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Adult Learning: SEE What I Mean?
I read something very interesting the other night that I wanted to share with you.
Adults are different than children.
No, wait, there's more!
Adults learn differently than children.
Parents send their children to school to acquire the basic learning in order to function in society: language skills, arithmetic, spelling, etc. Things change as you get older. Adults don't have to go to school unless it is something they choose. The entire process of adult learning varies tremendously compared to what is experienced by children. It begins with motivation: adults seek more education in order to create change (involving skills, behavior, knowledge level, even attitudes). Previous experiences and the personal level of engagement also shape adult learning.
So, what does any of this have to do with vision, Doctor Lloyd?
Adult learning styles vary enormously from childhood learning patterns. Think about when you were in grade school. With few exceptions most elementary school classes were pretty much taught the same way.
Lots of research has been performed on this topic and it appears that there are three major adult learning styles:
Visual learners (aha!) absorb new information by seeing it. They enjoy PowerPoint presentations, video demonstrations, and lots of illustrations in the reading materials. Use of computers in the adult classroom really stimulates visual learners. I have to admit that I enjoy dynamic lectures with lots of interesting images, graphics, and animations.
Listen to this - auditory learners prefer to hear the new material. They tend to recall verbal information far better than written material. In fact, they don't want to read anything. Perhaps this is why I often doze-off during sermons on Sunday mornings.
The final group of adult students are kinesthetic learners. These are the 'hands on' students - teach them by showing them what's important to know. My military career gave me enormous exposure to the time-honored technique: 'see one, do one, teach one'!
Successful adult educators know that adults learn best when classwork combines visual, auditory, and kinesthetic activities.
Do you see what I mean? Does this sound right to you? How do you feel about it?
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: learning styles, adult education, visual, auditory, kinesthetic
Adults are different than children.
No, wait, there's more!
Adults learn differently than children.
Photo: Jason Taellious
So, what does any of this have to do with vision, Doctor Lloyd?
Adult learning styles vary enormously from childhood learning patterns. Think about when you were in grade school. With few exceptions most elementary school classes were pretty much taught the same way.
Photo: Matt Biddulph
Listen to this - auditory learners prefer to hear the new material. They tend to recall verbal information far better than written material. In fact, they don't want to read anything. Perhaps this is why I often doze-off during sermons on Sunday mornings.
The final group of adult students are kinesthetic learners. These are the 'hands on' students - teach them by showing them what's important to know. My military career gave me enormous exposure to the time-honored technique: 'see one, do one, teach one'!
Successful adult educators know that adults learn best when classwork combines visual, auditory, and kinesthetic activities.
Do you see what I mean? Does this sound right to you? How do you feel about it?
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: learning styles, adult education, visual, auditory, kinesthetic
