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Public Speaking: Applying Adult Learning Principles for More Effective Training

Did you know that adults have special needs as students?

When we were kids, we went to school and sat in class every day, and our teachers taught everyone more or less in the same way. It didn’t really matter if you were a visual learner, an auditory learner, or a kinesthetic learner. The teacher practically did what he felt most comfortable doing. Times have changed and teachers are now more aware of learning styles and other issues that affect children’s learning.

But the principles of adult learning are still fairly new to most people. If you are a speaker and are doing some kind of education or training with the groups you are speaking to, this applies to you.

First, a little history. Malcolm Knowles is considered the “father of adult learning”, although the subject had been discussed and researched more than a century earlier.

Knowles’ assumptions were that adults:

1) move from dependency to self-direction;

2) take advantage of your reserve of experience to learn;

3) they are ready to learn when they take on new roles; and

4) You want to solve problems and apply new knowledge immediately.

In his book, “The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy,” Knowles objects to the view that adults are incapable of learning: “… the rapid pace of accelerating change in our society has shown that this doctrine is no longer valid. The facts learned in youth have become insufficient and, in many cases, really false; and the skills learned in youth have been outdated by new technologies. “

The term “andragogy” has come to mean self-directed learning for people of all ages, as opposed to the term “pedagogy” which defines teacher-directed learning. In practical terms, it means that when educating or training adults, process comes before content.

Knowles may not have invented these terms or concepts, but he was the first to put them together into an organized theory. Additional theories of adult learning have also been developed since Knowles’ time. Here is an overview of adult learning principles that will greatly enhance your understanding of how and why adults learn. This will allow you to tailor your presentations and training more effectively to the groups you serve.

1. Adults are autonomous and self-directed

Adults want to decide for themselves what, when, how and why to learn. Speakers / instructors should allow adults to direct some of their own learning. Here are some ways to facilitate this:

* Ask your participants what they already know about your topic and what they are interested in learning. Find out what your goals are to be there.

* Share your agenda and ask for your opinion. This could lead to changing the order of your workshop to better serve the needs of the group. You may find that you spend more time on certain topics than you had planned and less on others. Be flexible.

* Act as a facilitator, guiding the group and encouraging it to reach its own conclusions, rather than forcing the information into a lecture format. Let them be responsible for their own learning.

* Do your research on the needs of the group and the organization beforehand, so that you can provide a mix of information that meets your perceived needs and your actual needs.

2. Adults have a lifetime of knowledge and experiences that inform their learning.

Adult learners can be a valuable resource to you as an instructor / speaker. It is also important that they connect the learning with those previous life experiences. Here’s how to make the most of your audience’s expertise and knowledge.

* Do not assume that your participants are “blank slates” and do not know anything about your topic. Nothing is more insulting than a speaker who launches into a conference without first knowing the needs and knowledge level of the audience. Do your research and ask first to find out what they already know.

* Where appropriate, ask your audience to share their experiences and create activities that invite them to use their experiences, for example in small group discussions.

* Prepare activities that involve choices, so that the learning process is better adapted to the individual levels of your participants.

3. Adults need relevance in learning

It is important for adults that they are learning something relevant and applicable to real life, be it personal or work. Here’s how to make learning relevant to your audience.

* Identify the learning objectives and ask the participants to share their goals.

* Discuss and request to share applications of your topic in the real world.

* Avoid giving a workshop or presentation that is too theoretical.

In the book “Teacher”, Sylvia Ashton-Warner discusses the relevance of her work as a teacher with Maori children. He remembers trying to teach them to read European textbooks with pictures and language that mean nothing to them. When you start working within your own language, culture, and experiences to teach them to read, they flourish. Relevance is one of the main keys to learning for people of all ages.

4. Adults are motivated to learn by both external and internal factors.

When we were children, many of us were not motivated to learn by anything other than the rewards and punishments of our parents and teachers.

As adults, we have many reasons to keep learning:

* is a job requirement

* we want to make new friends and connections

* for professional development and to advance our careers

* to relieve boredom

* because we are interested in a particular topic and we want to learn for fun

* to create a better environment for our children and families

. . . And the list goes on.

As an instructor / speaker, it is important to understand the many reasons why your attendees are at your seminar. They may not be there by choice, for example. Ask them why they came and what they hope to gain from the experience.

Since it is important to understand what motivates participants to learn, it is also important to understand what the barriers to their learning might be:

* worry about finances

* time limitations

* childcare problems

* relationship problems (one partner feels threatened by the other’s advancement)

* lack of confidence in the ability to learn (some people came to believe that they were not good at school and carry it with them forever)

* insecurity about intelligence

* concern for practicality and relevance

. . . And the list goes on!

Understanding the motivations and barriers your participants face can help you as an instructor identify the best way to serve them by increasing your motivation to learn.

5. Adult learners have sensitive egos.

Many of us, throughout our lives, have developed a fear of appearing stupid or incompetent. When we were kids, we were encouraged to explore, ask questions, and learn about the world, but somewhere along the way, that was taken away from us. Many adults have mixed feelings about teachers, school, and structured learning.

Some people go to great lengths to hide their inability to read, for example, or their lack of understanding of their job duties.

An instructor / speaker must be aware of these issues and build confidence by treating students with respect, sensitivity, and without judgment.

* Allow participants to develop confidence by practicing what they have learned in small groups before facing the large group.

* Use positive reinforcement to encourage participants.

* If sensitive topics are to be discussed, create a safe space by enforcing confidentiality and allowing participants to “pass” if there is something they are not comfortable talking about.

* Provide low-risk activities before moving to higher-risk or higher-confidence activities.

* Recognize the experience and knowledge of the previous life of the participants and allow them to express their opinions and share the leadership of the class.

A speaker who thinks he knows more than anyone else in the room is looking for trouble and creating an environment that will discourage learning.

6. Adults are practical and problem oriented and want to apply what they have learned.

Probably the most important outcome for adult learners is being able to apply what they learn to work or personal life immediately. Help facilitate this by doing the following:

* Use examples to help them see the connection between classroom theories and practical application.

* Use problem solving activities as part of learning.

* Create action items or to-do lists together with participants

* Help students transfer learning into daily practice by offering follow-up mentoring or mentoring

* Create an experiential learning environment that follows an experiential learning cycle

This has been only a brief description of the principles of adult learning. I hope you found some of the tips in these articles helpful.

At its most basic level, adult learning tends to be self-directed and based on the individual’s needs and life experiences. Follow these tips when working with adults and you are on your way to creating a truly effective learning experience.

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