techniques for teaching the adult learner2

8/8/2019 Techniques for Teaching the Adult Learner2

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Techniques for Teaching theAdult Learner

Jane J. Hawk, DNP, CS, CPAN, RN

Clinical Nurse Specialist

Harborview Medical Center

Seattle, Washington



Objectives

Compare & contrast different learning &thinking styles.

List characteristics of adults as learners.

Identify needs & motivation sources of theadult learner.

Discuss the implications for mentors of adult learners.

Compare strategies to enhance & facilitate

learning in adults.



“Always walk through life as if you havesomething new to learn and you will.”

~ Vernon Howard



LearningOccurs within each individual

Continual, life-long processDifferent speeds

Result from stimulation of the senses

• one sense used more than others• Learning & thinking style preferences

Thinking Styles• Reflective

• Creative

• Practical• Conceptual



Thinking Styles

Reflective• View new info subjectively

• Relate new info to past experiences

• Often ask “why?”• Examine their feelings about what they are learning

Creative

• Always ask “why?”

• Make excellent trouble-shooters

• Create own short-cuts and solutions



Thinking Styles

Practical• Want facts without “nice to know” additions

• Seek simplest, most efficient way to do things

• Not satisfied until they know how to apply their newskills to their job/other interest

Conceptual

• Accepts new info only after seeing the big picture

• Want to know how things work, not just final outcome

• Curious about related concepts to main subject



3 Primary Sensory Learning

ChannelsVisual• Visually illustrated or demonstrated

• “Show me”• Graphics/illustrations/images, demos, animations

Auditory

• Spoken word; sound of your voice• Lectures, discussions

Kinesthetic/Tactile• Touched or manipulated; “hands-on”; “let me do it”

• Written assignments, taking notes, examination of objects, participation in activities

Pearl: Use a variety of teaching methods to create best learningenvironment☺



Learning StylesStyles of Learning

• Linguistic• Saying, hearing, and seeing words

• Logical/mathematical

• Categorizing, classifying & working with abstractpatterns/relationships

• Spatial

• Visualizing, dreaming, using mind’s eye

• Musical

• Rhythm, melody and music



Compare Youth & Adult LearnersAspect Youth Adult

Demands of learning Life responsibilities are

minimal

Must balance life

responsibilities with

learningRole of Instructor Reliance on instructor for

direction

Lecture common method

Autonomous and self-

directed

Guide rather than supply

factsLife Experiences Building knowledge base Tremendous amount

Purpose for learning Don’t know purpose just

that they “have to”

Subject-centered

Future-oriented

Goal-oriented

Problem-centered

Permanence of learning Required; mandatory; short

retention

Retention longer when

learning self-initiated

Acceptance of New

Information

Likely to accept without

questioning

Often skeptical



Knowles’ Foundations of

Adult Education

As compared to children, adults have differentneeds & requirements as learners

1. As a person matures, his/her self-concept moves

from that of a dependent personality toward oneof a self-directed human being.

2. An adult accumulates a growing reservoir of

experiences, which is a rich resource for learning.

3. The readiness of an adult to learn is closely related

to the developmental tasks of his/her social role.



Knowles’ Foundations of

Adult Education

4. There is a change in time perspective as a personmatures – from future application of knowledge toimmediacy of application. Thus an adult is more

problem-centered than subject-centered.

5. Adults are motivated to learn by internal factors

rather than external ones.

6. Adults need to know why they need to learn

something before learning it.



Adults as LearnersCharacteristics

• defined by Adult Learner pioneer Malcolm Knowles

1. Autonomous and self-directed• Active participants

• Teacher = facilitator rather than “fact supplier”

2. Accumulate life experiences and knowledge

• Work experiences• Family responsibilities

• Previous education

o Need to be treated with respect & allowed to voice opinions

freely



Adult Learning

Adults learn best when:

• They understand why something is important to know or do

• They have the freedom to learn in their own way and

different learning styles are respected

• Learning is experiential

• Activities get learners involved

• Honor life experiences

• The time is right for them to learn

• The process is positive and encouraging

~ Malcolm Knowles, pioneer in the study of adult learning



Adult Motivation Sources for Learning

Social relationships• Make new friends, relationships with

associations/groups

External expectations

• Complying with instructions from formal

authoritySocial Welfare

• Serve mankind, provide community service




Personal Advancement• Professional advancement, stay ahead of competitors

Escape/Stimulation

• Relieve boredom, break from home/work routine, provide

contrast to other exacting details of life

Cognitive Interest• Learn for sake of learning, satisfy the inquiring mind




Motivating factors can also be barriers tolearning

Best way to motivate adult learners is to

enhance their reasons for enrolling and

decrease the barriers

Questions for mentors to ask:• Why did they enroll?

