Urgency
I find when dealing with adult students they want to get to the core of the subject matter. They want cut through the fluff and get to the point.
Frank,
Good point. Adult students need the WIIIFM (What is in it for me?).
Jeffrey Schillinger
I agree. Adult learners are also more demanding of the instructor's time and resources. They also demand practicality from the coursework. Theory-based classes may interest them, but they need experiential activities to back them up.
Lisa,
Intentionally giving adult students the "why" at the start of a lesson will likely increase the likelihood of successful mastery.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I agree!!! If adult learners don't see the importance in the lesson at hand, they lose all interest! We have to explain with detailed answers and examples as to why it is important and even talking about the information that leads to it.
-Gabriel
Having been an adult learner, I think so much of the concern for "what's the point" is a function of time management. When I was in school, I also had a job, a home, a husband & children so what time I was taking away from other responsibilities, I needed to know it was going to matter. If the material didn't seem relevant to what I was going to be doing in real life, it felt like I was wasting my time & became frustrated. I keep that in mind when my students are looking at me with that expression on their face (why are we doing this?) If I can not only give them some examples of real life applications but also elicit some ideas from them, they generally appreciate the task at hand.
Joanna,
The phrase "what's in it for me?" really applies here. Adult students need the WIIFM!
Jeffrey Schillinger
I completely agree. As a math teacher, the biggest challenge for me is teaching Algebra to adult students in a way that helps them see the purpose in it. That's not usually a problem with the Business Math class I teach because they see the practicality in the subject matter.
John,
This is a common concern for general education teachers at career colleges. What are one or two specific things you do to make Algebra seem relevant to your students?
Jeffrey Schillinger
When I teach algebra to adult students I try to introduce each concept in the context of problem-solving (a.k.a. word problems). This helps them to see how these concepts are useful and why they are important.
John,
Thanks. Showing the "why" befor the "how" is pretty effective with adult learners.
Jeffrey Schillinger
