Adult education is key to both personal success and lifelong learning. Adult learning takes many forms, including learning at work, vocational training, pursuing new qualifications, and learning for leisure and personal development. Adult learners are typically self-directed, draw from life experiences, are motivated by immediate application of knowledge, and engage in collaborative, informal learning.

1. Adult education is both a key to personal
success and to enjoying learning
throughout life. Adult learning takes many
forms - learning at work, vocational
training and new qualifications as well as
learning for leisure, recreation and
personal development.
Adult Learning

2. Assumptions Children Adults
Learner's Concept Dependent Independent, self-directed
Learner's Experience Inconsequential Rich in resource Learning
Learner's Readiness Based on physical,
mental, social
development
Based on need
Relevancy Later application Immediate application
Curriculum
Environment
Subject-centered,
authority-oriented, formal,
competitive
Problem-centered,
collaborative, informal,
respective
Planning By teacher Mutual
Determination of
Needs
By teacher Mutual and self-diagnosis
Lesson Design Sequenced in terms of
subject matter, content
focused
Sequenced in terms of
need, problem focused
Evaluation By teacher Mutual

3. • Convergers
• Divergers
• Assimilators
• Accommodators
Adult Learning Styles

4. The converger acquires knowledge by
thinking/analyzing and the practically
applying the new ideas and/or
concepts. The ability to practically apply
ideas is this learner's greatest strength.
Convergers

5. Divergers
The diverger acquires knowledge through
intuition. Individuals with this preferred style
of learning draw upon their imaginative
aptitude and their ability to view complex
situations from many perspectives.

6. Assimilators
The ability to create theoretical models and
reason inductively is the assimilator's
greatest strength. Assimilators learn by
thinking and analyzing and then planning
and reflecting. Assimilators do not
emphasize practical application, rather they
focus on the development of theories, often
discarding facts if they do not fit the theory.

7. Accommodators
Accommodators will discard the theory if the
facts do not fit. Accommodators excel in
situations where they must apply theories to
specific circumstances. Their greatest
strength is their ability for getting things done
and becoming fully involved in new
experiences.

8. Experiencing
Applying
Generalizing Processing
Publishing

9. Experiencing
This is the initial stage of data-generating.
This stage often associated with ‘games’ of
fun.
If the process stops after this stage, all
learning is left to change, and the facilitator
will not be able to completed the task.

10. Publishing
This is the second stage of the learning cycle.
• People get experience from activity.
• They are ready to share what they saw and /or how
they felt during the event.
• This step involves finding out what happened
within individuals, at both cognitive and affective
levels.

11. Processing
• This is the pivotal step in experiential
learning.
• This is the systematic examination of
commonly shared experience.
• This is the ‘group dynamics’ phase of the
cycle.
• The facilitator needs to plan carefully.

12. • Fantasy
• Truth with little ‘t’
• Individual analysis
• Key terms
• Sentence completion
Generalizing
Here are some strategies for developing
generalizations from the processing stage.

13. • This is the final stage of experiential
learning experience.
• The central question here is “now what”?
• Here participants will apply generalizations
to actual situations in which they are
involved.
• Ignoring the confusion of discussion is
important for learning
• More attention is needed.
Applying

14. LEARNING
RECOGNITION
RECALL
RETENTION
REGISTRATION
LEARNING PROCESS