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Understanding Adult Learning Theory
Activities involving teaching adults take place in many settings, be it universities, adult learning centers or perhaps in the workplace. Over the past few decades, researchers have found that adult pupils are very different from children in how they learn and what they need from an instructor. This collective body of research is known as the "adult learning theory." Many well-known psychologists have written on this topic, which has recently come into the spotlight since so many male and female adults are looking to further their education, acquire new computer skills and advance in the workforce.
Adult learning theory pioneer David Kolb first wrote about adult learning styles in 1984. According to him learning styles fall into four different categories: Diverging, Assimilating, Converging and Accommodating which again have four different stages- Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualization and Active Experimentation. Divergers are sensitive and emotional people who believe in observing rather than acting, like to brainstorm and collect data and are open to feedback. Convergers are more into problem solving and technical jobs and believe in practical applications of theories and new concepts rather than social-personal issues. Assimilators are logical people adept at organizing information, less people oriented and lean more towards concepts and analytical models to boost comprehension. Finally, accommodators thrive on challenges and learn from the experiences of others, like field work and team work and follow their intuition. After assimilating and processing all the new data, adults then use their experiences to make observations and visualize concepts which are then put to actual test.
According to psychologist and adult learning theory pioneer Malcolm Knowles, there are several key ways that adult learners differ from child learners. First of all, adults "are autonomous and self-directed," meaning that they like leadership positions, they like to choose their learning path and they like to cover topics of interest to them. Secondly, adults arrive with "life experiences and knowledge," which may include work experience, prior education and child rearing, so they can find added value in learning about topics that relate to their lives in a meaningful way. Thirdly, adults are "goal-oriented," so they must see how their coursework will help them achieve their goals. Fourth, adults are "relevancy-oriented," so they must be able to choose projects in their area of interest and see how their adult learning training relates to the real world. Fifth of all, adults are "practical," which means they only want to learn material that will help them and they don't want their time wasted with information just for information's sake. Lastly, adults must be treated with respect and encouraged to voice their opinions during class. By following these guidelines, training adult learning instructors will have better outcomes with their students.
A key element in adult learning theory is the understanding of how motivation affects adults. Unless adults are motivated to learn, they simply cannot absorb the new knowledge. There are said to be six factors affecting the adults group's motivation. Social relationships are one important factor, as adults desire more associations, friendships and allies in their quest for learning. External expectations also play a part, as they seek to gain information from people who have some authority to speak on these matters. Social welfare and community work are important to adults. Personal advancement is extremely important to adults. Escape and stimulation is sometimes a factor, as adults enjoy learning to escape the work/home routine. Lastly, cognitive interest is a motivator, as adults seek to learn about new areas of interest and satisfy their inquiring minds.
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