Adult Learning Part 2
ByTen employees are sitting in a classroom at 9:00am waiting for the trainer to arrive and begin a training that is scheduled until 5:00pm. I look around the training room and everyone looks bored and ready to leave. If polled, most employees in the training would respond that they had better things to do. Most wonder how this training will benefit them and will not have this question answered by the end of the training.
I have sat through a training where I was explicitly told that this would not be used in my department. I am sure that many employees have had similar experiences in training. What benefit does this training have for organizations and employees? What would be a better approach to training?
Considering that most employees are adults, andragogy would be a vital piece of knowledge for organizations to have. The design of a training program for adults would look a lot different than the design for a group of children. Experiential learning is the preferred way for adults to learn. They like to learn by doing the task themselves. Give the participants a chance to practice the newly learned skill. This is especially helpful with a complex task. Allow time in the training after each new skill to practice. Conclude the training with a practice session that combines all of the skills learned.
Adults also like to know how the training benefits them. They like to know that the training will not be a waste of time. Tell participants how this training will be useful as soon as they leave the session. Give them reasons other than that it is required by the organization. Show them how it can be beneficial in their everyday tasks.
Adults like to have control over how they learn. If your organization has several ways to conduct training (traditional classroom, online e-learning, discussions boards), then allowing adults to choose which way they learn will increase their engagement. It will also be cost effective to allow employees to use e-learning rather than traditional classroom learning.
Adults prefer multiple methods of training. The tell, show, do method can be very beneficial. This method involves telling participants what is going to be taught, showing them how to do it, and then allowing them to do the skill. A small lecture followed by a demonstration and then a practice session. This is three methods combined to create a form of training that will engage adult learners.
So the next time your organization decides it needs training, look to Malcolm Knowles theory on adult learning. Employees will be more engaged and appreciative of the training method. Engaged employees are happier and more productive employees. Employees engaged in training will learn more and be able to utilize this training faster and better.To learn more about Malcolm Knowles andthe theory of andragogoy click on the link below:
