How Adults Learn
How Adults Learn
How Adults Learn
By Thomas Sechehaye
Copyright
Copyright 2005 by Milly Sonneman and Thomas Sechehaye. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any
means, (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior
written permission of the authors. No liability is assumed with respect to the use
of the information contained within. Although every precaution has been taken,
the authors assume no liability for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability
assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
Do you speak? Do you write? Do you coach? Mentor? Do you teach? Do you
facilitate meetings? Do you present to your peers, colleagues and staff? Do you
mediate disputes? Manage conflict? Plan strategies? Run community forums?
Townhall meetings? Board retreats? Organize projects….OK, you get the idea.
Just how many hours do you spend communicating with other adults? Many
people we speak with spend the majority of their work life in meetings. If they
aren’t in meetings, they are preparing for them. Or recovering from them.
Still think that ‘how adults learn’ doesn’t affect your life? Could you use this to talk
with your parents? Your spouse? Your neighbor? With members on a
homeowners board, chamber of commerce or town council? Your doctor or
lawyer? You bet!
While this information may seem especially helpful for educators, professional
communicators and coaches…there’s no doubt that if you interact with other
adults—you’ll need to know what sticks! You could use this information to speed
information exchange, promote learning, ease communication, streamline
decisions and yes, even have some fun in daily exchanges.
In individual and group exchange there are repeating phases of processing data,
communicating information and synthesizing knowledge. As a learning human
being you are regularly engaged in these processes:
• Gathering data
• Generating data
• Organizing data
It’s equally important to remember that all these skills are learnable!
That’s good news because…
• You don’t have to have inherited talent.
• You don’t have to already demonstrate a “natural” ability to communicate.
• You don’t have to have previous ability or skill.
You can find out how to communicate with adults. And you’re in the right place
to understand the principles and to discover practical tips to use what you’re
learning right away!
Learning theory and brain research are more complex than can be discussed
here, but there are a few basic basics that can help you radically increase your
effectiveness as a coach/facilitator/trainer.
Think about your own learning preferences for a moment. What helps you jump
up and say, “I get it!”? Do you like to learn by hearing? Do you prefer to learn by
seeing? Do you prefer to learn by doing? Do you like a combination of methods?
Think of this as “preferred learning modalities.”
People have habits, preferences and styles in just about everything. And learning
is no exception. Use the core modalities to help each person experience data
from different viewpoints. This helps each indivudal choose the style of learning
in which they’re most comfortable.
Auditory
Visual
Kinesthetic
In general, adults learn and communicate in all three modes: but individuals differ
in their preference for, or strength in, each mode.
To account for these differences and to maximize learning and absorption in your
coaching work, or any communications, it is best to involve all modalities. This is
a “catch all” — you’ll reach every type of learner.
This simple combination: Tell, Show and Do can become a repeating message in
your mind as you design a coaching session, plan a training or create an agenda
for a meeting. Keep asking yourself if your design and delivery is addressing
each of these three ways that people learn.
People also differ in how they process information. Some people need to work
with the data, engage in conversation about it, and discuss it what it means:
others need to think about it, and put the pieces together in their mind.
Individuals differ widely in how they learn and how they process information. To
communicate and coach effectively, it’s helpful to learn as much as possible
about receiver or coachee as you can.
Balance how you help your coachee, trainee, and employee absorb information.
Design exercises and activities to appeal to more internal processing such as
reading, writing, and journaling. Organize other activities to appeal more to
external processing such as full group discussion, partner debriefs and small
group presentations.
However, even if you know little about your participant’s personal preferences,
you can assume that there will be a mix of preferences. Based on this, you can
No matter where you are communicating, and whom you are communicating
with—you’ll have a chance to experiment, apply, review and refine your personal
applications of adult learning principles.
Keep in mind that this is a process. Adapt it to your unique situation. Be sure to
take the time to make it your own.
Make it Real:
Where can you apply the insider secret: Tell, Show, And Do?
Where can you balance internally focused activities with ones that are more
externally focused?
You don’t have to have all the answers right away. Just by asking the question,
you’ll get your brain cells firing in a new way. Read on and find out what else you
can do to make your next communication session really soar!
Resist change
The change process for adult learners is often complex and involves
unlearning patterns of thinking and behaving.
Are self-directed
Adults typically have strong needs to accomplish their own learning
agendas.
Are problem-focused
Adults are anxious to experience success in reaching solutions to
problems in an atmosphere of cooperation.
By completing this questionnaire you will find out more about yourself. You’ll
discover whether your own attitudes and approaches are, in fact, geared towards
adult learners.
For each question, circle the number to the right that represents your level of
agreement with the statement.
Strongly Disagree = 1
Disagree = 2
Undecided = 3
Agree = 4
Strongly Agree = 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
10. Grades, scores, job advancement, and other external motivators are the
most effective way to encourage adults to learn.
1 2 3 4 5
OK—You’re doing great! But don’t stop yet…It’s time to score yourself. Don’t
worry…there’s no incorrect score. This is a learning investigation so you can find
out what works in your communication style and what you can do about it.
3. Subtract the second sum from the first to obtain your final score
I . . . . I . . . . I . . . . I . . . . I . . . . I . . . . I . . . . I . . . .I
-20 -10 0 +2 +10
Directive Teacher Adult Learning
Approach Approach
If your score falls on the side of the scale describing a “directive teacher”
approach, these questions can serve as the basis for further reflection and
discussion on how you might want to improve the adult learning
experiences for which you are responsible.
