Adult Learning Principles
Adult Learning Principles
It is claimed by Knowles and others that Adults learn in a way that is different to children and adolescents. Knowles believed in a set of principles to help teachers develop effective learning strategies for adults. These are:
- Adults are autonomous and self-directed. Their teachers must actively involve adult participants in the learning process and serve as facilitators for them.
- Adults have life experiences and knowledge and effective teaching must acknowledge and build on this fact.
- Adults are goal-oriented. Therefore a program of study that has defined goals is important.
- Adults are relevancy-oriented. The learning must be seen by the adult as relevant and applicable.
- Adults are practical. To be able to apply and use knowledge and skills is important.
- As do all learners, adults need to be shown respect.
Henske, J. gives a comprehensive reference point to some of the writing on this subject.
Learning Styles
Like Adult Learning Principles, learning styles is a popular analysis use by teacher to enpart skills and knowledge. Largely developed by Kolb, Learning Styles are described as being fours stages in a cycle. These are:
- Concrete Experience – (CE)
- Reflective Observation – (RO)
- Abstract Conceptualization – (AC)
- Active Experimentation – (AE)
Kolb says …“a cycle of experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting.“ Immediate or concrete experiences lead to observations and reflections.
These reflections are then assimilated (absorbed and translated) into abstract concepts which with implications for action, which the person can actively test and experiment with, which in turn enable the creation of new experiences. It can be further drawn from this that learners have preferences for which part of the cycle they prefer to learn in.
It follows that good teaching practice identifies the particular learning styles of individuals and capitalises on those styles by planning activities most suited.
It has been said that Kolb’s work can be traced back to the famous dictum of Confucius around 450 BC:
“Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand.”
More on Kolb and Learning Styles can be viewed at:
