Working with adults is as much of a science as it is an art. Unlike students in their early 20s, the more mature learner has amassed a repertoire of skills & wisdom commensurate with age. Most often, students in their 50s bring a much different skill set to the classroom than those in their 40s or even 30s. Adults return to school for very different reasons than those who move immediately from the secondary school environment. Adults want to learn. The adult learner is more interested in application that is interdisciplinary in nature and can incorporate the proficiencies they have brought with them. Adults are intrinsically motivated and seek out independence through many avenues including education.
Essentially we move the ancient teaching style of Socrates into the cyber age when we seek to guide our adult learners. There has to be application. Study for study’s sake has no place for adult learners. They must take with them at the very least a morsel that will add to their life, be it personal, professional, or even spiritually.
Delta Airlines has an innovative Learning division that centers its teaching in action. The idea is to engage the learner in the activity because of the benefits for his/her job. In our classrooms, we usually provide scenarios and activities that our students may see or hope to see in the future. Thus, it is our purpose to coach the student and be sure that s/he appreciates the implications and outcomes of the learning activities so that the motivation within will guide the student to a more advanced level.
I have it easy with the APPLICATION stuff! I teach marketing …and unless one of our students lives under a rock (just an old saying), s/he has been attacked by a barrage of marketing & ads since a very early age. I don’t even have to try to get my students think about the class any other way. I insert some hints in the class which leads students to understand the importance of personalizing the material. Every once in a while when a student is in a huge stage of panic, because s/he has not had any experience in the ad or marketing world, that is when I take out the reality magic wand and talk about toys or cereal…BINGO…touched the little kid inside of that student who yelled “Mommy, mommy, mommy, I want that!†I also open each class with a personal touch. Advertising: What is your favorite commercial and why? And Marketing: What brand are you loyal to and how did this happen? By these small exercises at the front end of the class, I have set the stage for the PERSONAL VIEW!
