Written by

Michael A. Robinson

Motivating the Adult Learner

Knowles (as cited in Lieb, 2002) suggest that before one can begin to engage an adult learner, they must be able to effectively motivate them. Knowles identified six aspects of adult learner motivation he proclaim are crucial to impacting the learning of adult students: (a) Social relationships: make new friends, to meet a need for associations and friendships; (b) External expectations: comply with instructions from someone else and fulfill the expectations or recommendations of someone with formal authority; (c) Social welfare: improve one’s ability to serve mankind, prepare for service to the community, and improve one’s ability to participate in community work; (d) Personal advancement: achieve higher status in a job, secure professional advancement, and stay abreast of competitors; (e) Escape/Stimulation: relieve boredom, take a break from the routine of home or work, and provide a contrast to other exacting details of life; and (f) Cognitive interest: learn for the sake of learning; seek knowledge for its own sake, and satisfy an inquiring mind.

Engagement Strategies for the Adult Learner

While the field of adult learning remains a relatively new area of study extensive research has been done related to strategies specifically designed to help the adult learner. Most experts in the field refer to the methods as learning strategies; however many see them more as engagement strategies. Whether they are viewed as methods or strategies the primary focus is on engagement. It is essential that adult learners are kept connected and active, which from there the adult learner will learn. There are many factors that impact a student’s ability to learn, so assessing in advance which strategies will be effective in engaging the student to participate in the learning process requires effort on behalf of the instructor. Within the field of Adult Learning theories, practices and models to assist the instructor to impact the success of the Adult Learner are numerous.

One of the more interesting engagement strategies is known as Cooperative Learning. Cooperative Learning is an instructional method in which small groups of learners work together to help each other to achieve a common learning goal. Cooperative Learning’s fundamental premise is to provide an opportunity for communication and the negotiation of ideas to increase the meaning and retention of academic material on the part of the Adult Learner, while allowing for the group to make progress toward their common learning goal (Yi, 2005).

Theorist in the field of adult learning believe that Cooperative Learning is an effective engagement strategy because of its four key components. The first component is that of Positive Interdependence, as the Learners adjust to rely on each other to achieve a common learning goal. The Second component is the Face-to-face Promotive Interaction, when learners help, encourage, and support each other’s effort to learn. A third component is that of Individual Accountability; in this area each learner has a responsibility to contribute to the team’s performance. Finally, the fourth component is Group Processing. This component requires continuously review and methods to improve the group process (Yi, 2005).

While many in the field accept Cooperative Learning it is not without its critics. Researchers Holt, Michael and Godfrey (1997) argued that Cooperative Learning may lead to inefficient allocation of student time and lower learning quality. In addition, others have found that the ineffectiveness of Cooperative Learning may be attributed to a lack of specific rules to accomplish the team’s task (Siciliano, 2001). To overcome this criticism, supporters of Cooperative Learning recommend when incorporating the Cooperative Learning theory to engage the adult learner one should stress the following attributes: (a) Outcomes to be sought; (b) activities involved to enhance the learning and; (c) Evaluation applied, which should include both peer and self-evaluations (Yi, 2005).