Becoming a Better Learner - Foundation 2 PDF

Becoming a Better Learner Preface and Introduction Becoming a better learner is a matter of strong beliefs. Beliefs that can help you take life-changing decisions for yourself and influence your counterparts. A lot has been said about how to be the best version of yourself. There are hoards of boo...

Becoming a Better Learner Preface and Introduction Becoming a better learner is a matter of strong beliefs. Beliefs that can help you take life-changing decisions for yourself and influence your counterparts. A lot has been said about how to be the best version of yourself. There are hoards of books that one can find on self-help, financial freedom and empowerment. We are not going to go down that alley. What is special about this module is that it does not tell you how to be the best - but start getting better. Take smaller steps, affirm to take those steps and change your course of action. A game changer cannot experience an overnight success. One can only let that happen if the readiness to learn and exercise the mental capacities is taken into consideration. This module provides you with the various ways an adult learner functions. As an adult, staying in the process of learning is quite daunting if not tedious. This module here would give you an insight into how adult learners are motivated and how to control the obstacle triggers. You would be able to discover your learning abilities and how the various learning theories are relevant in nurturing your potential. The theories provide you detailed information about how different types of learners learn under different conditions. This will act as a prologue to understanding how motivation works. In connection to motivation, you would advance into knowing your unique learning styles. The activities provided in every chapter would help you to discover how all these factors contribute equally to making you the better learner. For adults an academic gap brings along a lot of inhibitions and lack of awareness. This module would help you to understand the multiple ways that you can fill the gaps and take on your journey in the 21st century. A little peek into being a lifelong learner in the end helps you to come across a very important habit of mind that is long forgotten. It’s time to revive the practices! Here’s hoping that this subject serves as a guide in your personal journey of becoming the better learner in any field of study. Chapter 1 Adult learner Inputs:  Introduction  Who is an adult learner?  Age group of the adult learners  Roadblocks to learning  Realization of education needs  Conclusion Introduction When we look at the word “learner”, it brings in a visual of your younger self, doesn’t it? Well, this is exactly what we need to shake off. There is a thin line of difference between a student and a learner. The visual that you get connects to the former. When being a student you are usually looking at particular subjects to study, assignments to meet deadlines, devote time to master certain areas of knowledge and finally qualify the tests to move further and finish your academic life quite successfully. The next step is when one prepares to be eligible to associate with a field of work. Only a few fields like that would require extra preparations apart from your school and university qualifications. This brings us to that phase of an adult’s life when there is a substantial gap or a complete detachment from education or being a student. After some years of this disengagement when an adult decides to accommodate learning in their priority list, it brings in a lot of factors that help amplify the process as well as contribute to the hindrances. At this point the adult wants to learn out of choice or need. So being a student over here brings in the use of localised interests and objectives. That is, the incorporation of this long-lost habit has to be relevant and directed towards the current needs of the adult. The process of absorbing information and synthesizing the growth is more dependent on the adult and not entirely on the guidance received from the environment unlike what might be the case majority of the times in school. The adult then, moves to the phase of evaluating internal and external factors and are quite in tune with their possible potential. When such characteristics are shown, theoretically it can be proved that such is the idea of being a learner. Now it is debatable that whether or not adults show the student vs. learner traits. There are young learners who would have such personalities and abilities. For adults, this difference exists in majority of the cases. Who is an adult learner? Adult learners are a diverse group of people. By diversity here it means the relevance of age, gender, cultural, socio-economic and professional backgrounds. The diversities often lead to the adult classroom to comprise of learners from different stages of life. The learners gather together for a particular program with different personal or professional needs. They are also the participants with responsibilities and commitments toward family and other priorities pertaining to their current society. Adult learners often show diversity in their opinions. This comes from the fact that their walks of life are moulded by the experiences that they gather once they move ahead from the protective and guided environment created for them by parents or the academic life during their growing up years. The experiences majorly result in the different personalities that they bring forward in the learning process. In return, it relatively affects the triumphs and tribulations faced while being a learner. It is debatable whether there is a strong differentiation between