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The Secret of Adult Learning Theory: It’s NOT About Age! 1

The Secret of Adult Learning Theory:
It’s NOT About Age!
By: Sharon L. Bowman, M.A., President
Bowperson Publishing & Training, Inc.
Website: www.Bowperson.com
Email: SBowperson@gmail.com
Phone: 775-749-5247 Fax: 775-749-1891

Note: This article is formatted using the
4 Cs Accelerated Learning instructional * They want to or need to learn.
design process. To get the most from this
article, you are encouraged to participate * They learn in different ways.
in the activities along the way. You will
learn more, and be able to apply what * They learn best in an informal
you learn, because of your participation. environment.
For more information about the 4 Cs, log
onto www.Bowperson.com and down- * They see themselves and self-directed
load the free article titled: “Bag It! A and responsible.
Quick and Remarkably Easy Instruc-
tional Design Process.” * They learn best when they have
hands-on practice.

* They bring their own past experiences
to the learning.

* They learn best when they can relate
new information to what they already
know.

CONNECTIONS * They have their own ideas to
contribute.
One-Minute Fast Pass: You already
Now think about the children you know,
know a lot about how adults learn. As a
the children you’ve raised, or the child
teacher or trainer, you’ve observed adult
you once were. Think about what you
learning in action. And, as an adult
know about how children learn and how
learner yourself, you’ve experienced
you learned as a child. With those
adult learning “up close and personal”.
thoughts in mind, check off any of the
So take a few moments to check off any
following statements that you think ap-
of the following statements that you
ply to children’s learning:
think apply to adult learning:

Bowperson Publishing & Training, Inc. 775-749-5247 www.Bowperson.com
SBowperson@gmail.com ©2007 All rights reserved.


remembering and using the information
* They want to or need to learn. they were being taught, adults were
learning very little from lectures, as-
* They learn in different ways. signed readings, drills, quizzes, rote
memorization, and examinations.
* They learn best in an informal
environment. The author’s name was Malcolm
Knowles, a Boston university associate
* They see themselves and self-directed professor of adult education. His writ-
and responsible. ings spanned 4 decades, from the 1950s
to the 1980s, and he was almost solely
* They learn best when they have responsible for making two words
hands-on practice. household items in the worlds of teach-
ing, training, and adult learning theory:
* They bring their own past experiences pedagogy and andragogy.
to the learning.

* They learn best when they can relate
new information to what they already
know.

* They have their own ideas to
contribute.

You’re probably thinking by now,
“What’s going on? It’s the same list.”
And you probably checked off all the
statements in both the adult learning list
as well as the children’s learning list. So
read on to discover the most profound
secret about adult learning theory and Pedagogy Versus Andragogy
one that will change your whole percep-
tion about teaching and training adults: For better or worse, Malcolm Knowles
it’s NOT about age! changed the beliefs about adult learning
in the United States. I use the phrase “for
CONCEPTS better or worse” because the effects of
Knowles’ lifelong work had both posi-
Let me tell you a story: Once upon a tive and negative consequences.
time, in the early 1960s and 1970s to be
exact, a college professor wrote a num- First, he said that children learn best
ber of definitive books pointing out that through what he termed “pedagogy,”
the ways most adults were being taught which he defined as “teacher-centered”
– through lecture-based classes – didn’t instruction, where the focus is on lec-
work very well. In fact, in terms of ture-based learning. Second, he said that
adults learn best through “andragogy,”



that is, “learner-centered” instruction, Unwittingly, Knowles did a drastic dis-
where the focus is on experiential-based service to children. He permanently ce-
learning. mented the old paradigm of teacher-
centered instruction for non-adult learn-
Thus, the word pedagogy became syn- ers. He made the assumption that, be-
onymous with learning environments in cause children had been taught with
which children sit passively while in- lecture-based methods since the early
formation is poured into their heads via 1800s, it must be the way children learn
lectures, books, and tests. Knowles used best. Because that was the way it had
this word to describe how children learn. been done for decades, it must be effec-
tive. Circular, “chicken and egg” think-
The word andragogy became synony- ing, to be sure.
mous with hands-on, informal instruc-
tion that is based on the relevant learning
needs of adults. Knowles used this word
to describe how adults learn. In one of
his most famous books, written in the
early 1970’s, titled “The Adult Learner:
A Neglected Species,” Knowles empha-
sized the need for experiential learning
in adult classes and training – a radical
departure from traditional methods of
adult instruction at the time. Knowles’ mistake regarding how chil-
dren learn was understandable. At the
time, there wasn’t much research about
how the human brain learns, meaning
how the brain is hardwired to take in in-
formation, store it, and retrieve it when
the learner needs the information to per-
form some task. The brain research has
been growing since the late 1970s, with
the majority of the published research
appearing from the late 1990s to the pre-
sent.

Adults Versus Children When Knowles realized that traditional
methods of instruction weren’t working
Knowles did adults a huge favor in the for adults, he assumed that it was a mat-
United States: he significantly changed ter of age-difference, not a matter of in-
the perceptions of educators and trainers effective instructional methods to begin
as to what adults need in order learn ef- with. He didn’t have the research indi-
fectively. To that end, he demonstrated cating what we now know: that most
and preached the need for more infor- people, regardless of age, do NOT learn
mal, experiential learning environments best when just sitting, passively listening
for adults. to a lecture.



