Adult Learning Principles in Action

Complying with adult learning principles while facilitating a learning experience is one of the puzzle pieces for a successful course. The other pieces of this puzzle are competence of facilitator, engagement of participants, quality of content, venue and tools used. The focus of this blog is to provide examples of the application of adult learning principles during a training course. The experienced facilitators are those whose behavior or actions are consistent with many of the adult learning principles.

In my experience as a facilitator, I am guided by the learning principles introduced by Malcolm Knowles. My focus is on the behaviors during my delivery rather than on the principles themselves. Refer to the table below for some examples of the concerned behaviors.

Adult Learning Principles	Examples of Behaviors
Adults have a need to know why	Write the learning objectives and share them with participants.
Adults enter with a self-concept of themselves as responsible grown-ups	Announce that participants can get up and get a cup of tea or coffee.
Adults bring a wealth of experience	Tap into the expertise in the room by asking participants to reflect with real examples.
Adults have a readiness to learn	Be available on breaks and after workshops to answer additional questions and discuss unique situations.
Adults devote energy to those things that will help them	Use a “Parking Lot” flipchart to encourage participants to post their questions and ideas.
Adults are responsive to internal motivators	Get to know participants during some one-on-one time.

Those are only some of the behaviors that any facilitator should possess. Expand your repertoire of actions for a more enriching training experience next time you deliver a training session. Good luck and keep your participants engaged.

Written by: Jimmy Haddad - Partner – Leaders Training Institute