young learners and adult learners. However, what makes them different is the experience gathered in this latter half of their lives. The major difference that sustains would be unlike adult learners, young learners do not have enough freedom of choice to explore their needs and receive education according to the same. Apart from that when it comes to other prominent differences like attention span, retention of information, etc., young learners are more expressive so these traits are evident. For an adult learner such expressions depend on how they look at their payouts of learning. Time management for adults is a major concern since they would have other responsibilities to look after. The introduction of online learning has removed the issue forever. Of course, there are underlying issues in accepting the virtual/digital way of education. But the benefits of this alternative option have paved the path for various programs related to skills and knowledge to get the limelight. It has helped to make the move from the traditional thought of a real- time classroom quite a reality. So to sum up, adult learners:  Welcome online learning.  Sign up for non-degree and degree programs based on their needs.  Intend to return to learning after a substantial “academic gap”.  May look for refresher programs to upgrade. Age group of the adult learners To plan, design and evaluate the educational programs, the consideration of the developmental stage of the learners is extremely significant. It determines the instructional strategies to be implemented in order to achieve the learning outcomes. The more heterogeneous the learning group, the more such considerations become important. An individual’s age and the developmental stage significantly influence one’s ability to learn and stay in learning. The developmental stage not only includes the cognitive capacities but also the physical and psychological changes. Stage- specific learning needs are to be understood not only by the educators but also by the learner so that the investment of time and money is worth the possibilities. For example, when looking for a job shift, one can certainly change streams but assessing one’s individual abilities would make the learning experience more real and let you look at the alternative possibilities in a practical way. Adult learners are majorly divided into these three categories:  Young adulthood  Middle adulthood  Late adulthood Understand that these categories only give us an insight into the cognitive and psychological differences. The physical differences may vary. This would be further discussed in chapter 2. Young adult hood (Ages 20-35) Also known as early adulthood, the physical abilities are at its best capacities during this stage that comes with a few exceptions, of course. Overall, the physical developments are complete. Psychologically they are emerging to have individual personalities based on the conditioning and the education received in the younger ages. Early adulthood is the crucial phase where there is a gradual or drastic change in a few areas of responsibilities. The priorities are now based on how one looks at the life. There are a lot of optional plans sketched for the future. This includes daily routine to financial investments. While the beginning of this phase witnesses the accumulation of knowledge from experiences, towards the end of the phase, the adult begins to develop wisdom. Middle adult hood (Ages 35-60) The aging process becomes prominent than ever. This results in a lot of psychological changes. That has a strong impact on how internally one channels the personality to sustain the changing times. Middle adulthood brings in a lot of resilience towards the thought process of the younger generation and conflicts in accepting the new ideas. Although in some cases, this is not applicable. In some cases, this impacts the learning process. For example, if the instructor seems younger to the participants, a few of them might not be ready to accept facilitation from him or her. Cognitive processing of information and retention of the same seem to slow down. On the brighter side, practical skills of problem solving tend to become more developed. There might be varied personalities; however, the ability to figure out the best practice to achieve a desired goal seems to be at its complete form. This happens due to the transitional phase in the beginning where they start using their wisdom to look at problems and ways to solve them. People during the transitional period from young to middle adulthood go through a state of crisis that definitely affects the personalities and impacts their journey of being a learner. The crises can be of the following kinds:  Seeking a goal that is undefined or partially known to them  A sense of regret and self-doubt for not being able to achieve the goal  Anxiety or fear to get humiliated among peers  Longing to get back the years of youthfulness  Selectively social Late adulthood (60 years and older) Towards the end of the middle adulthood, this stage tends to overlap. At times a few changes are prominent in the previous stage already. There is a visible stagnation of cognitive development. Adults at this age go through a cumulative process of synthesizing the experiences that they have gathered throughout the years. Adults at this age are less to be seen to have decided to take up learning or sign up for any program. A sense of retirement from priorities makes them rather mindful of all the years of experiences and what to conclude about the realities of life. Adults at this stage, when they decide to learn, it has mostly to do with programs that would help them understand the existential and intangible aspects of life. Activity-1 1. At which stage of adulthood do you identify yourself to be? 2. How do you think your personality and cognitive abilities has an influence over you to be a learner? Roadblocks to learning This is quite self-explanatory. Since adult learners tend to decide for themselves, the barriers to learning are often personal. The reasons are many and they are subjected to a lot of factors. Usually, the barriers that are experienced would be:  Hectic schedules.  