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Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Involve
me and I will understand. - Chinese Proverb
Adult
Learning Theory presentation by Chris Jensen (PPT)
Bloom's
Taxonomy (view via link or contact Joan Totka for a hard copy
of the booklet)
Experiential Learning by David
a. kolb
Adult Learner Characteristics
Autonomous and self-directed
Experienced (life and work-related experiences, family responsibilities,
previous education)
Goal-oriented (know the goal they wish to achieve from training)
Relevancy-oriented (need to see a reason for the training and how
it relates to them)
Practical (focus on aspects of course most useful to them)
Understand Your Audience
What training experiences do they have?
What are examples you have had with good and bad trainers?
As a learner, how do you learn best? What helps you learn? What
gets in your way?
Trainers Should...
Actively involve learners in the learning process and serve as facilitators
for them.
Allow learners to learn at their own pace (stop and start as needed).
Allow learners to skip portions of materials that are not relevant
rather than forcing them through content.
Seek learners' input on what topics to cover and demonstrate.
Offer a variety of learning options to accommodate all learning
styles.
Guide learners to their own knowledge rather than supplying them
with facts.
Acknowledge the wealth and value of experience that learners bring
and encourage them to share.
Connect learning to this knowledge/experience base.
Clearly define goals and structure and state how the class will
help learners attain their goals.
Involve learners in the learning process by finding out how they
can use the information and skills.
Determine what learners see as barriers to their learning process.
Tell or demonstrate how the information will be useful on-the-job.
Allow for open dialogue.
Draw connections between course content and work or responsibilities.
Give the learners opportunities to apply new knowledge and skills
on work-related exercises.
Elements of Learning
Motivation: personal achievement, career advancement, compliance,
fear
- Establish rapport to build
motivation (may help convert resistant learners)
- Set a feeling or tone for
the lesson (you are there to help participants learn)
- Set an appropriate level of
concern (adults learn better under low to moderate stress)
- Set an appropriate level of
difficulty (challenge participants but do not overload)
- Clearly state the benefits
of learning (WIIFM - What's in it for me?)
Reinforcement
- Help participants know they
are on the right track or have veered off - know your road map
Retention
- Incorporate repetition (and
practice) to drive home key messages
- Ensure the participants understand
the purpose of the message and how to apply it
Transference
- Ensure the participant can
apply the learning in different settings
Adapted from M. Knowles: The Modern Practice of Adult Education
and various ASTD presentations
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