“It was so good to participate in a course, where the entire content was not simply the teacher’s monologue,“ said a participant at the end of one course. I was surprised. It made me wonder how it can still be possible that in 2021 the only form of teaching and learning is a sit-and-listen or a lecture in its most archaic sense. On the other hand, I then realised that active learning in adult education must be less self-evident than I had thought. I definitely do not wish to throw lectures as such into the bin – this way of teaching/learning also has its place if taking into account the learner and the prerequisites of learning. But why should active learning methods be used at all? And on what basis to choose them?

Allow the Brain to Learn

Based on research data, one of the main reasons for applying active learning methods is that the human brain creates stronger connections about the content while being in the process of active learning than it would in passive learning [1]. Thus, it must remain the task of the educator to create such processes within a course where, in addition to passively listening to the theory, the person’s physique (e.g. movement), thought processes (e.g. analysis of previous experience, group discussions, phrasing the most important, writing, etc.) as well as emotional processes (e.g. practical experiences, situations enabling positive emotions, etc.) are involved.

Your Clarity in Purpose

This is where the first starting point to contemplate about as an educator appears – what is your main aim in this course? Simply sharing information? Could there be more efficient ways to do this than what you are planning? Or are you aiming at the learners starting to do something differently in the future? Again, the question is, how your planned activities in the course are going to help actually acquire a skill.

Or is the goal, in addition to knowledge and skills, also to initiate communication and learning together between the participants? What are the key learning outcomes to achieve? If you know that as a result of the course the participant should be able to apply what they have learnt, it predetermines your methods to be practical and activity-based.

As you can see, there are many questions and different aspects of analysis before reaching the classroom. But careful consideration before the course guarantees you more flexibility later – you know what the key elements are and you can make better choices to benefit the learner faster.

An adult learner differs from a child primarily in the wealth of experience and the desire to set their own goals in order to apply what has been learnt. Therefore, if you analyse what you want to achieve as an educator, allow the participants to do the same as a learning method.

For the Course to be Beneficial

If the previous analysis has led you to an understanding of this not being a mandatory time filler in a group format, then it is time to take a more substantive look at methods. Note that in order for learning to take place, the methods used should include three elements.

1. The methods should encourage connections with past experiences through emergence of attention and interest. The content should engage the learner either through visuality, novelty or variety. The methods used should be varied, allow for analysis, action and manual activities in alternation. Based on research [2], it can be said that the intensive attention time is 10 up to 20 minutes. This does not mean that longer course sessions cannot be conducted, but the methods and activities should allow participants to remain attentive. Use techniques that help the participant relate to the topic, are exciting and offer variety. Stories and case discussions are one way to include attention grabbers in your course programme.

2. Methods should encourage memorisation, positive emotions and a sense of security. A person does not learn when he senses his self-esteem may be undermined. Nor do we learn when we experience excessive emotional tension, anxiety or fear. The choice of methods in an unfamiliar group should allow sufficient acquaintance with the group members, foster an open and friendly atmosphere.

In order for memorisation to take place, we should use methods that allow the topic to be dealt with from different angles. Thus, discussing things in a group, presenting the ideas to the group accompanied by written self-reflection etc., are not unnecessary parroting but allows one topic to be dealt with through different activities. The more different links the brain creates, the better.

One of the main rules of memory operation is that memorisation can take place through repetition [3]. Oh, really!? Drilling and endless cramming of the same information? Not at all. As said before, memorisation can take place through different methods. Repetition in information, using aids (e.g. notes, reading materials, visuals) while recalling it, helps create knowledge and stronger memory connections.

3. Methods should allow action in order to study, test and reflect on the problem-phenomenon-new behaviour. Practical exercises, problem-based learning and experience awareness are some of the most effective ways to allow the participant gain new experience. The human brain has developed through problem solving. The conclusions drawn in the course of this and the new way of doing things has brought us to the present day. Why should you think that chewing on the topics in a learning process today is somehow a slow or an inappropriate way of learning?

Methods and Time

If you study and compare different training methods you will see that there are those that do not have very high demands on the implementation and, at the same time, there are a number of others that require certain conditions. First of all, think through the time limits as the framework of your whole course. In a 1.5-hour seminar they are narrower than in a 3-day course session. The time spent on an activity can be determined by applying the method. One might ask in this case how a new technique can be taken into use in the first place? Be creative - use colleagues, other educators or even family members and take time. This will also give you an idea of possible bottlenecks in implementing the particular method.

The Space Sets Constraints

As noted before, allow the learner to move. For the learner to be able to do so, you need physical space. E.g. a narrow classroom-type of a room allows for minimal relocation (e.g. turning to the person sitting next to you), but from the educator’s point of view it is necessary to know this and take into account. This is where proactivity comes into play. Find out early on what the opportunities you can take advantage of are. Be bold, you can express your expectations regarding the venue. Whenever you hesitate, remember that the aim is to learn, and that requires learning-friendly conditions. Also, be prepared for flexibility and customisation of the method used. If the larger group cannot be split into smaller groups of different members across the whole group, the matter at hand can be discussed by those sitting closer together etc.

Methods for All Participants

When choosing methods, think about who your learner is. Is he an athletic youngster who has no problem with physical challenges or is it an older person? Use the methods you have experienced yourself and find comfortable and confident to use. To gain experience, use your colleagues to try and experiment implementing a method, and only then decide whether it might be suitable for your course members.

Analyse

Which methods worked best in this course, with this target group? Should you customise? Was the time spent wisely enough considering the goal and learning outcomes? These are the questions I suggest coming back to right after the end of a course and making observations with the next course in mind.

Moreover, always ask yourself, what additional benefits should arise from these people gathering into one room to learn. There are many web-based solutions with e-learning tools and online collaboration possibilities. Group learning in a classroom must increase the efficiency of learning and the motivation to learn, not make it a tedious responsibility. The choice of appropriate methods can be of significant benefit to those gathered by allowing them to learn from and with the support of other group members.

Summarising the Principles for Selecting Learning Methods:

• Analyse the learning outcomes and the purpose of the course

• Know that the learners should be involved in the learning process with all their senses and cognitive processes

• Methods used in adult learning should:

• Encourage connections with previous experiences through attention and interest

• Encourage memorisation, positive emotions and a sense of security

• Enable action

• Consider the time required to implement the methods when selecting them

• Forecast and anticipate space constraints and opportunities

• Use methods that are appropriate for the target group

• Analyse what worked, what you can customise, what method might be the best for teaching this specific topic after finishing the course.

References

[1] “The Neuroscience of Active Learning” October 15, 2015 by C. Hoogendoorn

[2] “Attention span during lectures: 8 seconds, 10 minutes, or more?” 08.11.2016 https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00109.2016

[3] “Aju toimimise reeglid” J. Medina 2008 lk 129-151