Work-life responsibilities.  Peer pressure to engage in unreasonable recreation.  Multiple shift jobs  Tight budget and/or loans  Lack of confidence to take the right step  Lack of awareness about the services and the programs  Bureaucracy and red tape  Lack of readiness to learn Realization of educational needs Even after all these major obstacles, the education industry is constantly experiencing a rise in adult learning groups and the popularity of adult education. Let us look at the few areas that have made this trend an ongoing possibility. 1. To find a new career map - It is one of the most popular reasons that adults are looking to make a comeback to education. After a couple of decades, one may feel the absence of passion or dedication for the job and decides to follow another path. To enter the new field of work, one must return learning about the tricks of the new trade. It may not be always a case of job dissatisfaction. At times learners are known to have declared that they would like to pursue something with less work load or something that would help them to have enough time to connect with the activities and hobbies that were long forgotten because of the hustle. The reasons may vary. 2. To find more financial opportunities- Adult learners are often seen to sign up for programs that would help them to refresh their skills and upgrade their knowledge to make themselves fit the bill for a senior job role or a promotion. A lot of leadership and managerial studies have opened up in due course that have made these aspirations feel substantial with some extra training. 3. To create an alternative income option- This goes without saying how “side hustle” has become the password to supplement your existing income. With the economy becoming quite an irony to the current living standards, adults face a lot of financial issues globally. The banking sector feeds on the short-term loan borrowers which are a result of the evolving structures of economy. So, to avoid debt or in general to continue to enjoy a better standard of living, adults often get back to education to learn a new trade. A trade or an expertise that would yield a sizeable addition to the personal finance. 4. To finish the degree- This is an important reason to be listed here. After long years of working as a professional in a certain sector, adult learners who dropped out of college get a clear picture of the importance of the degree. Dropping out of college may happen simply by choice. Otherwise, the rising college fees, or getting caught up with family responsibilities quite early in life are a couple of other reasons. 5. Updating an existing skill- A lot of refresher programs are designed keeping in mind the changing trends of the various job sectors. Open-minded adults are often seen to have that desire to upgrade themselves to learn about the modern designs of work. 6. To make the switch to entrepreneurship- After working in a particular sector for years, one might want to branch out and start his or her own business. The real challenge that lies in the way is to understand the business from the employer’s point of view. That requires an explicit knowledge about the structural, financial, administrative, managerial aspects along with finding out the niche for the business. Is it going to be something mainstream or an area that is yet to be explored? Decision-making is a core component and it is a skill that is limited when you are a professional working as an employee. When the tables turn, a proper knowledge helps to build up a clear-cut base to take that leap. All these reasons make adults return to education when one decides to gain the business skills. There are a lot of other reasons which work at a micro level. With the online, blended or hybrid opportunities rising every day, education for adults is no more an impossibility, rather an excellent investment! Activity-2 1. Note down your educational goals. 2. Reflect on your purpose to return to learning and stay in learning.  Conclusion A diverse group of people, adult learners have very distinct and individual learning needs. The world has become more open toward the education for adults. The barriers can be many, however, if one focus on the purpose to return and stay in learning, exploring the opportunities become a part of one’s lifestyle choices. Chapter 2 Adult learners: Sustaining the barriers in a formal setting Inputs  Introduction  Adult learners as defined over the years  Reflective quiz- Activity  External and internal barriers to learning  Control the challenges  Conclusion Introduction When a discussion about the struggles of adult learning happens, the majority of the times it is only about the difficulties that follow a long list. Rarely, psychologists and/or educators have done some work to provide solution to these issues. In this chapter we are going to look at the barriers in the learning process limited to an institutional structure and what are the possible techniques and tricks a learner can apply and learn more efficiently. The chapter is divided into 3 phases:  In the first phase you would find how different theorists have come up with various ways to define adult learners. Note that, much as we understand adults as a group of learners who are in process of continuous development, it is a collective term and there are folds to identifying the various study groups under the umbrella. The definitions are however strict to describing adult learners as a one whole community without going into deeper specifications of the groups.  