Tell me, I may listen.

Teach me, I may remember.

Involve me, I will do it.

If we want adults to feel involved so that learning will occur, there are six training design steps that will achieve the necessary level of involvement and set them up for success:

1. Treat them with respect.

Many adults feel vulnerable in a classroom, due to: past unsuccessful learning experiences, concern about appearing foolish in front of others, or discomfort with the unfamiliar role of student.

§ Validate and address their concerns.

§ Value their knowledge and experience.

§ Dignify all learning styles.

§ Use a variety of learning activities and training aids to meet the needs of different learning styles.

Implementation Tips: Ask them questions rather than telling them answers they may already have. Also keep in mind that different learning styles respond better to different learning activities. For example, print learners learn best by reading or writing, while interactive learners learn best through discussion.

2. Make the content meaningful.

Adults tend to learn what they consider of benefit and importance.

§ Tailor the content to meet their needs.

§ Help them discover how the content will benefit them.

§ Teach practical, immediately applicable skills.

Implementation Tips: Build in a benefits question or activity early in the lesson that enables them to consider and articulate why the learning is important to them. This will increase the likelihood of their “buy-in” to the training. Keep the content and learning activities focused on real life application rather than theory.

3. Build on what they already know.

Adult learning and retention is increased when new ideas are grounded on information or skills they already possess.

§ Draw on their previous learning and experience.

§ Explain concepts with familiar examples.

§ Facilitate positive transfer and disconnect negative transfer.

Implementation Tips: Draw on any previous learning or experience that will provide a firm foundation for the new learning (positive transfer). For example, when teaching a new policy, reminding them that they received strong support during a previous policy change will make them more receptive now. However, if their previous experience with policy changes was negative (negative transfer), then show how this new change will be handled differently and more constructively.

4. Follow the building blocks of learning.

Most adults feel more comfortable in a learning situation when they have the pre-requisite knowledge and skills.

§ Teach to the desired level of learning.

§ Use learning activities appropriate for the learning levels.

§ Always check for understanding.

Implementation Tips: Bloom’s Taxonomy identifies six progressive learning levels: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation and creation. Certain learning activities are more appropriate at different learning levels. For example, lecture only achieves knowledge. In order to check for comprehension, there are a number of learning activities that can be used, including: discussion, a questionnaire, pop ups, or a case study, etc.

5. Make it easy to learn.

The adult brain is better at absorbing smaller amounts of information at one time.

§ Break complex concepts and skills into smaller segments.

§ Move from simple to complex.

§ Teach only a few things at a time during a learning segment.

Implementation Tips: Brain studies show that adults can learn 4-5 familiar and meaningful items at a time, but only 2-3 new items at a time if they are completely unfamiliar and meaningless. Given this fact, when teaching ten steps in a procedure, teach only 2-3 or 4-5 steps at a time.

6. Let them apply what they’ve learned.

Once adults have successfully used new skills in the classroom, they are more likely to use them outside the classroom.

§ Build their confidence and competence through appropriate practice.

§ Have them apply new skills to solve job-related problems.

§ Give them an opportunity to plan how they will implement their new learning.

Implementation Tips: Begin practice with a new skill by using a simulation and directed large group discussion facilitated by the trainer. Then have them practice the new skill in a different simulation within a small group, with assistance by the trainer when needed. Finally, have them independently practice applying the new skill to their own job-related problem. This should help them feel more confident about their competence, and thereby increase the likelihood that they will continue to use the new skill when they return to their jobs.

These six simple but powerful training design steps will ensure that adult learners will be engaged and involved in the learning process. Their involvement will increase the probability that real learning will occur and will be applied once the workshop is over.

Deborah Spring Laurel has been a trainer and a consultant in the areas of workplace learning and performance improvement for over thirty years. She has twenty years of experience as the President of Laurel and Associates, Ltd,, an international human resource development training and consulting firm that specializes in enhancing interpersonal dynamics within organizations. She has designed and delivered hundreds of different skill-building participant-based and accelerated learning workshops on various topics, all of which have been tailored to meet her clients’ needs.

Deborah taught management and supervisory topics for the Executive Management Institute and the Small Business Development Center in the School of Business at the University of Wisconsin- Madison for over thirty years. From 1998-2002, she consulted with J.J. Strossmeyer University in Osijek, Croatia to design the first Eastern European participant-based Masters Degree program in Entrepreneurship.

For a white paper on Learning Activities for Different Learning Levels, see her website. For information about her workshops and consulting services, please visit her website at http://www.laurelandassociates.com or contact Deborah directly at (608) 255-2010 or dlaurel@laurelandassociates.com.

