Techniques for Teaching the

Adult Learner
Jane J. Hawk, DNP, CS, CPAN, RN
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Harborview Medical Center
Seattle, Washington
 Objectives
Compare & contrast different learning &
thinking styles.
List characteristics of adults as learners.
Identify needs & motivation sources of the
adult learner.
Discuss the implications for mentors of
adult learners.
Compare strategies to enhance & facilitate
learning in adults.
 “Always walk through life as if you have
something new to learn and you will.”

~ Vernon Howard
 Learning
Occurs within each individual
Continual, life-long process
Different speeds
Result from stimulation of the senses
• one sense used more than others
• Learning & thinking style preferences

Thinking Styles
• Reflective
• Creative
• Practical
• Conceptual
 Thinking Styles
Reflective
• View new info subjectively
• Relate new info to past experiences
• Often ask “why?”
• Examine their feelings about what they are learning
Creative
• Always ask “why?”
• Make excellent trouble-shooters
• Create own short-cuts and solutions
 Thinking Styles
Practical
• Want facts without “nice to know” additions
• Seek simplest, most efficient way to do things
• Not satisfied until they know how to apply their new
skills to their job/other interest
Conceptual
• Accepts new info only after seeing the big picture
• Want to know how things work, not just final outcome
• Curious about related concepts to main subject
 3 Primary Sensory Learning
Visual
Channels
• Visually illustrated or demonstrated
• “Show me”
• Graphics/illustrations/images, demos, animations

Auditory
• Spoken word; sound of your voice
• Lectures, discussions

Kinesthetic/Tactile
• Touched or manipulated; “hands-on”; “let me do it”
• Written assignments, taking notes, examination of objects, participation in activities

&Pearl: Use a variety of teaching methods to create best learning

environment ☺
 Learning Styles
Styles of Learning
• Linguistic
• Saying, hearing, and seeing words
• Logical/mathematical
• Categorizing, classifying & working with abstract
patterns/relationships
• Spatial
• Visualizing, dreaming, using mind’s eye
• Musical
• Rhythm, melody and music
 Learning Styles
Bodily/Kinesthetic
• Touching, moving, interacting with space; processes
knowledge through bodily sensations
Naturalistic
• Studying natural phenomenon in a natural setting, learning
how things work
Intrapersonal
• Working alone on individual projects, self-paced
instruction
Interpersonal
• Join groups, have lots of friends, good at leading others;
learns by sharing, relating, comparing
 Compare Youth & Adult Learners
Aspect Youth Adult
Demands of learning Life responsibilities are Must balance life
minimal responsibilities with
learning
Role of Instructor Reliance on instructor for Autonomous and self-
direction directed
Lecture common method Guide rather than supply
facts
Life Experiences Building knowledge base Tremendous amount

Purpose for learning Don’t know purpose just Goal-oriented

that they “have to” Problem-centered
Subject-centered
Future-oriented
Permanence of learning Required; mandatory; short Retention longer when
retention learning self-initiated
Acceptance of New Likely to accept without Often skeptical
Information questioning
 Knowles’ Foundations of
Adult Education
As compared to children, adults have different
needs & requirements as learners
1. As a person matures, his/her self-concept moves
from that of a dependent personality toward one
of a self-directed human being.
2. An adult accumulates a growing reservoir of
experiences, which is a rich resource for learning.
3. The readiness of an adult to learn is closely related
to the developmental tasks of his/her social role.
 Knowles’ Foundations of
Adult Education
4. There is a change in time perspective as a person
matures – from future application of knowledge to
immediacy of application. Thus an adult is more
problem-centered than subject-centered.

5. Adults are motivated to learn by internal factors

rather than external ones.

6. Adults need to know why they need to learn

something before learning it.
 Adults as Learners
Characteristics
• defined by Adult Learner pioneer Malcolm Knowles

1. Autonomous and self-directed

• Active participants
• Teacher = facilitator rather than “fact supplier”

2. Accumulate life experiences and knowledge

• Work experiences
• Family responsibilities
• Previous education
o Need to be treated with respect & allowed to voice opinions
freely
 Adults as Learners
Characteristics:
3. Goal-oriented
– Know what they want to attain
– Appreciate organization & clearly defined elements
4. Relevancy-oriented
– Must see reason for learning something
– Must be applicable to their work/responsibilities
5. Practical
– Not interested in knowledge for knowledge sake
– Want to know how is info useful on the job?
 Adult Learning
Adults learn best when:
• They understand why something is important to know or do
• They have the freedom to learn in their own way and
different learning styles are respected
• Learning is experiential
• Activities get learners involved
• Honor life experiences
• The time is right for them to learn
• The process is positive and encouraging

~ Malcolm Knowles, pioneer in the study of adult learning

Adult Motivation Sources for Learning

Social relationships
• Make new friends, relationships with
associations/groups
External expectations
• Complying with instructions from formal
authority
Social Welfare
• Serve mankind, provide community service
Adult Motivation Sources for Learning

Personal Advancement
• Professional advancement, stay ahead of competitors
Escape/Stimulation
• Relieve boredom, break from home/work routine, provide
contrast to other exacting details of life
Cognitive Interest
• Learn for sake of learning, satisfy the inquiring mind
Adult Motivation Sources for Learning

Motivating factors can also be barriers to

learning
Best way to motivate adult learners is to
enhance their reasons for enrolling and
decrease the barriers
Questions for mentors to ask:
• Why did they enroll?
• What’s keeping them from learning?
 “I am always ready to learn although I do
not always like being taught.”

