We often take it for granted that individuals are capable of learning new things. After all, we must have learned something to graduate from high school, right. Educators base their lesson plans on research on how children and adolescents learn.
Your business training programs may benefit from adult learners’ drive to acquire relevant information and their desire to connect with real-world experiences. They can also benefit from their desire to develop themselves.
- Learning Styles Differ From Those Of Children
It is not uncommon for corporate training to be inspired by school-based education approaches. Because school is our first & most prolonged exposure to a learning environment, this is not unexpected. However, we must keep in mind that the reasons for which adults learn are distinct from those of children.
Students learn at school because they are surrounded by stimuli that encourage them. They are put in a classroom, paired with other students of a similar age and degree of competence, and are expected to spend the bulk of their time in the classroom just absorbing information.
For the most part, children are motivated by factors outside of themselves, such as the desire to impress their parents or instructors.
Things change after we graduate. When individuals decide to further their education, they usually appreciate the knowledge they are gaining. As an example, we could start a new pastime because we like it or find it therapeutic.
There are other possibilities, such as gaining new skills that can benefit us in our professions. Learning is motivated by our interests and aspirations.
This distinction may be overlooked incorporating learning. So, instead of a classroom setting, individuals are placed in groups and instructed as if they were in school. If that model is not working, it is understandable.
Adults do not want “homework” in training courses after spending years of education.
Any classroom will include learners who are having trouble keeping up and others who are bored since they already know what they will be learning.
- Learning Theories
Adult Learning Theory is a branch of a study investigating ways to make training more appealing to adults and more successful.
As long as we are honest, there are several ideas on adult learning in the academic literature. A few of them are:
Learning that is transformative. According to transformational learning methodologies, learning experiences should profoundly affect the learner’s personality and behaviour. Starting with activities that appeal to the unique audience and then going further to activities that question preconceptions and examine various viewpoints is recommended in practice.
They are learning on their terms. Since most of what people learn happens outside of formal education, this strategy focuses on making the most of what they already know. You may provide material, assist learners in their learning plans, or evaluate their learning outcomes in the wake of the event. To get more ideas you can check out the GoddessLolla site.
Conclusion
There is a wealth of details everywhere about business training and staff development. There are many perspectives out there when it comes to deciding which techniques are best for your company, and it may not be easy to sort through them.