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Working Adults Have a Need

Education has a profound impact on life. It sets direction, trains the mind, and cultivates discipline. Adults should be given access to this kind of education. The benefits of a college education go beyond just direction-setting, mind-training, and discipline-cultivating qualities. In fact, for adults, the benefits of a college education can be far greater than they are for younger adults. Especially if you are taking classes in the career you are currently working, a college degree will only help put you in the front of the pack. They can also improve their position within their present organization. A college degree is a great leverage tool when wanting to improve their salary. There are so many advantages involved in keeping your mind sharp and developing new interests.

But Working Adults Face Challenges

For all its possible glories, though, adults face a challenge in earning a college degree. Full time work is, after all, full time. Talk of earning a degree or going back to school is just about as ethereal and unrealistic as winning the lottery. Time? Money? It’s just not available. Besides, who can fit an unwieldy college class schedule into the 9-5 work day of most American adults?

For Working Adults, There Is a Solution

Finally, in our digital age, we’ve reached a point where many schools are realizing that there is a solution. Colleges are answering the call of those looking for alternatives and online degree completion programs are fitting that need. Through an online degree completion program, working adults can watch lectures, participate in class discussion, work on class projects, take tests, and gain the whole-package education experience—all online. The main problem that faces adults wanting to return to school is their schedule.

Online programs allow their dream of a college degree to come true by giving them the opportunity to work around that schedule. Not only is the time benefit huge, there is also an upside in the area of tuition costs. By not having to travel to the campus and already having access to the Internet, you are cutting down hugely on overall costs. Online degree completion programs allow students to to as many courses or few as they can handle. You are able to work at your own pace, take the classes you can afford, and finish on your time table.

Many more working adults are experiencing the benefits of college educations due largely in part to online degree completion programs. It allows them to “go” to class while still providing for their families.

Johney Maron, part time author, is interested in college student ministries and education. Colorado Christian University provides students with the education they need to make it in today’s world by arming them with the proper tools. From Adult Degree Completion to Graduate Degree Programs, CCU makes every effort for students to obtain the education they need.

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1. You can find the adult education course at your local junior college. They have all kinds of courses that you can sign up for. All you need to do is to go to the college and find out if they have what you need. You will be able to find someone there who can help you with any questions that you have. They can also help you get signed up for whatever course you will be taking.

2. You can go to one of the many universities that are around. This is usually for someone who is going for a degree of some kind. However, you will also be able to find universities that will allow you to take the adult education. You need to contact the University to find out about this.

3. One of the best ways for people who have to work a full time job is to take one of the many online adult education courses that are available. There is an adult education course for almost anything that you can imagine.

You will have to do some research to find out about all of this. Just go to any search engine and type in the type of course that you need. You will get all kinds of results that you can look at. You want to make sure that you look through everything to find the online adult educational course that will work best for you.

You will need to be a self motivator if you are going to take an online adult education though. You won’t have anyone telling you when to do the work that needs to be done. Knowing what your motivation is for taking the course will help you be self motivated enough to get it done.

So when you need to take an adult education course for whatever reason, you will have to decide which option you are going to use to accomplish your goal. It will be totally up to you to find the best choice for you and your busy lifestyle. Do a search on all of these options until you figure out where you want to take the courses that you need. Learn more about these online adult education courses at www.eighttips.com.

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There are reasons why many matured people like you are enrolling for adult education. One of these is that people who could not finish their education now have the chance to complete it.If you had failed to complete your education due to one reason or the other, there is no excuse again for you not to continue. This means that with adult education, you can now earn a diploma or degree in whatever course you like. Change of career is another reason many adults adduced. While we are young, all of us have dreams and fantasize about what we want to be in future but due to some reasons we move to a different career.However, with adult education you can now move to any career you want. It is no longer difficult to become a professional in any field that you want.

There are a lot of programs out there for adults wishing to enahnce their education.You can enroll for programs such as accounting, finance, computer literacy, information technology, parenting, coaching, etc.There is hardly any college or university that is not offering programs for people like you.The courses and programs are designed in a way that adults will find it interesting and less cumbersome. You can choose to go for the courses in the evening or during the weekend.

If you don’t have all the money you need, it is not yet time to give up the idea.There are many sources of loans online that you can make use of to get funds you need to complete your education.There are many organizations that will give you the money you need provided you satisfy all their conditions. These conditions are not as strict as you may think.Consult with them and you will see that there is nothing in this world stopping your education.

However, it is advisable that you get an attorney to look through the documents of the aggreement guiding the provision of the loan before you sign. Doing contrary may result into a problem you never anticipated.

You can get more FREE and detailed information on a wide range of adult education topics by visiting Adult Education [http://www.adulteducationinformation.com/sitemap.html] website. Get these useful tips on http://www.adulteducationinformation.com [http://www.adulteducationinformation.com/index.html]

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