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| Erin Skinner catching a frog for a biology course at Haywood Community College. |
Some thoughts for
instructors:
Adult learners want and
deserve respect. They are used to making
decisions, are busy people, have to deal with emergencies and unexpected
situations, have a wealth of life experience, sometimes feel insecure about
using new skills on their own, have their own values and beliefs, may have
special physical needs, and want to apply what they learn to their present
lives. (Teaching Adults: A Literacy Resource Book)
They may fear school,
based on previous unpleasant experiences; may have problems meeting basic needs
because of unemployment or poverty; may find planning for the future difficult;
maybe embarrassed or ashamed about their reading and writing skills. Some learners have had hearing problems since
childhood. Such problems may have
affected their ability to develop and use language effectively. As a result, they may also have had problems
learning to read fluently. (Teaching Adults)
Adults are characterized
by maturity, self-confidence, autonomy, solid decision making and are generally
more practical, multi-tasking, purposeful, self-directed, experienced and less
open-minded and receptive to change. All
these traits affect their motivation as well as their ability to learn. As instructors, we need to address these
traits and create content and structure that meets the students’ needs.
1. Self-direction: It is important to the student
to have control over his/her learning.
Subtle support and multiple options are imperative.
2.
Practical and
results-oriented: Students need information that can be immediately applicable
to their needs, and generally prefer practical knowledge rather than
theory.
3.
Less open-minded:
Life experience can lead to rigidity, the enemy of learning. Instructors need to provide the “why” as well
as the “how” in order to link new concepts to established ones.
4.
Slower learning,
yet more integrative knowledge: Aging does affect learning in terms of speed,
yet depth of learning tends to increase over time.
5.
Use personal
experience as a resource: We need to encourage discussion and create a learning
environment where people of all levels can interact.
6.
Motivation:
Learning in adulthood is generally voluntary.
This personal choice is what drives the student to learn new things.
7.
Multi-level
responsibilities: Adult learners have a lot to juggle. That’s why it can be more difficult for an
adult to make room for learning. The
learning process can be obstructed and the learning outcome compromised.
8.
High
expectations: Adult learners want to be taught about things that can be of
immediate use and not waste their time and/or money. (Christopher Pappas,
elearning.industry.com/8-important-characteristics-of-adult-learners, May,
2011.)
Some thoughts for
students:
To increase your
percentage of success, remember:
1. Put it to work: Doing something with new
knowledge means putting it to work and getting results, even if they aren’t the
ones you want.
2.
Results are
valuable feedback: Making a mistake is part of the learning process.
3.
Mistakes are
opportunities.
4.
Just do it, step
by step, baby steps or giant leaps.
5.
Use it to “make
it yours.” Understanding how to do
something new is stored first in your short term memory. If you don’t use the knowledge again soon,
you will have to start the process again.
6.
Three may be the
magic number. If you use your new skill
three times on three different occasions, you will probably find that you’ve
“got it.”
7.
Use it again, or
risk losing it.
8.
After two weeks
we tend to remember:
*10%
of what we read
*20%
of what we hear
*30%
of what we see
*50%
of what we hear AND see
*70%
of what we say
*90%
of what we say AND do
*95%
of what we help someone else learn and understand. The higher the level of involvement, the more
likely we will remember. (TABE: Test of Adult Basic Education: The First Step
to Lifelong Success.)
Other tips for older
students:
1.
Plan your week in order to manage your
time. Sort out high priority tasks from
lower priorities and schedule specific times for the more important items.
2.
Get to know
younger students.
3.
Get to know other
returning students and build a support network.
4.
Find common
ground with instructors.
5.
Enlist your
employer’s support. Further education
can increase your job specific skills or your “soft skills,” which are
important in dealing with people.
6.
Look for specific
ways to merge your school and work lives.
7.
Look for child
care, if needed.
8.
Review your
subjects before starting classes. If you
need to brush on a subject such as math, there are opportunities to help you
prepare and succeed.
9.
Prepare for an
academic environment, which may be very different from your work environment.
10. Be willing to let go of pre-conceived ideas about how
to study.
11. “Publish” your schedule. Encourage the people in your life to respect
your designated study and work times.
12. Share your plans.
Involve your family and close friends in your learning and ask them for
help. (Becoming a Master Student)
Don’t let yourself
fail! Everyone involved in your
educational experience is committed to helping you succeed in each class and in
your overall plans for your college and work career. Asking for help can be difficult, especially
for adults, but it is often the best way to get past the obstacle which may be
blocking your path. Our instructors and
staff are always grateful for an opportunity to help our students!
REFERENCES
Teaching Adults: A
Literacy Resource Book, New Readers Press, 1994.
“Eight Important
Characteristics of Adult Learners,” Christopher Pappas, eLearning Design and
Development, e.learningindustry.com/8-important-characteristics-of-adult-learners,
May, 2011.
TABE: Test of Adult Basic
Education: The First Step to Lifelong Success, Dutwin, Phyllis; Altreuter,
Carol, and Guglielmi, Kathy, McGraw-Hill, 2003.
Becoming a Master Student,
Sixth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993.
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