Adult Learners
Teaching adult college student has been a great experience. I've notice that the older student takes their work more seriously apposed to the younger student with least experience doesn’t.
Myrthe,
Adults for the most part "get it". They know the value of what is being taught and how the content relates to their career success.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I totally agree with that statement. Although it does seem to be more of a task for them to complete the course becuase of family, work, etc.
Whereas younger students I have seen (not all) but some seem to think you are there to give them a grade not what they earn.
I agree one thing I notice with younger students they dont like to put the effort into studying they want open book quiz which I am totaly against. How do you all feel about open book quizzes?
Yes as a rule I have found that adult learners are definitly more serious. They need their studies to be successfull to gain the career improvment they are aiming for there is not a whole lot of in between in their minds with this. I have found that if I allow them to relate personal experiences in my lectures on certain topics they feel appreciated, and in essence this supports and motivates them even further. My adult students are usually my better students because, they are serious about what they are doing.
Not only do most adult learners understand the value of their education, they understand the COST. The tutition they pay, the time spent in class and studying, and the cost of failure if they have to repeat a class.
Ervin,
Good point and a reason why instructors need to customize their approaches when teaching diverse student groups.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Myrthe,
I personally don't have open book quizzes since the content I teach requires a set knowledge base in order to be successful. They can't use books when they are on the job so they have to have the content stored in their minds and ready for use when the work world situation demands it.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
William,
I agree on this. Their life experiences have given them insight on the realities of how education can benefit them and their families. This is why I enjoy having them in my classes because they really help the younger students to how much they have to learn.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Over the years I learned the hard way that motivation is the force that drives people to fulfill a need. If I can tap into a learner’s intrinsic motivation—where an individual is rewarded by the learning itself or an internal goal—I’ve got it made. But in both workplace and academic environments, people are often unmotivated because they are required to take courses in which they have no interest.
That puts course designers and instructors in a tough position. We need to work hard at creating experiences that get audiences engaged and motivated. Here are a few of the strategies that I use:
1. Create useful and relevant learning experiences. Adult learners appreciate immediate relevancy. In other words, relate the task at hand to their job as a technician… make the relationship between the task in the classroom to their job as a technician in the field.
2. Focus on practical knowledge and skills. Related to the strategy above, try to concentrate on workplace (or real life) performance, rather than on extraneous facts and theories.
3. Facilitate exploration. Provide resources, references, videos and podcasts to create an ideal environment for personal exploration. Adults have a breadth of experience. Exploration provides an opportunity to construct knowledge in a way that is meaningful for each learner.
4. Accommodate group interactions. Provide opportunities for group discussion, collaboration and group problem solving. For example, I will bug a motorcycle’s electrical system and then assign it to a group of students to find the malfunction.
5. Challenge through games; entice with immersive environments. When your audience members are involved in the challenge of a game or focused on solving problems in a virtual environment, learning becomes an incidental aspect of winning or finding solutions.
Mature students are self motivated and it makes teaching a breeze.
Yes, I have noticed this as well. I think it has to do with many factors. They have probably decided to enter a second career and feel the need to accomplish the most they can as quickly as they can. They are there to expand and perfect the choice they have made.
Another reason I believe, is that many may be paying out of their back pocket whereas many younger students may not really have a grasp on the monetary involvement of school.
Joseph,
You make a number of very good points about different generational learners. By knowing these characteristics you can adapt your approach to make sure you are keying in on the different learning preferences that exist in your classroom.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I can understand that. Adults generally return to school for a specific purpose, career change, improve skills, second jobs, etc. and therefore are more focused. They understand that they do not have time to waste and must make the most out of their educational experience.
John,
I teach courses in computing skills, and I don't always find this the case. In fact, there are adult students who will not break out of their comfort zone to learn new skills. That's why I try to find real-life applications of those skills.
Adult learners often has commitments outside of school that limits the time they can spend studying. Many have children, jobs, etc.