In the second phase you would find the possible institutional barriers as discussed by researchers and experts.  The final phase would give you an elemental idea of how to identify and work toward keeping them down to their least possibilities. Adult learners as defined over the years Note that all the definitions from the literature explained below would provide a chance to get variable perspectives towards understanding the adults as learners. According to Merriam and Caffarella, adult learners in general are those who may or may not participate in an active learning process. The association with learning can be a conscious decision or a result of biological and experiential maturation. They have defined adult learners as being “remarkably consistent: white, middle class, employed, younger and better educated than the non-participants.” It is one definition in the adult education theory that is strictly relevant to culture and so it remains unacceptable and not convincing enough for the majority of the cultures around the globe who do not fit into the list. Moreover, it is also regarded as offensive based on the biasness that is prominent in terms of skin colour, economic status, age group and judgments in support of receiving education. In 21st century this is rather regressive and do not imply open mindedness which is pivotal in imparting education. Compared to the above theory, Knowles’ definition is highly realistic and technical. He identified adult learners as:  Autonomous and self-directed  Accumulated a lot of work-life experiences  Relevancy- oriented  More problem-centred than subject-centred   Self-motivated Jane Vella also acknowledged the above characteristics in her theory of dialogue education where she added that “while people may register for the same program, they all come with different experience and expectations.” She agrees to Knowles’ ideas of adults as learners. She confirmed in her theory that no two adults think alike and that they understand and think from their individual perspectives. Perspectives mostly include experiences from their personal and professional spheres. Finally, she also added that adult learners need to see immediate results in whatever they are learning. That gives us a strong hint into the areas where the facilitator of the adult learning group needs to be dynamic enough to respond to such expectations and strategize the skill development activities accordingly. This creates a positive learning atmosphere where the attitudes of the learners toward their work remain constructive. Michael W. Galbraith is another contributor in defining adult learners. He considered adults as different not only from children but he went about creating a strict difference in personalities between the college going youths (and new entrants into the office culture) and the working (and experienced) adults. He went on further stating that “it is erroneous to speak of the adult learner as if there is a generic adult that can represent all adults.” That brings us to the conclusion as to identifying a standard definition of adults as learners is a tricky task since the group has diverse objectives and complex motives. Here is the silver lining to it- due to this exact diversity, learning in a challenging and critical setting becomes a rewarding factor. Here is a reflective quiz for you! How do you define yourself as an adult learner? You can take help from the word bank below. planner creative resourceful proactive achiever methodical initiator calm unique ambitious focussed thoughtful witty popular sensitive procrastinator pragmatic Get to know yourself! According to the leading theorists and experts, there are majorly two distinct barriers. They are either extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic barriers are conditional and it depends on the variants of environments a learner is present. Intrinsic barriers are temperamental. That goes along the lines of the various personality types learners exhibit in a learning atmosphere. The personal factors and the attitude toward co-learners, instructor and learning depend on these extrinsic factors. At times such mind sets can also be made up with concealed motives. So, the barriers can be looked at from this perspective: The external barriers can be summed up into these possibilities:  The age factor: A lot of times adult education and the curriculum is designed keeping in mind the term adult learners as a collective term for a mixed group of people coming together for a specific area of development of choice. When we say mixed, majority of the times it is about the backgrounds, cultures, professional experiences among other visual records that a learner brings in with the personality. A vital point that is often missed is the age group. In a Business English class where the objective is need based, the needs can be there for a 35-year old as well as a more experienced 50-year old. With age, there are a lot of physical challenges that kind of become major obstacles in the path of learning. Although challenges can be there in younger adults in the class yet the chances of  such possibilities would be more prominent among the older ones of the lot. Easy movement of muscles, general loss of vision or hearing contribute to the lack of interest or the struggle to learn. This also affects the mental capacities and that creates a huge gap especially when there are standardized tests involved. Physical differences as such are generally not taken into consideration.  