With the advancement in technology and the importance of upskilling in today’s world, the concept of adult learning has gained importance. However, motivating adult learners to study is not as easy as motivating schoolgoers.
Adults have a lot to deal with daily and hence, their minds are always occupied with various things. You can narrate motivational quotes for students and reward young children with chocolates and pastries, to motivate them however, for the adults such ways usually do not work.
Ways To Motivate Adult Learners
With lots of responsibilities on their heads, adults usually lack the motivation to learn. They might be close-minded which adds to the difficulty of a teacher in motivating them. Furthermore, without motivation, learning becomes tough. however, it is not impossible to motivate adult learners. Here are some tips on how to motivate adult learners to study:
Make Learning Relevant
Adults lead a busy life and have little time for free time for other work. So, if they have to invest their time in learning, the course should be as relevant as possible.
Most adults believe their schooling days are over, therefore, the key to making adult education appealing is to make the course material as relevant and tailored to the student’s career and personal growth goals as possible.
When you link the knowledge and the information that you provide to the needs of the learners in a way that they believe will help them grow professionally, the motivation to learn is guaranteed.
Integrate Mobile Learning
Mobile learning does not bind the adults to sit at a place to study. They can attend sessions and classes while travelling to the office, or learn whenever possible on their mobile phones at the ease of their fingertips. This gives them the freedom, control and flexibility in their learning process and a better learning experience. It also serves as a major motivation because they can control their learning process.
Online teaching through mobile is the need of the hour. Adults have a hard time managing time to attend offline classes and it restricts them. With an already busy schedule in hand, learning is likely to be at the bottom of their list of priorities. Hence, giving a choice of learning through mobile acts as a motivation to them.
Use Humour
Humour is like potato, goes well with every age group. Being funny motivates the learners to attend the classes because it interests them and does not make the class boring. Learning should not be stressful and humour acts like anticatalyst.
Integrate Different Learning Methods
Every adult will have a different learning preference. Some might learn better through visuals while some prefer reading through the material. Whatever way one prefers, it cannot be ignored.
Similarly, some students might prefer teachers to give them space and freedom to learn at their own pace while some might want to constantly engage with the teachers through workshops and solving exercises.
Offer and Take Feedback
You should offer constructive and practical feedback to the adult learners so that they know about their progress and what is expected from them. Also, try to give them feedback from different perspectives like peer-assessment, self-assessment, and teacher feedback.
Just like you give feedback, take feedback from them as well. Ask them about what they expect from you and your course, what changes they would want, any recommendations, etc. As a teacher, you should be open to constructive criticism and feedback from your students.
Final Thoughts
Learning is not restricted by age of a person. Similarly, learning also should not be boring for adult learners. Losing motivation to learn after a certain age is normal, however, it is important to push yourself beyond your limits and stay motivated throughout the learning process. A teacher must acknowledge this and work towards keeping their learners motivated throughout their learning process.