Adult Learners
What does it mean to be a teacher of adults? You already understand that there is no “average” adult learner, but teachers of adults do tend to report positive results when they implement certain techniques.
This page will provide a list of suggestions and recommendations that reflect best practices when working with adult learners. As you work through each item, think about how you can put it into practice in your own course design.
Adult learners require an explanation of why they are being asked to learn specific materials. If the value isn’t established immediately, adult learners tend to disregard the materials.
So, the “why” must be explicitly stated in instructional materials to ensure the learners understand the value of the materials and how they connect to the course goals.
Adult learners favour task-oriented and project-based instructional techniques over rote work and memorization. Hands-on applications and projects offer a learning experience that is more meaningful and memorable than rote memorization.
When creating instructional materials, consider differentiation and offer options. Take into account the different learning types and backgrounds of your learners. Ensure your material supports different learning levels and types.
When offering different tasks, you may also want to consider offering the learner an option to determine a task independently. This choice should be offered along with other options, allowing the instructor to model how there are many different ways to demonstrate understanding.
For example:
Learners will create one of the following:
- a website
- a video
- an infographic
- a podcast
- an annotated collection of resources
Using tasks gives the learner freedom to explore and have moments of insight and personal discovery.
Consider This
Rather than having the learners submit the assignment directly to the instructor, ask them to post it to the discussion board and ask the others to post a reflection on some of the assignments. This approach can be used to ‘jigsaw’ the materials. The jigsaw approach is a cooperative-learning technique where each learner focuses on one specific area and then teaches the material to the other members.
It is best to demonstrate and model a new concept or approach first. Show the learner each step and what the final product will be. Allow the learner to observe and process the concept. This principle can be applied to any form of learning, from putting together a physical object such as a piece of furniture to teaching a learner how to write a proposal for solving math problems.
Scaffolding is a method in which the learner goes through an activity or learning concept through a series of guided steps. For example, if a learner were learning to create a specific type of report, the instructor would first model the finished product and guide the learner through each step separately.
Consider This
Creating your own videos is a great way to connect with your learners. If you are not comfortable creating your own video, there are many online resources, so consider finding and sharing videos that offer demonstrations and visuals.
Adult learners come into a course with a wide range of personal experiences. Successful learning occurs when adults can access their own experiences in relation to the new materials. This technique builds on the learner’s comprehension of the new information. As well, for best results, learners need to have multiple opportunities for critical reflection after being introduced to new concepts.
Consider This
Begin all new learning with an activity where the learner reflects on something they already know. Go back and look at the first activity in this module, "Lucy's Chocolate", and consider how it was intentionally created to activate your thinking.
This concept needs to be considered for all aspects of a course. When planning activities, it is essential to consider the different ways learners take in information. Information needs to be displayed in multiple ways. Just stating facts in text or using a PowerPoint with notes will not create a true understanding of the materials. Supplement learning by including:
visuals such as infographics, images, and videos
podcasts
links to interactive websites
resources that focus on low vocabulary / high interest
Also, learners need to see themselves in the materials. When selecting visuals, consider images that reflect all the learners. When choosing videos, consider who is in the video and if it is easily relatable to the learner. The materials provided should also come from a range of organizations and authors.