• What’s keeping them from learning?



“I am always ready to learn although I donot always like being taught.”

~ Winston Churchill



Needs of Adult Learners

Receive information in a variety of ways

• Appealing to multiple senses including visual, auditory

and tactile approaches

Actively involved in process• Allow to learn by doing; learn what they practice.

Feel a sense of self-direction

• Enhanced learning with control/influence over focus &

direction of learning

• Self-guided captures interest and encourages participant

responsibility in process



Needs of Adult LearnersFreedom from anxiety

• Defensiveness, anxiety can block learning• Environment should foster intellectual freedom and

encourage experimentation and creativity

Feedback about their performance• Immediate & relevant feedback reinforces new learning

Opportunities for immediate application of newknowledge and skills• Use it or lose it

• Immediacy reinforces & “locks in”



Strategies for Adult Learning

Adults are often concerned thatparticipating in a learning exercise willmake them look professionally/personallyweak.

• Design training workshops/educational exercises that help people feelsafe and supported

• Honor individual needs and uniqueness• Acknowledge and respect abilities and life achievements

• Provide opportunities and allow time for people to establishthemselves in the group

• Don’t ask people to take risks too early in a workshop/course(example: role-playing) unless they already know each other well



Strategies for Adult LearningAdults are decision-makers and self-directed

learners.

• Do not seek to make people obey you.

• Be the “guide on the side” rather than the “sage onthe stage”.

• Listen to what they want and need and be flexible

in your planning & seek feedback

• Facilitate self-directed learning



Strategies for Adult LearningAdults are motivated by information or tasks that

they find meaningful.

• Conduct a learning needs assessment

• Consider “Generative themes” that might affect theirattention span.

• Concerns and issues that are most important in a person’s life

• Ex: Losing a job, health of a loved one, the desire for a promotion, theneed for a change etc.

• Deliver content with immediacy; people learn best when

they can apply right away.



Strategies for Adult LearningAdults have many responsibilities and can be

impatient when their time is wasted.

• Be thoughtful and kind.

• Begin and end your session on time.• Understand who is in the audience and why they are

participating.

• Learn what questions they have about the subject.• Don’t cover material they already know unless there is agood reason for it.

• Recognize that your subject is only one of many thatparticipants may be interested in learning more about.



Real-World Scenarios

• Learn/Practice skills

• Judgment

• Problem solving

• Critical thinking

Inquiry: Asking why?

Reflection

• Meaningful exploration of values, feelings, relationship of

self to other

Interactive questioning

Learning Processes for Adult

Learners



Implications for Mentors

Create a supportive, threat-free and acceptinglearning environment; make it easy to be right andmake mistakes

Eliminate unnecessary anxieties

Provide educational experiences based on person’s job and/or life situations

Build/capitalize on the learner’s strengthsUse the learner’s experience as a resource forlearning; tie new information to things the learner

already knows



Implications for Mentors

Allow learner to set own learning paceEmploy a variety of teaching styles

Integrate theory with practice

Provide continuous feedback; offer positive

reinforcement and specific, constructive

feedback

Use problem-centered rather than subject-

centered approach



Facilitating Adult Learning

Reinforce self-concept of learner as doerby providing progressive mastery

Provide supportive climate with feedback

to encourage change and risk taking

Aim to develop a spirit of critical

reflection, self-direction, mutual respect,voluntary participation and collaboration



Tips for Effective Instructors

Motivation: Need to know

• Set a feeling/tone: friendly, open atmosphere

• Set an appropriate level of concern

• Best learning under low to moderate stress• Too high stress = barrier

• Provide specific feedback

• Reward for learning• Doesn’t have to be monetary

• Learner must have interest in subject

• Interest r/t reward; must see benefit



Tips for Effective Instructors

Retention

• Necessary to gain benefit from learning

• Must see meaning/purpose of new info

• Must understand & be able to interpret & apply

info

• Affected by degree of initial learning• If not learned well, will not retain

• Practice, practice, practice



Tips for Effective InstructorsTransference

• Ability to use the new info in a new setting• Positive: uses behavior taught in course

• Negative: Participants do not do what they are told not

to do• Most likely to occur:

• Association: new info associated with old info

• Similarity: new info similar to old info• Degree of initial learning = high

• Critical attribute element: new info contains extremely

beneficial on the job



“Education consists of mainly what we have

unlearned.”

~ Mark Twain

techniques for teaching the adult learner2

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