HOW

ADULT
LEARN ?
(DAVID LEIGH, 2006)
BASIC PRINCIPLES in Adult’s Learning
• Learning is a voluntary process
• Responsibility increases learning
• Learning builds on existing knowledge
• Learning moves from the simple to the complicated
• Each person learns at their own pace
• Adults learn best by doing
Learning is a voluntary process

• Merely because someone attends a training course doesn’t,

unfortunately, guarantee that they will learn anything
• For learning to take place, the trainee must be convinced that there is
some direct benefit gained by acquiring that knowledge.
• Whatever the student learns they must learn personally
• No one can learn for them if they don’t want to
• This means that while it is attitude that will decide how much is learnt, it
is the trainer’s job to create an environment where people want to learn.
• It is the trainer’s job to make the subject matter interesting and relevant
so that everyone attending receives something of benefit
Responsibility increases learning

• The good news is that recognizing that the individual controls

whether they learn and at what speed, will in itself increase the
learning process
• Where the trainer has passed over the responsibility for learning to
the individual concerned there has been a measurable increase in
both the amount learnt and the extent of knowledge retained.
Learning builds on existing knowledge

• Adults learn by taking current knowledge and using it as a

foundation to build on.
• The adult capacity to learn is to a great extent dictated by the range
of experiences the individual possesses.
• This is why it is so important to gain some insight into the
background and qualification of those attending the courses for the
training to succeed
Learning moves from the simple to the
complicated
• If adult learning is dependent on existing knowledge it makes sense
to start from the basics and work up gradually to more complicated
concepts.
• If a trainer launches into difficult areas too early they risk losing or
alienating the learner completely
• The lesson plan should guide the participant through the material
step-by-step, grafting new knowledge on to old and verifying that
this has been fully understood before moving forward
Each person learns at their own pace

• Although the trainer provides the learning environment it is the

individual who dictates the rate of learning.
• The trainer can influence the pace by putting trainees of
approximately equal ability together or by changing the balance of
skills completely, but whether this has any effect will ultimately
depend on the people involved.
Adults learn best by doing

• Adult learning increases in direct proportion to the amount of

participation that takes place.
• This means that any lesson plan must provide opportunities for the
group to test their understanding at regular intervals.
• This involvement may be achieved by role playing, case studies,
games or simulations

David Leigh (2006). The Group Trainer’s Handbook : Designing and Delivering Training for Group, 3rd edition.Chapter 3 :
Developing a Lesson Plan.