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•
R
ead/Write learners: prefer lists, essays, reports, printed handouts;
•
K
inesthetic learners: like field trips, hands-on activities like using measuring
instruments and making recipes, using their senses, etc.
As a consequence of research into learning styles, most group educators use a multimodal
teaching strategy that incorporates elements of all four of these learning preferences
whenever possible.
Principles of Adult Learning
In the late 1960s, American adult learning pioneer Malcolm Knowles popularized the term
“andragogy” (Greek: “man-leading”) to American audiences as “the art and science of
helping adults learn.” It was contrasted with pedagogy (Greek: “child-leading). Compared to
pedagogy, andragogy uses approaches to learning that are problem-based and collaborative
rather than didactic, and also emphasizes more equality between the teacher and learner. His
work was a significant factor in reorienting adult educators from ‘educating people’ to ‘helping
them learn.’
119-121
Malcolm Knowles stated that “individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others,
in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material
resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and
evaluating learning outcomes.”
120
As described by Malcolm Knowles, the following principles apply to adult learning:
120;121
1. Adults are autonomous and self-directed
– educators must actively involve adult
participants in the learning process. Adult learners resist learning when they feel
others are imposing information, ideas, or actions on them.
As a healthcare educator, you can:
• Develop rapport with the patient to optimize your approachability and encourage
asking of questions and exploration of concepts.
• Show interest in the patient’s thoughts and opinions. Actively and carefully listen to
any questions asked.
• Provide regular constructive and specific feedback (both positive and negative).
• Review goals and acknowledge goal completion.
• Acknowledge the preferred learning style of the patient and modify your
instruction accordingly.
2. Adults have accumulated a foundation of life experiences and knowledge
–
educators need to connect learning to this knowledge/experience base. To an adult,
experience is not something that “happens” to an individual, it “is” the individual. To ignore
or devalue the adult’s experiences is perceived by the adult as ignoring or devaluing the
“person” of the adult. Adults like to be given opportunity to use their existing foundation of
knowledge and experience to apply it to their new learning experiences.