Adult Learning Theory
What is adult learning?
Adult learning is a situation where adults are learning, pursuing an education, and/or acquiring a skill. Children and adults are very different when it comes to how they learn, so different techniques must be used in order to make learning effective for adults.
Popular ways adults tend to learn.
Setting goals. Learners who have a specific goals in mind will have a better experience as they pursue their learning. Example: Adults who want to learn Spanish might have a specific goal to be conversational before a trip to Mexico. Adult learners need these goals because their learning is more in their own hands than younger learners.
Decide their why. Knowing why they want to pursue education will help adult learners feel confident about their learning process. Understanding why different courses will help them reach their goal can make sure they stay motivated.
Review information regularly. Because adult brains have less neuroplasticity, they have a harder time creating new neural pathways. So adult learners need to be ready to review their material more regularly in order to help create those pathways.
Find experiences to help facilitate learning. Adult learners can greatly benefit from finding ways to get hands-on learning. Finding projects and other experiential opportunities can help them get a firmer grasp of their learning and be more excited about how it will translate to real-life.