ANEELAIN UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF MEDICINE
MASTER OF HEALTH PROFESSION EDUCATION

ADULT LEARNING PRINCIPLES

Assing.1 course 2

BY DR.MONA FUAD TAHA GINAWI

Objectives:
SUPERVISOR NAME: DR.NASERELDEN
 Define the adult learning term andragogy
 Compare the adult learning via children learning
 Discuss factors affecting learning
 Define the adult learning principles

Introduction:

Adult learning is differ from the child learning so the educator Knowles put principals for adult
education to improve the learning methods and get the benefit of education.(1)

Andragogy is the term used by American educator known as Knowles as synonymous to adult
education. (2)
Malcolm Knowles define andragogy in 1980 as “art and science of helping adults learn”
compared with pedagogy which is the art and science of helping children learn.
The difference between adult and children learning are in the
They need to know why they should learn something.
They need internal motivation.
They want to know how learning will help them specifically.
They bring prior knowledge and experience that form a foundation for their learning.
They are self-directed and want to take charge of their learning journey.
They find the most relevance from task-oriented learning that aligns with their own
realities. (2)

The way of teaching is more important than the content that why we should learn the principals
of learning and differentiate between adult and child in teaching method.

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There are some factors that affecting the learning method these factors are summarized in the:
learning or training should match the needs of the student, utilizing the familial facilities for
learning, enthusiasm the learner to learn, time for learn and practicing should be enough,
immediate feedback to the trainee help them to assess their knowledge ,exciting methods in
learning are more likely to be remembered.(2)

Educator or Trainer play an important role in learning therefor the principles of adult learning
should be considered effectively to get the maximum benefit.(3)

What are the principles of adult learning?

Knowles’ 5 Assumptions of Adult Learners

1. Self-Concept
As a student mature he moves from dependent student to self-directed student.
Adults have willing to learn and have great reservoir of motivation and know the direct benefit of
learning. Learning programs should clearly demonstrate what the learner gains from their
interaction, or learners will be quick to disengage. Show the value of the content, and learners
will be much more likely to engage with it. Online learning is an example of self-directed
learning.

Tips for using this principle:

 Use learning outcomes to demonstrate the value and benefits of the learning material.
 Curate learning paths that are tailored to your company, to better serve learners.
 Make accessing knowledge simple, to help employees get started.(1)

2. Adult Learner Experience

Learners will combine their own experiences and observations to gain a more full understanding
of concepts
The student depend on himself and increase resources for learning.

Tips for using this principle:

 Provide bias training, to help learners understand how to acquire new information that
might be at odds with their previous experience.
 Develop training materials that draw heavily on scenarios that learners will face in their
day-to-day roles.

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 3. Readiness to Learn
An organization should connect learning to real-world applications and give learners
the opportunity to quickly apply new knowledge in their roles.
Tips for using this principle:

 Focus on delivering knowledge that can quickly be applied in the learner’s day-to-day
role.
 Set aside time after knowledge acquisition for learners to practice their new skills.

4. Orientation to Learning
Adult need to know how the information are relevant.
Tips for using this principle:

 For all types of learning content, demonstrate both short and long-term benefits to
learners.
 Provide many types of content, allowing learners to engage with the types they feel most
relevant for them.
 Relate materials to each role by tailoring the learning path.

5. Motivation to learn by advanced methods

as a person matures the motivation to learn is internal. By offering a variety of
learning paths, with different formats, a learner is able to acquire knowledge in a wide variety of
manners and successfully contextualize it.

Tips for using this principle:

 Be flexible about learning, it doesn’t only happen in a classroom! Look for new ways
to transmit information.
 Remember that people learn differently, and provide many ways to access
knowledge.

Conclusion:

The experience gained throughout the life help the learner to get firmer grasp of their learnig and
translate what he learned to real life. Understanding different adult learning theories and
strategies can help an adult educator be even more successful. Knowing the learning method,
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understanding the strengths and weaknesses adult learners may have, and preparing for
individual strengths can help the adult learner to success. (2)

References:

1. 8 Adult Learning Principles _ Use them in Your Training.

2. Adult Learning Theories and Principles.

3. Shorlin S, Consultant T, Education M, Centre S. Principles of Adult

Learning. 2004;24:2004.

Lectures for first year in medicine

This is changing period for students from dependent learners to self-directed learners they need a
support and explanation to the new methods of learning how to prepare for the lecture, how to
use the references, how to get the wright and exact information,etc.

My lectures is Introduction to the physiology

Objectives:

Students define the terminology of physiology

Students identifying the main systems in the body

Students get the references and know how to study

Lecture:

Before the lectures gives the student lecture notes of 3 papers contain some definitions and
terminologies

The lecture style is visualized depend on PowerPoint slides.

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In between the slides there are questions for students to define one of the terminologies.

At the end of the lectures explain to the students how the use the references.

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