Step 3: Adult-Centered Implementation
Adult-Centered Teaching-Learning Process - Make It Relevant
There is nothing more frustrating to adults than sitting in a class and wondering what the assignment or the lesson has to do with real life. Adults value their time and they want to get the most out of their learning experiences. Adult learning researcher Susan Imel (1982) has noted that adults generally opt to engage in a learning opportunity when they are motivated “by the need to acquire a new skill or make a decision.” Instruction needs to be very practical, focusing on exactly how a given lesson will be useful to them on the job (Lieb, 1991). Morris T. Keeton (2002), CAEL’s founder and first president, has highlighted the importance of practical lessons in his list of eight principles to achieve effectiveness and efficiency in learning. He recommends using “genuine problems to arouse motivation and enhance learning.”
Adult learning researchers are not alone in the recommendation of “making it real.” The website www.workforceadvantage.org (a resource that is the result of a joint collaboration by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City) has noted that the most successful training programs give students a chance to experience the work firsthand and use real-work scenarios as an important training tool.
The website notes that “Employees have a chance to test the waters of a job before they go it alone, and company trainers have the opportunity to evaluate the employees’ performance and make necessary changes.” A perfect example of a training program that uses real work situations to develop workplace skills and competencies is the Training, Inc. program, profiled as part of the Incorporate Soft Skills innovation. Training, Inc.’s work simulation provides the learners with the opportunity to see what it is like to in a real job setting, working with other people and on real assignments with firm deadlines. Another strategy that employers often use to make training as relevant as possible is on-the-job training. (see Asian Neighborhood Design example)
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