Characteristics of the Adult Learner | Origin: ED208
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Adult Learning Theories --> Characteristics of the Adult Learner
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
I would allow the adult learners to express their strengths of experience, time management and multi-tasking in certain activities to help them feel as though they have something to offer, which they do.
Adult learning is different from learning when you are a child. You bring your experience, history, and different motivations.
As an adult learner, I bring a unique perspective to the classroom, motivated not only by career goals but also by a desire to develop social relationships, meet the expectations of authority figures, and contribute to my community. Many of us pursue education to stimulate thought, learn for the sake of learning, and cultivate a greater sense of purpose in our lives. This deeper motivation enriches classroom discussions as we connect course material to real-world applications and offer mature perspectives.
The motivation for adult learners is different than that of non-adult learners so the strategies to empower their learning and retention has to be strategic.
It's hard for me to put a 24 year old fully into an "adult learner" framework, but this module suggests that 17-24 year olds are the most common age of adult learners. I am eager to see how this all ties together throughout the module.
I learned that adult learners process information more slowly
Adult learners choose to learn for a variety of different reasons. Likewise, many adult learners are not motivated to continue with learning due to life barriers. It is important that as educators of adult learners we recognize these barriers and do what we can to aide our students in dealing with these barriers so that they can be successful learners.
I have learned that the majority of adult learners are motivated by life experiences and many look for purpose in life. Adult learners may require more time to learn content compared to younger learners.
Many adult learners are mainly interested in pursuing the goal of advancing professionally. If they do not view a curriculum as having a practical application in their lives, they may be resistant to investing time or effort in it.
Comment on Leny Ramos's post: I have found that adult learners want to learn specific information that relates to their interests, needs or previous life experiences.
Most have some sort of higher education, slower at learning new info but cognitive skills have not diminished.
Adult learners are individuals with many responsibilities. The learning experience are motivated by big special events in their lives.
Adults learning is different to child's learning. The motivation, speed of learn, available time, interest in the topics and previous knowledge are some important elements to be considered.
The majority of adult learners begin their new set of studies due to a major life event; i.e. marriage, new job.
Adults have different reasons for wanting to further their education.
The data with % is very helpful to show learning trends. I liked the section on long term memory and career related motivation. In addition it is useful to know the barriers to learning for successful teaching and engagement.
I have had great success with older (late twenties) students. I believe that the maturity of there minds are much better and more focused on the material vs the younger students I usually get say fresh high-school grads that still have that inmature mind set.
Adults have different motivations for seeking education. Understanding these and removing barriers will help them get the most of their education and also facilitate them sharing their life knowledge and experience.
Adult learners differ from their younger counterparts in many ways. One way is due to their overall cognitive functions: they may be slower to remember things (yet still have a decent memory capacity), and they may be slower in performing tasks. Adult learners also differ due to the reasons they are seeking higher education degrees. They tend to be motivated by major life changes, such as getting married, having a baby, or switching careers. Other reasons adult learners seek out higher education degrees, aside from increasing their job prospects, include wanting to be more social, meeting the demands of a boss, assisting their communities, and learning for the sake of learning. While motivations for learning differ for adult learners, their barriers for successfully completing a degree also differ and include lack of interest in the subject matter, trouble finding child care or transportation, conflicts with schedules, and inability to pay for their courses.
