Learning can be both an emotional and intellectual process. Teaching–learning process lasts the entire lifespan of each individual. Adult learning allows an adult to acquire, renew, upgrade, or complete knowledge, skill, and attitude for functioning effectively in a constantly changing working environment.
“Teachers can never truly teach unless they are still learning themselves.”
While it is true that young children have a greater capacity for absorbing new information and learning new skills due to the flexibility of their developing brains, adults can still learn and acquire new knowledge and skills throughout their lives.
As adults, we may have more developed cognitive abilities that can help us learn new things, such as the ability to focus and concentrate, and a greater capacity for critical thinking and problem-solving. Additionally, adults often have the motivation and the life experience that can help them apply what they learn to real-world situations.
Text by: Anastasia Spyropoulou
However, the way in which adults learn may differ from how children learn. For example, adults may need to have a clear understanding of the relevance and practical applications of what they are learning, and they may benefit from more structured and organized learning experiences.
Overall, while the learning abilities of adults may not be as effortless as that of young learners, with the right approach and motivation, adults can still learn and grow throughout their lives.
Adult education is the intentional systematic process of teaching and learning by which the adult acquires new values, attitudes, knowledge, skill, and discipline. “Pedagogy” and “andragogy” both derive from Greek. Andragogy means the method and practice of teaching adult learners, their motivation, and their disposition to learning. There are differences in the teaching–learning process in children and adults.
Adult learners are autonomous, and self-directed, and always expect respect and equal status. The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones. Adults focus mainly on the immediate implementation of knowledge and are reluctant to learn new things. It is wrong to presume that all the information transmitted to the students is always learned and since that does not happen, a lot more information needs to be transmitted so that something will be learned. Adults have a deep need to be self-directed; the teacher, therefore, engages in inquiry with the students to awaken interest rather than pretending to be the oracle of knowledge.
PRINCIPLES OF ADULT LEARNING
Relevance
Learning is better with subject matters of immediate relevance. If it is for a long-term goal, students should be properly motivated.
Keep it interesting
The complex matter should be made simple by using suitable examples, photos, images, and videos and by making it learner-centered.
Active involvement
There should be active involvement of the learner; he/she should be an active contributor to the educational process. It can be done by small group discussion or by interactivity in larger groups. Encourage participants to be resources to you and to each other.
Feedback
Establish a climate that is conducive to feedback. Ask questions and discuss responses. Tuition should be designed in such a way that it covers approximately one-third part to the presentation and two‑third part to the application and feedback.
Rebound effect of evaluation
Students usually learn for the sake of examinations. Therefore, regular tests or objective‑structured questions and quizzes can be used for better learning.
Learning modalities
Learning is composed of multiple sensory and intellectual inputs such as sound, sight, and smell. Some individuals learn better orally, some visually, some kinesthetically, and some by combinations. Learning begins with a new experience which may be by seeing, touching, tasting, smelling, hearing, or feeling. The more effective the learning experience is, the better the learning.
The stimulation of sensory receptors will influence learning. Based on this, different types of learners have been identified such as:
(1) visual learners: they prefer print material, learn best by reading or responding to visual cues such as whiteboard/overhead transparencies,
(2) auditory learners: they prefer listening; lecturing works best for them,
(3) tactile learners: they like to manipulate objects; hands-on methods are most appropriate for them, and
(4) kinesthetic learners: they like to learn through experiential activities; they prefer simulations, exploratory activities, and problem-solving. Retention improves as students see the results of their actions. Experiential learning gives time to facilitate critical thinking, diagnostic reasoning, and problem-solving.
Studies show that varying study methods and materials will improve the retention and recall of information and enhance the learning experience. The “learning pyramid,” sometimes referred to as the “cone of learning” suggests that most students only remember about 10% of what they read from textbooks but retain nearly 90% of what they learn through teaching others. The learning pyramid model suggests that some methods of study are more effective than others and that varying study methods will lead to deeper learning and long‑term retention. People generally remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see, 50% of what they hear and see, 70% of what they say, and 90% of what they say as they do a thing. Hence, there is no doubt that technical devices have greater impact and dynamic informative system. Hear it, see it, say it, do it, and teach others to improve retention.
COMPONENTS OF LEARNING
Important components of learning are motivation, reinforcements, retention, and transference.
Motivation
Good eye contact, smiles, and active listening skills such as nodding always help to motivate students. In addition, certification by a reputed or recognized authority and promotion or admission to higher studies will motivate adult learners. It’s like saying “You can lead the horse to water but you cannot make him drink”. A good motivator can produce thirst in learners.
The mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher illustrates and the exceptional teacher inspires.
Retention
The greater the number of inputs attached to a particular idea, the greater the retention of the information. Factors that affect retention are the active involvement of learners and the degree of initial learning. More easily if learners can relate it to their past experiences, they become sequential learners. As said “You cannot pour fresh tea in a cup full of stale tea”. The application of knowledge depends on factors such as association with known information, its similarity, and the degree of original learning.
Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is done by encouraging the correct mode of behavior and performance. It can be given in the form of effective feedback by peers and the teacher. In the case of negative reinforcement, we have to be careful; it should be restricted to formative assessment results only.
Transference
The ability to use information, its implementation, and the application of knowledge is transference. Hence, first, remember, then understand, and at the end, apply the learned knowledge.
CONCLUSION
Good teaching–learning practices should be followed whether teaching is conducted in the classroom or online. It requires time: time to instruct, observe, and assess the students and also time for self-reflection and time for our own professional development. The purpose of teaching is not a mere passing on information but developing lifelong learning habits and making it an enjoyable process. Encourage participants to be resources to each other. Allow debate and questioning. Relate learning to the participant’s goal with active involvement and you will reap the seeds of success.
