Adults as learners

Since many of the persons who take online courses are adults, it is especially important for those facilitating such courses to understand how adults approach the learning situation.

By the very nature of adulthood, adults are responsible for most aspects of their lives. As learners, they usually have a fairly well defined idea what it is that they are seeking and how they want to experience the new knowledge. They come to the learning situation as volunteers, and have the power to engage in, withdraw from, or subvert the proceedings at any stage depending on how they perceive the fulfillment of their expectations. If they choose to engage, they will do so with purpose and enthusiasm. They will explore some of the information in depth, as they try to fit what they are learning with their goals in choosing to be part of the experience.

In most cases adults will bring a wealth of relevant life experiences to the learning encounter. They will have a context to which they can relate the new skills or knowledge, or they will have future situations where they can envisage the application of what they have just learned. Their past experiences can be resources for themselves and others as they come to the learning situation. Since adults pass through a number of developmental stages related to aging or maturation, they will be inclined to reinterpret the new knowledge in terms of their current stage or transition phase. In a group situation, this makes for a rich tapestry of interpretation and exploration.

Adults are, for the most part, self-directed. They want to take responsibility for their own learning. They want to have a say in shaping the learning experience and often have very definite ideas about their likes and dislikes.