1. HOW ADULTS LEARN 101 Carmen Butler, M.A.,Ed.S

2. THE HATS WE WEAR

3. ANDRAGOGY The study of how adults learn Founders: Alexander Kapp Malcom Knowles 1830

4.  A Need to Know  How?  When?  Where?  WHY??? Characteristics That Motivate Adult Learners

5. Training Tip  Explain why certain commands, functions, operations are necessary  Avoid explanations like “Because the manual says so” or “That’s just how it is”

6.  Foundation  Experiences  Both Positive and Negative Characteristics That Motivate Adult Learners

7. Training Tip  Instruction should be task-oriented rather than require memorization.  Learning activities should correlate to training content

8. Training Tip  Instruction should take into account the wide range of different backgrounds of learners.  Learning materials and activities should allow for different levels/types of previous experience with computers and other technologies.

9. Training Tip  Honor life experiences in the training session. Encourage discussions and sharing when appropriate  (be mindful of time limits! )

10.  Self-concept  Self-awareness  Self-perception Characteristics That Motivate Adult Learners

11. Characteristics that Motivate Adult Learners  Readiness  Is it relevant to my work and/or life?

12. Training Tip  The learning processes should be positive and encouraging.  Instruction should allow learners to discover things for themselves and should provide guidance and help when mistakes are made.

13.  Orientation  Problem centered rather than content centered Characteristics that Motivate Adult Learners

14. Training Tip  Training sessions that are lengthy may become overwhelming to adult learners.  Provide frequent breaks  Break up long trainings with a “stretch” time or group activity

15. Training Tip  Activities should be relevant to the tasks at hand while keeping trainees energized (small group discussions, activities that involve moving around)

16. LEARNING STYLES V = visual A = aural R = read/write K = kinesthetic

17. VISUAL LEARNERS  LOOK intently  Pictures  Color  Illustrations of tasks  Charts  Maps  Graphs  Picturesque speech

18. AURAL LEARNERS  Listen intently  Tone and voice inflection important  Ask questions  Answer questions  Love discussions  Love to TALK about what they have learned  Notes are scant/bulleted

19. READ/WRITE LEARNERS  Love pen and paper  Books  Libraries and research  Notes are neat and often verbatim  Appreciate speakers that stay on topic

20. KINESTHETIC LEARNERS  Learn with all five senses  Tactile is most important  Activities, discussions, labs  Collections  Interactive learning

21.  VARK Learning Styles Assessment  www.vark-learn.com www.vark-learn.com Characteristics Of Adult Learners

22. BERT

23. REFERENCES Boud, D. et al (1985) Reflection. Turning Experience into Learning, London: Kogan Page. Brookfield, S.D (1986) Understanding and Facilitating Adult Learning. A comprehensive Analysis of Principles and Effective Practice, Milton Keynes: Open University Pres.. Kidd, J.R. (1978) How Adults Learn (3 rd Ed), Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall. Smith, M.K. (1996; 1999) ‘Andragogy’, The Encyclopaedia of Informal Education, http://www.infed.org/lifelonglearning/b-andra.htm. Last update: May 29, 2012. http://www.infed.org/lifelonglearning/b-andra.htm http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/future/creating_the_future/crfut_knowles.cfm