Adult Learning

1. Adult Learning in the
Workplace
By
Tayla Anderson
Kaplan University
Dr. Cardenas
February 22, 2014

2. Interview Background
• The interviewee is a female who has been employed by her company for over
six years.
• The interviewee trains new employees, young and old, as they enter the
company.
• The interviewee trains and supervises new employees on various positions
within the company.
• The interview questions for this assignment focuses on some of the learning
characteristics of adult learners in a formal, corporate environment.

3. Interview Questions
• What is the hardest part of teaching adult learners?
• Which teaching tool do you think works best for teaching adult learners, visual
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representations or verbal explanations?
What methods do adult learners use to help them understand their company role(s)?
How active are adult learners in their learning? Do they prefer to ask questions or listen?
When a problem arises, do adult learners exhibit frustration easily or do they calmly work
through the problem?
When comparing young adult learners to older adult learners, which group learns their
company role(s) the quickest?

4. What is the Hardest Part of Teaching Adult
Learners?
• Getting adult learners to listen.
• Most of the adult employees who come into the company feel as if they
know the job or they feel as if they can learn the job on their own.

5. Which Teaching Tool do You Think Works
Best, Visual Representation or Verbal
Explanations?
• Neither.
• The best method is trial and error. The adult employees learn by making
errors.

6. How Active are Adult Learners in their
Learning? Do they Prefer to Ask Questions or
Listen?
• Neither.
• Adult employees do not ask questions nor do they listen. They come with a
preconceived idea that they already know the job.

7. When a Problem Arises, Do Adult Learners Exhibit
Frustration Easily or do they Calmly Work Through
the Problem?
• Work through the problem.
• Despite the training that adult employees receive, many of the adult employees
prefer to figure things out on their own.

8. When Comparing Young Adult Learners to Older
Adult Learners, Which Group Learns their
Company Role(s) the Quickest?
• Older adult learners.
• Older adult learners are more serious about their work; willing to work hard.
• Young adult learners tend to joke and play on the job; wanting the rewards of
working without the work.

9. Summary
• Adult learners approach learning with an assumption that they already have
some knowledge about the teaching topic.
• Adult learners learn best by learning through their own mistakes. Trial and
error.
• Between older adult learners and young adult learners, it is easier to teach
older adult learners. Older adult learners take their work more seriously and
they are willing to work harder.