General Characteristics
Adults are characterized by a number of characters. These include autonomy, self-maturity, informed decision making, maturity, more practical, less open-minded, receptive to change, multitasking, self-directed, experienced and many more qualities. All these traits that the adults have impacts either positively or negatively. Therefore, the instructional designers need to know all these traits so that they come up with the right course content and also the right structure. It will help them adjust their attitude.
The following are the description of the general learner's traits
Self-direction: They value taking the responsibility for their lives and the decisions they make. It is the reason it becomes crucial to have control over their learning. They, therefore, prefer self-assessment as well as having a peer relationship with the instructor. The options that the instructor gives to them should be multiple and also supports should also be subtle. These will make the learner benefit more from the whole learning process (Cross, 1981).
Less open minded: Adults are always more resistant to change. Maturity among other experiences that a person goes through in life leads to developing rigidity. Rigidity is known to be a great enemy of learning. Therefore, it forces the instructional designers always to provide "why" behind the change being experienced and new concepts. These should always be linked to newly established concepts. It will promote the need to explore and learn more.
Practical: Adults hate theories. They love practical things i.e. things that they can always compare with their present lives. They need information that can be applied to their professional needs and also they prefer practical knowledge that will help to improve the skills that they have and also help to facilitate the work that they are doing. They always prefer this because it always boosts their confidence. When a person is in a position to defend whatever knowledge that they have, then they can always feel confident. It is the reason the adults always prefer knowledge that they can always defend (Tough, A. (1979).
Values personal experience: The adults have lived longer. They hence have seen more because of their interaction with the world. They connect their past experiences with new things and always in most cases validate the new concepts which they learn based on their previous experiences. Therefore, it makes it crucial to engage in a class with adults who have been thorough almost similar life experiences. It will in a way encourage discussion and sharing. In general, it creates a learning community of people who can interact with one another well.
Slow learning: Aging in a way affects the rate at which a person learns. They however integrate the knowledge so well. As they age, they learn less rapidly. The depths in which they also learn tend to increase as time passes. It helps them to navigate the knowledge they have learned to their personal levels and skills.
High expectations: The instructional designers ought to know that the adult learners have high expectations. They want to be taught things that are relevant to whatever they will be doing after their studies. They like seeing results immediately. They seek for courses that are worth their money and not are seen as a waste of time and resources. It is the reason the instruction designers must come up with a course that will maximize their advantages and also help them meet their individual needs and in the long run address their learning challenges.
Multi-level responsibilities: Adults have a lot to tend to. They have their families, friends, work, need for personal time and also their studies. It is the reason it becomes very difficult to make room for learning. They, therefore, have to prioritize. When the life that he is leading is already demanding, then there are high chances that the learning will be compromised. Acknowledging, the instructional designer must create a very flexible program which can accommodate busy schedules and also bear in mind that personal obligations can always hinder the learning process.
The learning Styles for Adult: Before the instructional designers come up with a strategy that will be used by the adults to learn, they must know that there are different categories for learners. There are four categories of the learning experience. There is the doer, feeler thinker, and observer. When adults are viewed in terms of doers, it I saw that involve the category of people who like to be actively involved in the learning. They always strive to know how the information obtained will be used in the real world. They prefer information that is presented in a clear and concise manner (Tough, A. (1979).
The second category involves the feelers. These groups of learners are oriented and expressive. They pay a lot of attention to their feelings and emotions. They thrive in the open and unstructured learning environment.
Thirdly, there is the category of the thinkers. The thinkers relay logic and reasoning. They prefer sharing whatever ideas and concepts they get. The thinkers analyze and evaluate. They engage some other people and also listen to the ideas that they have to offer. In most cases, they enjoy working independently.
The last category of the adult learners is the observer i.e. watching and listening. They watches and analyzes things while they are quiet. They are always reserved people. These groups of people take their time before they can act or participate on a learning activity. They thrive on learning through whatever discoveries that they make (Lawson, 1998). The instructional instructor, therefore, must know these learning traits for different groups of people. Having this knowledge will help them come up with the appropriate learning technique which will benefit all of the participants. The old people being ‘fragile' they need to be handled with a lot of care so that they manage to get the best out of their learning expedition (Tough, 1979). In a situation learning guides for the adults, are made without proper consultation and without having the knowledge of what appeals to the adults. The result might be epic. The program that the instructor might come up with will be one which will not benefit the adults. The learning objectives might not be effective.
