How Adults Learn

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How Adults Learn

Date: 11/2008
Source: Southeast ATEC and Planned Parenthood of Maryland, Baltimore

How Adults Learn PDF [82 KB]

Description:

One page fact sheet that provides an overview of eight adult learning principles

How Adults Learn

Adults learn what they need to learn and are able to learn. Trainers are people who allow and encourage that learning to take place by structuring time, space, and events, rather than by instructing others.

Adults learn...

	to satisfy adult needs, so that the consequences of learning provide personal as well as professional satisfaction.

	from behavior, that is, from participating actively in the learning process rather than just listening. Giving positive reinforcement of desired behavior and correcting errors at the moment they occur is most effective in bringing about behavior change.

	with emotional impact, so that the material and the method of presentation catch interest, touch feelings, and stir creative, independent thought.

	with relevance, so that the learning connects clearly and directly with tasks faced by the learner on the job or in life.

	when mistakes are honored, since people learn a lot from mistakes and everyone makes some.

	with humor ‐‐ not silly stories or jokes, but a little lightness, amusement, and fun so that training is not grim business.

	with illustration ‐‐ the more specific examples, pictures, diagrams, and demonstrations the better.

	in a comfortable setting so that physical discomfort does not distract or create negative feelings.

Excerpted from Terry Beresford, How To Be A Trainer. Planned Parenthood of Maryland: Baltimore, 1980. Distributed by SEATEC -- 404‐727‐2929 -- www.seatec.emory.edu -- November 2008

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