Training Basics: Adult Learning Theory

Perspectives Dallas Chapter of ASTD Membership Newsletter - July 2007 << Table of Contents <<

Training Basics - Adult Learning Theory

by Tulla Jackson

This year the Dallas ASTD has had numerous requests for foundational courses or “training basics” from people recently entering the training and development profession. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with numerous employees that were transitioned into a training role due to growth demands of their organization or because they simply had a desire to share knowledge and help others. Whatever the case may have been, most often the person’s subject matter expertise was the deciding factor for moving into their new role of trainer or course developer. This person was usually very intelligent, highly trained, and successful at their job. However, many of these new training professionals had to learn skills and develop the competencies of a professional educator on their own. In support of our growing profession, the Dallas ASTD is launching a new educational series to develop the work-related competency of our new peers.

To begin our journey, we will examine the underlying principle of adult learning and professional development programs – andragogy. One of the most respected names in andragogy, which is the theory and practice of adult learning, is Malcolm Knowles. In 1970, Knowles wrote a book entitled “The Modern Practice of Adult Education” that introduced the four principles of adult learning. Nearly forty years later, this book is still the leading resource for adult education theorists.

Knowles’ four adult learning principles are as follows:

Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction.

Adults draw upon their reservoir of experience for learning. Their experiences (including mistakes) provide the basis for learning activities.

Adults are most interested in learning about subjects that have immediate relevance to their job or personal life.

Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented.

As you examine each of Knowles’ adult learning principles, you will find that adult learners have a complex set of needs and presentation requirements that must be fulfilled for learning to occur.

Knowles’ first and foremost principle states that adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction. Adults want to be the origin of their own learning and will resist learning activities they believe attack their competence. Thus, learning and professional development activities need to give participants some control over the what, who, how, why, when, and where of their learning. Adult learning has ego involved. Professional development must be structured to provide support from peers and to reduce the fear of judgment during learning. Some practical guidelines for accomplishing this through formal training initiatives are to:

Interview “power users” identified by senior management or the client to gain background information and determine the scope of the training.

Create multiple avenues (or in the case of e-learning, multiple navigation controls) that empower students to pursue their own learning path.

Include review questions and exercises throughout the training that give students immediate feedback on their learning progress.

Build in small group activities during the learning to move them beyond understanding to application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Small group activities provide an opportunity to share, reflect, and generalize their learning experiences.

Add mastery tests for managers and clients who are concerned about certification.

Knowles’ second principle of adult learning theory recognizes that adult learners bring a wealth of experience, knowledge, interests, and competencies to the training environment. Their experiences, including mistakes, are the basis for learning activities. To capitalize upon the experience of adult learners, implement the following practices in your learning and development programs:

Create lessons and activities that build upon the existing knowledge, interests, experience and competencies of the learners.

Solicit participation from adult learners and foster peer teaching through discussion and group activities.

Include simulations that give learners the opportunity to perform tasks in a safe practice environment and then apply their new knowledge immediately.

Provide multiple levels of feedback that guide learners to the correct actions. Adults need to receive feedback on how they are doing and the results of their efforts. Opportunities must be built into professional development activities that allow the learner to practice the learning and receive structured, helpful feedback.

Knowles’ third tenet states that adults are most interested in learning about subjects that have immediate relevance to their job or personal life. Adults will commit to learning when the goals and objectives are considered realistic and important to them. Adult learners need to see that the professional development learning and their day-to-day activities are related and relevant. To make your learning and development programs relevant for adult learners:

Customize all deliverables to reflect the actual business processes of the organization.

Work closely with managers and clients to build workflows, examples, and scenarios that represent the day-to-day lives of the learners.

Include best practices that detail the organization’s preferred business processes.

Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented. This is not to say that content is not important. Content is very important. However, Knowles’ final principle sets forth the idea of presenting content within the context of the learner’s actual working conditions, which include the problems and challenges faced by the learner. Application in the 'real world' is important to the adult learner's personal and professional needs. Adult learners need direct, concrete experiences in which they apply the learning in real work environments. To achieve such:

Place tasks in a real-world context to create learning that the student can use immediately.

Include simulations that present the student with role-based scenarios built around the real tasks they’ll need to perform on the job.

By basing your learning and development programs on solid instructional design and adult learning principles, your programs will achieve desired levels of success, and you and your companies will succeed as well.

References:

Speck, M. (1996, Spring). Best practice in professional development for sustained educational change. ERS Spectrum, 33-41.

DiLello, A. (2003, May). Using Adult Learning Theory. Clomedia.com

About the Author: Tulla Jackson, who is the founder of the Synergistic Learning Group, has over 20 years experience building and managing training organizations and projects. She has designed and developed hundreds of well-received and successful training programs that produced bottom-line results for a broad array of companies, such as Verizon, Sun Microsystems, Countrywide Credit Industries, McAfee, Tetra Pak, Mary Kay, Coopers and Lybrand, Greyhound Lines, and Reliance Mortgage. Tulla is known for her expertise in instructional design and training development, which includes her ability to quickly and accurately assess employee needs and to deliver more with less.