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Adult Learning Theory
Adult Learning Theory
In order for effective learning to occur, adults typically need to have the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities on which to build, to understand the “value added” of new learning, and to have confidence in their ability to master new information and skills. This is consistent with Vroom’s Expectancy Theory. It is essential for the learning and training to be relevant to the adult learner’s career. It is important that the learner receive non-judgmental feedback. Negative feedback should be given in a respectful, supportive manner, focusing on how the staff member can improve his or her performance while also giving recognition to positive accomplishments.
Most adult learners have a strong foundation of experience upon which they can connect new knowledge, skills and learning. Experiences can vary significantly among staff members; the teacher should take the background of the individual into account when designing the training. It is ideal for the learning environment to include the sharing of life experiences, strategies, and knowledge. This does not mean that the adult should be trained in isolation. Training should include “how-to-do” information as well as the “when” and “why,” so the learner can more successfully apply the material to the necessary job skills. People respond positively when they are actively involved in the training process. Incorporating choice, personal experience, critical thinking, and reflection are important aspects of learning. Staff should be involved in the process from its initial stages, such as needs assessment, to evaluation of the program. Involvement is very helpful in overcoming resistance to change (Blanchard & Thacker, pp 106-109).
Reference List: Blanchard, P.N. and Thacker J.W. (2004). Effective Training Systems, Strategies, and Practices (Second Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Prentice Hall.
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Pam, this is very interesting. How do you apply this in the corporate setting? Does this speak to how to do formal traning programs or how individual managers can help grow their team members?
Thanks for the post Pam. Michael, this applies to corporate settings as well. I do a lot of corporate training programs including adult classes and this post does work.
"Great doubt. Great faith. Great effort. The three qualities necessary for training."
This recipe has been employed successfully by teachers of Buddhism for more than 2,000 years. It is the foundation of Western psychotherapy as well. Let's see how it applies in a corporate environment.
Employees must doubt their established beliefs about their roles in the organization and their ways of doing their jobs. Such doubt is the prerequisite to change. Another Buddhist proverb makes this point well:
"Where there is great doubt, there will be great awakening; small doubt, small awakening; no doubt, no awakening."
Some employees come to training with doubt, seeking to expand their roles and learn better ways of doing their jobs. They are more ready to be trained than those who have no doubt that their work product or lives couldn't be better. It is the trainer's first job to engender doubt in employees who have none, who think all is fine and the class is a waste of time.
This is done by helping employees understand the imperfections in their current work output and the limitations of their current status within the organization. "The teacher criticizes in order to teach."
Doubt dissolves and softens people's rigid old beliefs, making it possible to wash old beliefs away or reshape them to make room for new beliefs. The next step is for employees to accept new beliefs about their roles and new ways of doing their jobs. Acceptance requires employees' faith.
Because the new beliefs about roles and ways of doing things are unfamiliar, employees have no way to know if acceptance and practice will help or harm them. We are dealing here with people's jobs, in which much of their egos and usually all of their livelihoods are invested. "Great faith", indeed, is required for an employee to make changes of uncertain outcomes to that! It is the trainer's job to engender such faith in those who lack it.
Faith is inhibited by fear. All fear is fear of losing something or its absence from one's life. In a corporate environment, fear typically is of losing part or all of one's job; income; status; relationships with coworkers; autonomy; or time off from work. Fear may also be of losing the absence of an overseer; the absence of accountability for one's actions and inaction; the absence of challenging expectations; and so on. It is the trainer's job to eliminate fear so that faith can thrive in its absence.
The trainer can employ rational, logical methods of "proving there's nothing to fear" such as case studies; industry statistical surveys; appeals to authoritative independent endorsers of the new beliefs being inculcated; etc. But it is also necessary to change employees' attitudes towards fear, to empower them to conquer fear itself. This can be done with the transmission of affirmations such as these:
"Do the thing we fear, and the death of fear is certain." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Listen to what you know instead of what you fear." - Richard Bach
"The whole secret of existence is to have no fear." – The Buddha
Great effort is required to replace established beliefs and ways of doing things with new ones. The trainer cannot make this effort for the employees. The trainer can only periodically renew the employees' doubts and faith, the sources from which they draw strength to make effort.
"The teacher opens the door, the student must enter alone."
Thank you for all of your posts. I do agree that the theories are also consistent in a corporate setting. I handle training for my employer, and I have found the same theories of adult learning are applicable. I appreciate your feedback and enjoyed your posts.
Pamela, David, Eric, Michael, you make some really good points here.
Adults often seek out learning opportunities in order to cope with life changes. They tend to want to learn things that they can use to increase their job skills or to make their lives a better one.
For more information this subject matter look up "Andragogy".
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