FF 0.1 Understanding Adult Learning

It is important for facilitators to know how people learn because such knowledge influences the quality of facilitation, especially in theses areas: 

• The presentation of information
• The generation and processing of data
• The use of participant resources
• The use of different media and ways of working on group tasks

In group work we are regularly generating, organizing, and analyzing data; creating solutions, alternatives, and explanations; enhancing understanding among group members; moving toward consensus; establishing commitment.

It is most important to remember:

• People learn in different ways.
• Different methods facilitate learning for different people.
• Learning in any group will depend on the design of the session.

In adult there are three learning modes: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. In general, people learn through all three modes; but individuals differ in their preferences for, or strengths in, each mode. To account for these differences and to maximize the learning in your group work, it is best to do the following:

• Tell members what they must learn, so they can hear it.
• Show members what they must learn, so they can see it.
• Let members try out what they must learn, so they can do it.

People also differ in how they process information. Some people need to work with the data, engage in conversation about it, and discuss what it means; others need to think about the data, listen to discussions about it, and put the pieces together in their mind.

Key Considerations When Designing or Redesigning Sessions
Always keep the following in mind when designing your sessions initially, or when redesigning as you are facilitating a session:

1. For adults, learning occurs best when it's motivated, not coerced or forced. The participant's motivation comes from the context, relevance, and involvement level of work. 
2. For adults, learning occurs best when it is conducted as a partnership. The facilitator's work with the group, and participants' work with one another, must be a partnership to which each party brings resources and expectations.
3. For adults, learning occurs best when it involves their primary learning mode and is interactive and experiential. They need to stay engaged, use their senses, and utilize their knowledge and skills. They need to be listening, talking, doing, watching, moving, or reading.
4. For adults, learning occurs best when there is an understandable structure and reinforcement. It helps most people to see the whole and the parts, to know where they are going and where they have been.
5. Learning occurs best when people's attention and energy stay engaged and focused, and that is usually impossible if people uncomfortable in their surroundings. The rule is: Discomfort is distracting and saps energy

Thus to keep participants' attention and energy focused on the task at hand, you must ensure that there is a high measure of physical comfort - surrounding with enough space, moderate temperature, good lighting, and so forth - as well as psychological comfort - an open environment in which people feel they can contribute ideas and express their feeling freely, without worry of disapproval and personal attacks.

Putting Your Understanding of Adult Learning into Practice
You can use your knowledge of adult learning in many ways, for many facilitation purposes. Keep these suggestions in mind:

• Be sure all of the logistics and physical environmental needs are taken care of.
• Review and discuss the agenda, get participant input, and ask for agreement.
• As you work with the group, clarify what you are doing or will be doing next. Ask for their input or questions and ask for their acceptance and agreement ("contract").
• Design with optional methods in mind for certain parts of session; then, when facilitating, give the group members a choice when you come to those parts.
• Attend to the psychological environment if people are flat, cautious, or holding back. Ask why.
• Built in ways for group members to share what they know, to interact with each other, and to utilize their skills.
• Built reinforcement into the design by using progress reviews, summaries of key data or decisions, follow-up steps, and repetition of key ideas, words, or phrases.
• Use a group memory to visually capture key information that is provided verbally.

(Justice and Jamieson, 1999, The Facilitator's Fieldbook, HRD, NY. P9~12)