Health and life events: This is sort of connected to the last point. Chronic illness, disorders or a history of a major accident or a condition affect the motivation of the adult learners in a bigger way as compared to other general physical differences. Such acute and chronic disorders usually leave the person susceptible to exhaustion and mental fatigue. They might also cause pain. For example, somebody with a scoliosis may be found standing up for a while and then sit down only to repeat that after a while. Such things are usually not taken into consideration. Such conditions leave very little enthusiasm to participate in learning activities.  Family roles: Changes in family roles, like getting married, having kids, etc. Such changes in family roles bring in different sets of responsibilities and on the whole, it majorly affects one’s personality. When such changes happen during or some time before a possible learning exposure, it directly weighs in or out the interest to learn and stay in learning for the entire duration of the program. This is applicable to anyone, irrespective of gender and cultures.  Initial reason to attend the program: While we talk about these above factors as barriers that appear during the learning period, the conditions that led one to decide on signing-up for a program also contribute to the external barriers to adult learning. For example, if the sole purpose to join the classes was for the sake of job security, the learner may be just following the protocol and not exactly bringing in curiosity or motivation to participate.  Lack of research and awareness: Numerous times it is witnessed by instructors and adult training professionals that, there would be sign-ups where the learners are not too sure about their purpose of attending the program/workshop. They might know the objectives from the toolkit but may not be able to conclude its relevance in their professional lives. Surprisingly enough there would be times when adult learners take up classes only to “accumulate certificates” and exhaust the merits of the same. This situation saw a sudden rise during the COVID-19 lockdown periods. When learners do not have a clear objective, this directly affects the lack of participation and eagerness to absorb the best of the takeaways from the sessions. The internal barriers can be considered from the following factors:  Traditional learning mindset from the school years: When adults take classes to learn something, they tend to revive the traditional ways of learning which were popularly accepted during the times they went to school. On an average an adult in their 30’s-40’s today must have gone to school in the late 1980’s or the 1990’s. In majority of the cultures, teachers during those times kept the learning process intensively controlled that led to the popularity of rote learning methods. The classes were made more theoretical without less use of collaboration. As a result, the adult learners then were conditioned to believe this to be the only way to learn. In the present scenario, as an adult the thinking abilities lose the elasticity to engage into such ways. However, the strong conditioning brings mental clashes and affects their eagerness to remain in learning. For example, “rote memorization is necessary in education”, “forgetting is a problem” and “there are right and wrong answers”.  Unlearn and relearn: The whole process of altering or putting a stop to compare past experience with the newly learnt inputs often put the adult learners in a spot where they are not ready to explore the new perspectives any further. This also applies to the times when  localizing the references makes it easier to understand the new ideas. The new information now becomes a rather independent chunk of input without the learner being able to apply it or learn it along the lines of the existing skill or information.  Tendency to multitask: Adults master the skill of multitasking when it comes to juggling life roles and responsibilities. It is good in a practical way where a disciplined learning is not involved. Adult learners tend to find it difficult to focus on one thing at a time and try to accomplish a lot at once which yields less or no productivity as per expectations.  Personal skepticism: Adults tend to go through a process of self doubt while learning something new. The inhibitions and lack of initiative make them lose confidence in their abilities. They get easily anxious and worry about not being able to successfully adjust themselves in the learning atmosphere. Yet again, this barrier can be connected to the conditioning from the school years. For example, if an adult was labeled as someone who was an average learner in school or was not treated fairly, chances are that the self doubt is indeed prominent. The ones who were frequently appreciated for their excellence in school, starts to doubt themselves as now they set the bar high keeping their achievements in their mind from the academic years. Control the challenges In spite of all the internal and external obstacles, adult learning has existed successfully for years. Just as how adults realize their shortfalls, they become more flexible or open to solutions that would help them to become better learners. The right opportunity, assistance and guidance go a long way in providing a positive learning experience. Adults as individuals have their different needs. So, strategies that help the learners to look at support as a claim and not a privilege should be established. In a classroom setting an adult learner can learn best when the program and the facilitator maintain flexible scheduling of the inputs. A non-threatening and altruistic environment in a classroom proves ideal for adult learners. The facilitator should not only apply these to all kinds of strategies and activities in the classroom but also reiterate these ground rules in the class so that the learners are reminded to maintain a respectable and empathetic attitude toward each other. Only then there would be a harmony in understanding each other as co-learners and peers. The learners can be then be involved in a more liberal way to listen, communicate, observe voice, create and present their expected learning outcomes. To create a positive learning atmosphere for oneself and the co-learners, in a formal learning setting a learner can adopt the following measure:  Voice your opinion in a group to not establish your knowledge but to collaborate with other ideas and opinions.  