The 8 Fundamental Principles Of Adult Learning That Every Course Creator & Training Professional Should Know

Key points from reading

• The process of engaging adult learners in a learning experience is known as Andragogy

1. Self-Directing

• adults are autonomous and self directing, meaning that they live under a large degree of self-governance and to their own laws, beliefs and values
• they need to know why they are learning what they’re learning
• if they cannot appreciate the purpose or value, they will be reluctant to engage in the learning intervention

2. Learn by doing

• adults learn through direct experience; therefore, their training and learning interventions must include active and practical participation

3. Relevance

• they have to very clearly see why and how this is important to them personally and how it applies to their life.
• If they can’t see how they personally can apply the learning to their own life and roles, it is suggested that motivation towards the training intervention will be significantly reduced.

4. Experience

• Adult learners need to be able to draw upon their past experiences to aid their learning.

5. All of the Senses

• Adult learners need multi-sensory learning and teaching methodologies.  We must ensure that our learning interventions have appropriately proportioned delivery techniques that meet the needs of audio, visual, reading/writing, kinaesthetic, dependent and independent learning preferences.

6. Practice

• The more an adult learner can practice new skills, competencies or the application of knowledge, the more transformational impact the learning intervention will have.

7. Personal Development

• As learners get older, their cause for participation in learning programs often moves from external drivers (such as getting a promotion), to internal drivers, like simply learning out of pure pleasure or interest in learning something new.

 8. Involvement

• Effective adult learning programs have planned for learner feedback and consultation.  Adults need to feel as though they have a sense of responsibility, control and decision-making over their learning.  They need to be involved in the planning, evaluation and consultation of their own learning process
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