Essential adult learning principle
There are certain aspects that are major to the adults getting the best out of their stay in school. These principles will help in making the trainers conduct very fruitful training programs to the adults. Some of them include the following.
Since learning is always enhanced by the challenges that people face and can sometimes be prevented by threats, the learning environment which is offered for the adults should be a place where they feel safe and supported. It should be a place where their needs are honored and respected. Their uniqueness as adults should also be identified and accorded the necessary respect. The abilities and achievements of each and every adult should also be acknowledged. It will make the people feel their worth is recognized and hence will learn smoothly.
Another important aspect or essential for adult learning is that they should always be treated as peers. They are not young children and therefore a wide range of things that might please the kids might not amuse them. They ought to be treated in an acceptable and respectful manner. Their opinion should be listened to, appreciated and if possible followed. These are activities or things that those who come up with the program for the adult learning need to know.
Another aspect is seen in the concept that is being delivered to them. The content should be one which they can comfortably relate to what they learned in the past. The brain of an individual is set to search automatically for meaning, patterns and even the relationship which is in whatever is being learned based on the information that had been received earlier. Adult learners always find it hard to separate the connection between a skill that they are learning, and the meaning that such a skill has for them.
Adult learners also in most case perceive the concept or the content that is being given to them in terms of their global view. When an instructor is giving concepts which he or she believes lies in a different concept to what they adults may be thinking, then further clarification is always encouraged to ensure that they grasp the intended meaning (Mezirow, 2000).
On the issue of the content that is being delivered, it should be one that they can easily identify with. People and especially the adults only learn best things that they can easily apply right away. It should also be remembered that because the adults always take responsibility of whatever action that they take, the learning process ought to take place in a self-directed manner. It is a situation where the make action plans and also takes responsibility for their professional development.
The learners should be guided to embrace teamwork as they encourage the team members to participate in doing the following
- Developing the team norms as well as guidelines for working together in the team
- Sharing their perspectives, the knowledge, experience and insight they have for their work.
- They should also be encouraged to tell personal stories as they create a good common ground for connecting with the team members
- Developing materials and carrying out of tasks
- Making the action plans and decisions
- They should also have fun together in their teams
Lastly, it should be remembered that learning is an all-round activity which involves focused attention and the peripheral perception of an individual. The trainers, therefore, have to pay considerate attention to all the faces of the educational environment. Therefore, the learning process which is meant for the adults should be one which requires active participation of the all the participants. The participants should be given the opportunity to try out new ideas that are available. It should be done where the activities done and the experience that is available supports the usage of facts and theory (Brockett & Hiemstra, 1991).
The adult educators are also expected to examine their strategies closely that they use to keep the adult learners or the intermittent learners engaged during their learning process. Persistence in adult education is a crucial aspect that should be observed. It should be differentiated from the term student retention. Retention can be used to mean that the people are retained by the learning institution. The appropriate term that is encouraged is student persistence. It means that the students who persist in learning. They stick inside and outside of the program until they have achieved their goals (Knox, 1977).
A scholar once said that programs for study for the adults should be made in such a way that they can stay in the program as long as they want, while engaging themselves in study or in distance education when they feel they must stop attending the services and resume when the demands of their lives allow. It is the maxim that the program designers for adult education ought to put in mind. They should always strive that whatever program they come up with, are going to be used by the intended group for their own good.
References
Brockett, R. G., & Hiemstra, R. (1991). Self-Direction in Adult Learning: Perspectives on Theory, Research, and Practice. Routledge Series on Theory and Practice of Adult Education in North America. Routledge, Chapman and Hall, Inc., 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001..
Cross, K. P. (1981). Adults as Learners. Increasing Participation and Facilitating Learning.
Knox, A. B. (1977). Adult Development and Learning. A Handbook on Individual Growth and Competence in the Adult Years for Education and the Helping Professions.
Lawson, K., (1998).The Trainer’s Handbook, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Managing Social-Emotional Issues of Adults with Learning Disabilities. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://ldaamerica.org/managing-social-emotional-issues-of-adults-with-learning-disabilities/
Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. Jossey-Bass, 350 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104-1310.
Mezirow, J. (2000). Learning as Transformation: Critical Perspectives on a Theory in Progress. The Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education Series. Jossey-Bass Publishers, 350 Sansome Way, San Francisco, CA 94104.
Tough, A. (1979). The Adult's Learning Projects. A Fresh Approach to Theory and Practice in Adult Learning.
Training Toolkit - Needs Assessment - Working with Adult Learners. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://www.go2itech.org/HTML/TT06/toolkit/assessment/adults.html
