tools, to provide a theoretical background of adult education tenets to support your decisions when designing and implementing instruction for adults.
First, we'll explore the question: What makes a good adult educator?
Adult Educators
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According to Wlodkowski (2017), effective adult learning facilitators exhibit five attributes:
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As you can see from this list, it is not enough to know the subject we're teaching. Effective adult facilitators work hard to understand and adapt for their students, develop clear goals, and create environments of trust and respect. Above all, adult educators don't blame learners; rather, they ask questions and adapt their lessons to maximize relevance and engagement (Davis & Arend, 2013).
Adult Learners
We must begin with the recognition that adults learn in different ways than children. But where does childhood end and adulthood begin, from a learning perspective? After much consideration, I've concluded that there is a spectrum of learning maturity, and our teaching methods need to vary based on where our learners sit in that spectrum, as well as what each learning situation requires.
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At the "child" end of the spectrum is pedagogy, a philosophy of teaching in which learners are dependent on instructors to acquire knowledge about a particular subject. At the opposite end is andragogy, a teaching philosophy where learners are self-directed and internally motivated to learn in order to solve their own problems. I believe that we, as adult educators, should strive to promote self-directed, lifelong learners; however, we also need to understand where our learners sit along the spectrum in order to choose methods that provide enough support to help then move forward.
Malcolm Knowles, known as the "father of andragogy", defines several attributes of adult learners (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Explore each attribute in the tabs below:
Malcolm Knowles, known as the "father of andragogy", defines several attributes of adult learners (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Explore each attribute in the tabs below:
Attributes of Learners -- click each tab to explore
Adults are self-directed, independent learners.
In practice, adult learning facilitators can promote self-directed learning by creating a comfortable, adult-oriented climate of trust, respect, and collaboration (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Adults have an innate need to be perceived as capable and treated respectfully by others. Learners need to understand that you are working with them to become co-creators of knowledge (Freire, 1970).
Here are a few tips to promote self-directed learning:
In practice, adult learning facilitators can promote self-directed learning by creating a comfortable, adult-oriented climate of trust, respect, and collaboration (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Adults have an innate need to be perceived as capable and treated respectfully by others. Learners need to understand that you are working with them to become co-creators of knowledge (Freire, 1970).
Here are a few tips to promote self-directed learning:
- Ask learners what they need/want to know about upcoming topics
- Allow learners to have some autonomy over the learning process -- choose their own projects, etc.
- Implement self-paced learning, where possible.
- Be flexible -- allow learners to attend to their personal needs without having to ask permission
Adults come to the classroom with a vast reservoir of experiences that provide a backdrop for learning.
Children often have little to compare to in the classroom, but adults are largely defined by their experiences - in education, work, and life in general (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Many times these experiences enhance the learning environment, encouraging thoughtful contributions and enabling deeper learning for all learners. Sometimes, however, past experiences can cause problems in the classroom. Previous experiences with a certain topic or in a certain environment may have left some adult learners with a bad taste in their mouths. It is also possible that cultural norms and experiences may conflict with other learners or the learning environment.
As facilitators, it is our job to understand these experiences and create learning environments that are inclusive and sensitive to previous experiences (Merriam & Bierema, 2014; Wlodkowski, 2017).
Here are a few tips to maximize the benefits of adult learners' experiences:
Children often have little to compare to in the classroom, but adults are largely defined by their experiences - in education, work, and life in general (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Many times these experiences enhance the learning environment, encouraging thoughtful contributions and enabling deeper learning for all learners. Sometimes, however, past experiences can cause problems in the classroom. Previous experiences with a certain topic or in a certain environment may have left some adult learners with a bad taste in their mouths. It is also possible that cultural norms and experiences may conflict with other learners or the learning environment.
As facilitators, it is our job to understand these experiences and create learning environments that are inclusive and sensitive to previous experiences (Merriam & Bierema, 2014; Wlodkowski, 2017).
Here are a few tips to maximize the benefits of adult learners' experiences:
- Ask learners to share their experiences, where appropriate
- Encourage reflective practices, such as journaling, to allow learners to connect new learning to previous experience
- Allow learners to come to you with their frustrations and concerns, and treat them respectfully
- Provide opportunities for creating new experiences by using active learning methods
Adults learners need to understand why they are being asked to learn something, and that "why" needs to be relevant to their context and needs.