Now that you know what works…it’s time to put it to use. The principles of how
adults learn only work if you use them. The next sections are all about
application. Use the session you have in mind and think of this as a tune-up, an
upgrade, and an enhancement…your chance to take theory and test how it
works in your very next session, meeting, report, or coaching session or
conference call.
As you look at the samples under each category, you may feel that certain ones
are just right for your upcoming needs. Others may not be exactly suited for your
unique environment. Adjust any of the examples so that it works for you and for
the people you are communicating with.
To Do List
If you usually focus on one of these areas, ask colleagues for additional ideas
for expanding your personal toolkit. Keep the flow going and add variety!
TIPS
Tell
Tell a story that sets the stage
Describe the learning process
Play a recording of a subject matter expert or descriptive example
Conduct the session by phone
Listen to an example describing a sequence of steps
Show
Show an overview map with key steps
Reveal a timeline that shows a learning process
Draw a chart of key points in the descriptive example
Show a video or map with sub-text of each part of the phone call
Demonstrate how the sequence of steps works
Do
Have the participant tell his or her own story
Encourage the participant to describe the process in a skit or song
Share a story of their experience
Role-play a phone call following key steps
Perform the sequence of steps
Goal setting:
Describe the process of setting goals
Show how to use a goal sheet for short term, mid-term and long-term goals.
Have the coachee fill out the goal sheet
The second example relates to learning tasks, and could be used to teach, train
employees, and in a supervisory conversation to increase comfort with learning
and applying new skills.
You’re doing great! Now, turn your attention to balancing internally and externally
focused activities, exercises and methods of taking in new information. Your
clients, peers and people you speak with will appreciate the variety of methods
that you use.
You’ll find that some people will notice and respond to one activity more than
another. And that’s why it’s important to have a wide and varied mix. Pay special
attention to your personal preferences. You’ll want to include the things that work
for you AND stretch into methods that might not be your favorite—but work
wonders with your clients!
Internal
Take a survey
Score yourself on skills
Write down ideas, plans and actions
Record feelings in a journal
Keep a log over a period of time
Read a sample story
Take a test
Role play in front of a mirror
Describe in words or draw a metaphor privately
Vote using dots
External
Build a model with a partner or team
Do a skit about a project
Present skills in front of a group
Give live feedback to a partner
Perform a song or activity
Teach back a task or new learning
Role play a call or interactive skill in front of people
Act out a metaphor, with props and drawings
Vote and debate the basis for the choices
Check your session design. Look at each activity and plot what activities you’re
doing that are more internally focused and what activities you’re planning for that
are more externally focused.
Check your session delivery. Look at a recent session through the lens of “what
actually happened.” Did you stay true to your balanced plan? Did you go in a
different direction that seemed to work better than what you planned?
Resist change
The change process for adult learners is often complex and involves
unlearning patterns of thinking and behaving.
TIPS
TIPS
Show options for process and let participants select their favorite
Where could you get feedback and input about preferences in agenda?
What question can you ask to discover the learning agenda and
priorities for your participant/coachee?
TIPS
Tell a story where you had a similar problem and now share the
benefits you experience from having solved the problem.
TIPS
Use language, key words, acronyms and slang that they use
Use examples and stories that are from their industry or company
How can you gain more depth and experience of what they are facing?
TIPS
TIPS
Encourage them to speak about how new relates to what they know.
How can your session design support integration of new with known?
What have you found valuable in self-integration that you want to apply
to your next session?
How else can you determine what would work for this individual?
TIPS
TIPS
How can you make a role-play into a first opportunity for skill practice?
TIPS
Listen and ask open-ended questions. Watch out that you don’t
interrupt or cut the other person off.
Write down and/or make a map of what the other person is saying. This
demonstrates that you’re listening fully.
Pay extra special attention to the beginning and end of meetings. This
is what people remember the most.
TIPS
If you are working long distance, how can you encourage peer practice
and then have report-outs?
What activity are you currently “talking about” that can be adapted to
peer rehearsal?
As you’ve seen, there are many ways that you can activate these principles into
your communication, in a wide variety of situations. Pick a recent session and
evaluate how well you included each principle. Repeat this daily, weekly or as
frequently as you like.
After a period of time, compare your charts. Are you noticing patterns? Are there
certain principles that you, “just never seem to address?” If so, refer back to that
principle—use the tips and adjust them to your situation. Ask yourself questions
that get you thinking about how you could stretch to include this principle.
Remember, it’s a process. Some sessions will have more variety, address all
principles, and be highly balanced. Others, well—there’s room for improvement.
Be patient and be persistent. This is a skill you can learn by doing it. Keep
observing what you DO and what you DON”T do. You’ll learn from both ends of
the spectrum! Keep going—you’re doing great work!
Keep learning and exploring what you can do to make all your interactions—your
trainings, coaching sessions, meetings and presentations highly engaging. You’ll
find articles, research, tools and techniques that you can use right away at:
www.coachmaps.com
www.better-stress-advice.com
www.visual-learning-magazine.com
For each principle, circle the number that represents how frequently you applied
this principle to create engagement and learning in your session.
1= Never
2= Seldom
3= Half of the time
4= Often
5= As much as possible
Resist change 1 2 3 4 5
Session is self-directed 1 2 3 4 5
Activity is problem-focused 1 2 3 4 5
Active/interactive learning 1 2 3 4 5