Adult Learners Aren't the Same as Child Learners

That's pretty obvious, isn't it? Adult learners aren't the same as child learners. But if we aren't reminded of this we will try to apply what we know about child learning to an adult learner. After all we did our most structured and intentional learning when we were in school. So if you envision a 'class' and a 'teacher' and a 'student' we might mistakenly envision something like high school with Mrs. Mundy standing up front and all of our desks in neat rows and each of us taking notes and raising our hands to speak. That is not how adults learn.

Adult learners insist the material be relevant and that they are active participants in the learning. They also expect to be able to challenge the assumptions and resist the information if it doesn't square with their life experience.

Adults have no time or patience for information that can't be immediately acted upon. "Give me a tool or tactic I can use right away and I'll listen." Children are more accustomed to storing information they may not use immediately or ever. If the information isn't relevant you will have a hard time finding an attentive audience.

Adults expect to be a part of their learning. They want to ask questions, discuss, challenge and shape the learning. This is more a group of equals. The teacher is no longer a larger terrifying authority figure. She's now one of us. And while the teacher may be smarter, have more advanced degrees or be temporarily in a position of authority, adults still expect to be listened to and worked with.

And certainly adults like to challenge the information. You can tell a child almost anything and they'll believe it because it comes from an adult. But adults expect good information to be able to stand up to challenges and good presenters to be capable of negotiating a serious debate. As a matter of fact one way to tell your presentation is a flop is if no one challenges you.

The really great news is that after the debate and challenges if you're big idea survives it becomes their big idea as well because they have added to it and taken away from it and re-shaped it to make it more relevant and useful. This then is something they own because they've been a part of creating it.