In practice, this means that adult learning facilitators need to make an effort to understand the context and needs of our learners, as well as ensure that our instructional materials and assessments fit those needs (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Because many industrial and academic courses are federally or institutionally required, sometimes this "why" can be difficult to find. With a thorough understanding of our learners, however, we can find creative ways to make required learning relevant and interesting.
Here are some tips for enhancing the relevance of adult learning:
In practice, this means that adult learning facilitators need to make an effort to understand the context and needs of our learners, as well as ensure that our instructional materials and assessments fit those needs (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Because many industrial and academic courses are federally or institutionally required, sometimes this "why" can be difficult to find. With a thorough understanding of our learners, however, we can find creative ways to make required learning relevant and interesting.
Here are some tips for enhancing the relevance of adult learning:
- Allow learners to choose their own projects
- For mandatory learning, pull out the most important components that learners will need to apply after the class
- In some of my eLearning modules, I would present required material in a section and then include a short summary titled "So what does this mean for you?" to drive home the most relevant components.
- Ask learners why they are present, and have them define personal goals for their learning
According to Knowles, adult learners are driven by internal motivation (Merriam & Bierema, 2014).
While this is a pinnacle of lifelong learning that we should strive to promote, most training sessions aren't just for fun or self-fulfillment. Rather, they contain external motivators like grades, monetary rewards, and/or punitive consequences. But even within these external constraints, we can find ways to appeal to our learners' internal motivations by linking the material to their interests and needs (Merriam & Bierema, 2014).
Here are some tips to maximize internal motivation (and minimize external consequences) (Wlodkowski, 2017):
While this is a pinnacle of lifelong learning that we should strive to promote, most training sessions aren't just for fun or self-fulfillment. Rather, they contain external motivators like grades, monetary rewards, and/or punitive consequences. But even within these external constraints, we can find ways to appeal to our learners' internal motivations by linking the material to their interests and needs (Merriam & Bierema, 2014).
Here are some tips to maximize internal motivation (and minimize external consequences) (Wlodkowski, 2017):
- Develop assessments that authentically assess learners in the ways they'll need to use the knowledge
- Develop and distribute clear rubrics so learners understand grading criteria
- Don't put too much weight on a single project or exam
- Allow learners to choose projects they are interested in
- Work with company managers to minimize punitive consequences and promote learning from failure
Adults come to the classroom ready to learn.
This concept is largely based on need -- adult learners are interested in building knowledge and learning skills that can be immediately applied in their jobs or personal lives. Since much of academic and industrial learning consists of preparation for future roles or events, it is important for adult learning facilitators to design learning experiences that encourage the immediate application of these skills, such as simulations, role-play, and service-based learning (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). This will maximize motivation to learn and help learners feel confident when they are called upon to put their knowledge and skills into practice.
Here are a few examples to encourage readiness to learn through experiential exercises (Wlodkowski, 2017):
This concept is largely based on need -- adult learners are interested in building knowledge and learning skills that can be immediately applied in their jobs or personal lives. Since much of academic and industrial learning consists of preparation for future roles or events, it is important for adult learning facilitators to design learning experiences that encourage the immediate application of these skills, such as simulations, role-play, and service-based learning (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). This will maximize motivation to learn and help learners feel confident when they are called upon to put their knowledge and skills into practice.
Here are a few examples to encourage readiness to learn through experiential exercises (Wlodkowski, 2017):
- Set up a mock trial, interview, or conflict
- Set up simulations in safe environments -- For example, have learners practice putting out a real fire, manipulate conditions and gather data for objects in a wind tunnel, or practice moving and stacking empty boxes with a forklift.
- Set up field trips where learners can interact with employees who perform a variety of job tasks related to classroom learning topics
- Leave time for discussion and reflection, to help learners consider how they can use these skills in the "real" world
Other Considerations
- It is vital to understand who your learners are (context), as well as how they learn.
- Adult educators don't "give" knowledge; rather, we facilitate the co-creation of knowledge with our learners.
- Remember - don't blame learners. Ask learners what they need or why they're struggling or disengaged.
- Listen to your learners.
- Be willing to adapt your lessons to fit learner needs.
References
- Davis, J.R. and Arend, B.D. (2013). Facilitating Seven Ways of Learning. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.
- Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. London, UK: The Continuum Publishing Company.
- Merriam, S.B. and Bierema, L.L. (2014). Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
- Rachal, J.R. (2002). Andragogy's Detectives: A critique of the present and a proposal for the future. Adult Education Quarterly, 52(3), 210-227.
- Wlodkowski, R. and Ginsberg, M. (2017). Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
