How Adults Learn Trivia Quiz

Answer: They are confident about being in school

According to Malcolm Knowles, andragogy theorist, adult students tend to be "self-directed", though they appreciate assistance from instructors. They typically have rich life experiences and have worked in the public or private sector for a number of years. Due to their hands-on experiences, they have a lot to offer in an educational setting. Also, they usually return to college to meet personal goals.

While they may enjoy learning for its own merit, few have the luxury to pay for classes just because the subject is interesting.

While many of them have been successful in their professional lives, and are highly intelligent, most adult learners are not confident when they first return to school. They may feel that they are too old or too out of touch with current educational practices--especially in the area of technology. (Stephen Lieb, 1991).

Answer: When they are allowed to discuss their life experiences

Adult learners prefer to participate in class, as opposed to listening to lectures. They want to share the vast store of knowledge they have accumulated over the years. Once they realize that their experiences and knowledge are useful and meaningful, they gain confidence in their own abilities.

Answer: False

Unlike their younger counterparts, adults usually have more of a choice when deciding to go to college. The ones who hate school do not go back. The ones who decide to go back at an older age may be intimidated, but they don't dislike school. Whether they love the subject or are highly motivated by their personal goals, the adult learner WANTS to be in school.

Answer: "Hands on" learning

Adult students, with their financial and familial obligations, may not always come to class wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. Adults typically take evening classes, after having already worked a full day and/or making arrangements for their children. Therefore, constant reading, direct instruction, and/or lecture may cause many adults to lose focus and "zone out". Adults need hands-on, reality-based experiences to make learning meaningful. Stephen Brookfield notes, "...almost every textbook on adult education practice affirms the importance of experiential methods such as games, simulations, case studies, psychodrama, role play and internships". (International Encyclopedia of Education, 2008).

Answer: Andragogy

Both Alexander Kapp and Malcolm Knowles, researchers in the field of adult learning, used the term andragogy to describe the teaching of adults. The word is meant to be a meaningful counterpart to pedagogy, which relates to the science of children's learning.

Answer: They make connections between new content and prior knowledge

Like children, adults establish new knowledge by building upon what they already know. Unlike children, adults have a much broader knowledge base to build upon. This is usually an unconscious process, with the learner rarely aware of when he or she has fully grasped a topic. Learning is also comprised of physiological processes, which involve "intricate arrangements of cell materials, electrical charges, and chemical elements" as well as a major use of brain power and energy. (Marcia L. Conner, "How Adults Learn," 1995).

Answer: Repetitive

Contextual learning refers to learning that is based upon real-life experiences. An example would be teaching Education students the literacy concept of "persuasive writing" by having the students write a persuasive letter to parents (such as they would do in real life). Conceptual learning, on the other hand, stresses that learning is based upon students' ability to structure their knowledge in a linear sequence and then mentally picture each sequence. Finally, learning must be sequential--each idea building on and enriching the previous idea.

Adults can use repetition in limited capacity, but memorization rarely correlates to actual learning.

Answer: Intuitive intelligence

The theory of multiple intelligences was developed by Dr. Howard Gardner in 1983. Gardner was an education professor at Harvard University. He proposed that children and adults acquire knowledge using various intelligences, which he outlined as:

Linguistic intelligence ("word smart")
Logical-mathematical intelligence ("number/reasoning smart")
Spatial intelligence ("picture smart")
Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence ("body smart")
Musical intelligence ("music smart")
Interpersonal intelligence ("people smart")
Intrapersonal intelligence ("self smart")
Naturalist intelligence ("nature smart")

(Thomas Armstrong, PhD, 2000)

Answer: Lack of time due to work and family

In 2005, the National Adult Learning Survey (NALS) identified the leading obstacles faced by adult learners: lack of time due to employment reasons (45%) and family obligations (32%).

Answer: All of these

A segment of adults who enroll in college do so because it is required for continued employment. This is an unfortunate trend for those who would not have returned otherwise. For many other adults, however, returning to college allows them to "move up" in their field.

It also enables them to learn new skills and expand their existing knowledge. Finally, the personal satisfaction one gains from succeeding in the academic environment is reason enough for many.