~ Winston Churchill
 Needs of Adult Learners
Meaningful, relevant information
• Planned in response to learning or
personal/work situations
• Should provide solutions to problem
encountered in these situations
To know what is expected of them
• Expectations/learning objectives clearly stated
at the beginning
 Needs of Adult Learners
Activities/opportunities to assist them to
associate new learning with past
experiences
• Best learning takes place when new info is tied
to/built upon past learning experiences
To feel their experiences are respected
• Need to feel accepted and respected; that
opinions are listened to and valued.
 Needs of Adult Learners
Receive information in a variety of ways
• Appealing to multiple senses including visual, auditory
and tactile approaches
Actively involved in process
• Allow to learn by doing; learn what they practice.
Feel a sense of self-direction
• Enhanced learning with control/influence over focus &
direction of learning
• Self-guided captures interest and encourages participant
responsibility in process
 Needs of Adult Learners
Freedom from anxiety
• Defensiveness, anxiety can block learning
• Environment should foster intellectual freedom and
encourage experimentation and creativity

Feedback about their performance

• Immediate & relevant feedback reinforces new learning

Opportunities for immediate application of new

knowledge and skills
• Use it or lose it
• Immediacy reinforces & “locks in”
Strategies for Adult Learning
Adults are often concerned that
participating in a learning exercise will
make them look professionally/personally
weak.

• Design training workshops/educational exercises that help people feel

safe and supported
• Honor individual needs and uniqueness
• Acknowledge and respect abilities and life achievements
• Provide opportunities and allow time for people to establish
themselves in the group
• Don’t ask people to take risks too early in a workshop/course
(example: role-playing) unless they already know each other well
Strategies for Adult Learning
Adults bring a great deal of experience
and knowledge to any learning situation.

• Show respect & recognize

• A learning needs assessment Treat participants
as peers.
• Provide opportunities to give and receive
feedback and input into the learning process.
• Learners will perceive content within their
own global view
 Strategies for Adult Learning
Adults are decision-makers and self-directed
learners.
• Do not seek to make people obey you.
• Be the “guide on the side” rather than the “sage on
the stage”.
• Listen to what they want and need and be flexible
in your planning & seek feedback
• Facilitate self-directed learning
 Strategies for Adult Learning
Adults are motivated by information or tasks that
they find meaningful.

• Conduct a learning needs assessment

• Consider “Generative themes” that might affect their

attention span.
• Concerns and issues that are most important in a person’s life
• Ex: Losing a job, health of a loved one, the desire for a promotion, the
need for a change etc.

• Deliver content with immediacy; people learn best when

they can apply right away.
 Strategies for Adult Learning
Adults have many responsibilities and can be
impatient when their time is wasted.

• Be thoughtful and kind.

• Begin and end your session on time.
• Understand who is in the audience and why they are
participating.
• Learn what questions they have about the subject.
• Don’t cover material they already know unless there is a
good reason for it.
• Recognize that your subject is only one of many that
participants may be interested in learning more about.
“You have learned something. That always
feels at first as if you had lost something.”

~ H. G Wells
 Learning Processes for Adult
Learners
Real-World Scenarios
• Learn/Practice skills
• Judgment
• Problem solving
• Critical thinking
Inquiry: Asking why?
Reflection
• Meaningful exploration of values, feelings, relationship of
self to other
Interactive questioning
 Implications for Mentors
Create a supportive, threat-free and accepting
learning environment; make it easy to be right and
make mistakes
Eliminate unnecessary anxieties
Provide educational experiences based on person’s
job and/or life situations
Build/capitalize on the learner’s strengths
Use the learner’s experience as a resource for
learning; tie new information to things the learner
already knows
 Implications for Mentors
Allow learner to set own learning pace
Employ a variety of teaching styles
Integrate theory with practice
Provide continuous feedback; offer positive
reinforcement and specific, constructive
feedback
Use problem-centered rather than subject-
centered approach
Facilitating Adult Learning
Assist learner to define their own learning
needs and objectives
Organize what is to be learned
Foster learner decision-making & problem
solving
Help the learner to understand how to use
learning resources
Progressively decrease the learner’s
dependency on educators
Facilitating Adult Learning
Reinforce self-concept of learner as doer
by providing progressive mastery
Provide supportive climate with feedback
to encourage change and risk taking
Aim to develop a spirit of critical
reflection, self-direction, mutual respect,
voluntary participation and collaboration
 Tips for Effective Instructors
4 critical elements of learner to address
• Motivation
• Reinforcement
• Retention
• Transference
 Tips for Effective Instructors
Motivation: Need to know
• Set a feeling/tone: friendly, open atmosphere
• Set an appropriate level of concern
• Best learning under low to moderate stress
• Too high stress = barrier
• Provide specific feedback
• Reward for learning
• Doesn’t have to be monetary
• Learner must have interest in subject
• Interest r/t reward; must see benefit
 Tips for Effective Instructors
Reinforcement
• Very necessary!
• Positive
• Reinforces good behavior
• Negative
• Punishes bad behavior
• Ensures correct behavior
• Frequent and early in process to foster retention
 Tips for Effective Instructors
Retention
• Necessary to gain benefit from learning
• Must see meaning/purpose of new info
• Must understand & be able to interpret & apply
info
• Affected by degree of initial learning
• If not learned well, will not retain
• Practice, practice, practice
 Tips for Effective Instructors
Transference
• Ability to use the new info in a new setting
• Positive: uses behavior taught in course
• Negative: Participants do not do what they are told not
to do
• Most likely to occur:
• Association: new info associated with old info
• Similarity: new info similar to old info
• Degree of initial learning = high
• Critical attribute element: new info contains extremely
beneficial on the job
“Education consists of mainly what we have
unlearned.”
~ Mark Twain