1. The Adult
Learner
Free powerpoints at http://www.worldofteaching.com

2. "The art of teaching is the
art of assisting discovery."
- Mark Van Doren

3. What is Learning?
 Learning involves change.
 concerned with the
acquisition of habits,
knowledge, and attitudes.

4. What is Learning?
It enables the
individual to make both
personal and social
adjustments.

5. What is Learning?
Learning is a change in the
individual, due to the
interaction of that individual,
and his environment, which fills
a need and makes him more
capable of dealing adequately
with his environment.

6. What is learning?
Learning is a change in
human disposition or
capability, which can be
retained and applied.

7. Key Assumptions about
Adult Learners:
1. Adults are motivated to
learn as they experience
needs and interests that
learning will satisfy.

8. Key Assumptions about
Adult Learners:
2. Experience is the
richest source for
adults’ learning.

9. Key Assumptions about
Adult Learners:
3. Adults have a need to
be self-directing.

10. Dewey’s Key Concepts of
Teaching:
 All genuine education
comes about through
experience.
 Democracy/Participation
- promotes quality human
experience

11. Dewey’s Key Concepts of
Teaching:
 Continuity - builds upon
experiences that are
worth while
 Interaction/Participative-
it’s a social process

12. What Adults Need to
Know Prior to Learning:
 how learning will be
conducted
 what will be learned
 why it will be valuable

13. "Anyone who stops learning
is old, whether at twenty or
eighty. Anyone who keeps
learning
stays young."
- Henry Ford

14. Breakdown of the
Principals of Adult
Learning
Learning is enhanced
when it can immediately
be applied in a real-life
context.

15. Learning is enhanced when
adult learners have control
or influence over their
educational experiences.

16. Learning depends
on past
and current
experiences.

17. Learning is enhanced
when
people are active
participants.

18. Learning requires an
environment
of comfort and respect.

19. Learning is
enhanced
when
self-directed.

20. Adult learning
is enhanced when
participants
experience success.

21. KWL
What do we know?
What do we want to
know?
What did we learn?

22. “Show me and I forget;
Teach me and I remember;
Involve me and I learn.”
- B. Franklin

23. Jane Vella’s
12 Principles
of
teaching adults

24. Principle 1
Needs Assessment.
Learners need to
participate in
naming, what is to be
learned

25. Principle 2
Safety
Learners need a safe,
nurturing environment in
which there is trust.

26. Principle 3
Sound Relationship
Friendship without
dependency
Fun without trivialization
Dialogue of peers

27. Principle 4
Sequencing.
Small to big
Easy to hard
Slow to fast

29. Principle 5
Action with reflection.
Description / Analysis /
Application /
Implementation

30. Principle 6
Control.
Learners as subjects.
Learners as decision
makers.

31. Principle 7
Feelings / Emotions
Learning through pictures /
sound / opinion / discussion.
Learning through the learners
experiences / beliefs.

32. Principle 8
Immediacy.
Learning that is practical,
can be used in their
workplace, learning
directly relevant to
tomorrow.

33. Principle 9
Clear Roles.
Clearly defined roles and
who does what in the
learning process.

34. Principle 10
Teamwork.
A social aspect to the
learning. Adults need to
network, learn by
facilitation with other
peers.

35. Principle 11
Engagement.
Learners are active
participants with an
investment in the learning
beyond the classroom.

36. Principle 12
Accountability.
Learners expect results.
What was planned for
should be seen/reviewed
in an outcome.

37. REFERENCES
 http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/Fa
 Merriam, S. B. and Caffarella, R. S. (1991)
Learning in Adulthood. A comprehensive
guide, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 Knowles, Malcolm,(1978), The adult learner : a
neglected species, Houston, Gulf Pub. Co.
 Vella, Jane, (1994), Learning to listen, learning
to teach, San Francisco,Jossey-Bass Publishers

38. http://eflclassroom.ning.com