From Adult Learning
One-Minute Myth or Fact
to Human Learning

The brain research from the past two Sort the cards below
decades proves that human beings learn into two groups by
labeling each card M
best when they are actively involved in
for Myth or F for Fact
the learning process – experiencing a (careful: this isn’t
variety of meaningful, motivating, self- True or False!). Then
directed learning methods in an infor- check your answers.
mal, hands-on learning environment.
This kind of “brain-based” learning de-
scribes human learning. It is NOT based
on age, gender, culture, generation, or 2. Humans like to be
any other arbitrary assumptions. self-directed and actively
1. Humans
learn best by involved in learning.
The truly ironic piece in the whole listening and
paradigm of adult learning theory is that, taking tests. 3. Both children and
forty years after Knowles’ research, adults have their own
much of adult instruction is STILL preferred ways of
pedagogical in nature – lecture-based, learning.
teacher-centered. Although a lot of lip 4. Humans learn better
service is given to Knowles’ adult learn- when they feel good
ing theories, and most train-the-trainer about learning.
programs cite Knowles’ work, lecture- 5. Humans learn dif-
based instruction is still the order of the ferently depending
upon their ages and
day in the majority of adult learning en- abilities.
vironments – even in those classes that
teach about adult learning! Old habits 7. Regardless of their 6. Past experiences are
die hard. ages, humans have important to the human
their own ideas to learning process.
CONCRETE PRACTICE contribute.

8. Informal learning
First, let’s take a look at what you now environments enhance
know about HUMAN learning. Remem- learning.
ber, HUMAN learning refers to how the 9. Relating new
brain remembers, stores, retrieves, and information to what
uses information. It is NOT age-related. they already know is
confusing to learners.
Take a minute to do the Myth or Fact
activity on this page. Then continue
reading. Answer Key
1. M 2. F 3. F
4. F 5. M 6. F
7. F 8. F 9. M
How did you do? If you got them all, bravo!



One-Minute to Choose and Circle. Here is a bit more information to add to
Based on the characteristics of how hu- what you already know:
mans learn, what will be your choices
when designing and delivering your next Use a variety of active learning strate-
training, class, or presentation? Read the gies to involve learners. Examples are:
following list and circle what you will paired and small group discussions,
do. quick games (more collaborative than
competitive), “teach backs” where learn-
I will: ers teach each other what they’ve
learned, quizzes that learners make and
A. Include a variety of instructional take, learner presentations, large group
strategies that involve learners so that discussions, projects, simulations, skits
they are talking, writing, moving, and (often called “role-play”), and the like.
doing topic-related activities, instead of
just listening to me speak. Give learners choices. From a list of
review tasks, let learners decide which
B. Make sure learners are quiet and lis- they wish to do and let them work in
tening to me as I present the information pairs, triads, or small groups to accom-
to them. plish the tasks.

C. Give learners choices of discussion
topics and review activities as they learn
the material.

D. Begin by explaining the agenda, syl-
labus, or overall plan for the learning
experience.

E. Begin by facilitating a discussion
about what learners already know about
the topic. Take time to find out what learners
know. At the beginning of the training,
F. Set up the room with desks, tables, or give them a few minutes do discuss what
chairs in orderly rows in which learners they know or have heard about the train-
face the front of the room. ing topic. Throughout the training, en-
courage them to share comments, ideas,
G. Arrange the room informally, with insights, and opinions with the whole
round tables scattered throughout, or group.
chairs in small cluster groups so that
learners can talk to each other. Create an inviting, friendly, informal
learning environment. Cluster learners
Of course you chose A, C, E, and G, be- into small groups using round tables or
cause you know how humans learn best. chairs arranged in small circles groups.
On the tables, put plenty of colorful felt



pens, colored paper, post-it notes, index **********************
cards, and the like. On the walls, hang This article is part of Sharon’s newest
colorful charts with topic-related infor- book, Training from the BACK of the
mation on them. If possible, provide Room, published by Pfeiffer Co., a divi-
snacks and beverages, or ask learners to sion of John Wiley & Sons. Log onto
bring their own. www.amazon.com for Sharon’s five
popular training books already in print.
CONCLUSIONS
Log onto Sharon’s website at
Your challenge is to take what you know www.Bowperson.com for other free,
about human learning and begin to de- downloadable pdf-formatted articles
sign learning experiences that move about effective training.
from traditional, teacher-centered in-
struction towards more brain- ***********************
compatible, learner-centered instruction. Resources for this article:

One-Minute Think and Write. Think The Accelerated Learning Handbook.
about the topics you teach, train, and David Meier
present. Also think about how you tradi-
tionally instruct adults. On the lines be- How to Give It So They Get It.
low, list a few new instructional Sharon Bowman
strategies you might experiment with,
ones that are compatible with how adults Informal Learning. Jay Cross
really learn, that is, strategies that work
best for human learning. Then include Preventing Death by Lecture.
one or more of these strategies in your Sharon Bowman
next training, and watch the learning
grow! The Ten-Minute Trainer.
Sharon Bowman
________________________________
________________________________ Training from the BACK of the Room.
Sharon Bowman
________________________________
________________________________ **********************
________________________________
Note: See the next page for information
________________________________ about the author.
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________



Author and corporate trainer Sharon
Bowman helps educators and business
people “teach it quick and make it
stick,” - fine-tuning their information-
delivery skills and turning their passive
listeners into active learners.

Sharon is the president of Bowperson
Publishing & Training, Inc., a profes-
sional member of The National Speak-
ers Association (NSA), and the
American Society of Training and De-
velopment (ASTD). Over 70,000 of her
popular training books are already in
print.

For more information about Sharon
Bowman and her books and training,
log onto www.Bowperson.com, or
email her at SBowperson@gmail.com.

For book orders, go to:
www.amazon.com
www.trainerswarehouse.com
Bowperson Publishing at
775-749-5247
***********************


Bag It! A Quick and Remarkably Easy Instructional Design Process.


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