learnability matters

Who is an adult learner?

Wikipedia describes an adult learner as a person socially accepted as an adult and is in a learning process (formal education, informal learning, or corporate-sponsored learning).

Adult learners are usually concerned about the following:

• Meaningful work
• Personal and family health
• Keeping current in their jobs
• Increasing competence
• Effective interpersonal skills
• Gaining something
• Current family, personal, and social responsibilities
• Personal image
• Independence and freedom

What is the epistemology of andragogy?

The science of teaching an adult is called andragogy. In the 1950s, European educators started using the term “andragogy.” Andragogy is derived from the Greek word “anere” for adult and “agogus,” the art and science of helping students to learn.

Malcolm Knowles is the father of andragogy. He determined the following principles of adult learners:

Knowles principles of adult learners —> Characteristics of adult learners

1. Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction —> Self-directed
2. Experiences (including mistakes) provide the basis for learning —> Practical; Experiential learning
3. Adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance to their job or personal life —> Goal-oriented; Relevance-oriented
4. Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented —> Practical; Goal-oriented

What should adult learning strategies focus on?

Keeping in mind the characteristics of adult learners, instructional designers must incorporate the following elements in instructions:

• Metacognition (adult learners prefer to learn through self-assessment and self-correction)
• Reflection
• Prior experiences
• Conversations
• Authentic experiences
• Motivation
• Generative learning strategies (Activities that help adult learners construct their own knowledge)

Some examples of instructional elements that help meet adult learning characteristics:

Instructional elements —> Adult learning characteristics

Questions —> Facilitate metacognition

Examples —> Facilitate authentic experiences (practice), metacognition, comparisons with prior experience, and reflection

Simulations —> Facilitate authentic experiences, metacognition, and reflection

Diagrams and screen shots —> Facilitate reflection (“big picture”) and authentic experiences

Section headings and tables of content —> Facilitate reflection and metacognition

Diagnostic Feedback, challenges, and options to make decisions —> Facilitate motivation

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