Make sure you are able to share ideas and not shy away and in case, you are clueless, do not hesitate to confess that- remember that all the learners are on the same boat!  Diagnose your best learning practice. Do you learn by observing or by doing?  Identify personal learning objectives on top of the curriculum objectives. This would help you to focus on one thing at a time.  Spend some time with yourself to identify the resources that would help you to learn better. Do you think you would learn from class participation or a pre-class reading of the resource material would be useful?  Plan your priorities. Learning for adults do not usually cover long academic years. So, to put it in your best efforts, you can make advance  arrangements for your study time where your chores and other responsibilities do not clash; till the program is over.  Self-assessment is the key! Along with that keep an open mind to ask your peers to assess your performance. In this manner, a learner can not only prove the individual worth but also prepares themselves to be better team player and a leader for future initiatives and opportunities. Making the best use of the autonomous quality an adult learner can create a deep bond with the facilitator and the peers. Subsequently, the reward becomes visible and the learning experience brings about a wholesome change in the personality as a learner. Conclusion Adult learners are not expected to be technical with the content of the curriculum nor are they looked at as personalities who question their individual learning abilities. The challenges would always be there, the idea is to tackle them without being sceptical or doubtful about the self-worth. Now that the barriers are discussed and the tips to overcome the struggles are also listed, you as a learner should now be ready to walk on the path of lifelong learning. When you implement the above mentioned measures, you automatically create a climate conducive to learning and see yourself with parity with your co-learners in terms of learning abilities. Chapter 3 Adult learning theories Inputs:  Introduction  Differences between young and adult learners  Learning theories  Andragogy  Self-directed learning  Experiential learning  Action learning  Project based learning (PBL)  Transformational learning  Conclusion Introduction Pursuing education as an adult has a clear motive. The reasons are variable; it can be an upgrade to boost your job possibilities, for self-improvement, a specific skill that you want to master, etc. Whatever may be the combination or a solo cause, education for older learners do not take the same shape of the discipline and atmosphere that one would find in a school. It is dominantly non-traditional and open to choices where owning up to the responsibilities is a major point to consider. If you have made up your mind to pursue education as an adult, you need to have a clear understanding of how an adult learns. This clears up the cloud in your head for starters and also helps you devise the study plans effective for yourself. To know more about this gray area, let us take a look at the various differentiations in learning between young and adult learners. Differences between young and adult learners Young learners Adult learners Education is based on teaching the Education is based on amplifying fundamentals of knowledge that is existing knowledge. The learners maintained through an authorized receive developmental proficiency that curriculum and approved by a region- can be comprehended well due to life specific regulatory body. experiences. They majorly do not have options or Adults have definite objectives to learn. choices to decide so the motivation In that way their motives are clear and factors need constant monitoring and they are driven to meet the qualifiers nurturing to keep the interests alive. without much handheld ways to build their enthusiasm. A structured facilitation and guidance Adults require space where they can are required to be implemented in the organize their learning means as well as classroom. communicate the same with the moderator. There is less or no priorities involved Social engagements, various which may come in the way of learning. commitments and finance are the major roadblocks. Teachers play the leading role to bring The role of the teacher varies as per the positive impact in the lives of the young purpose and the classroom setting. The learners in terms of knowledge building responsibilities are replaced with that and reasoning activities. of peer, mentor, coach, etc. Parents play a significant role along Learners take responsibilities of their with the teacher to mould the learners’ own choices and are allowed to mind for the future. become aware of the consequences. This brings us to a thoughtful point. The overall learning needs of the adults are loosely based on these areas:  The what’s in it for me (WIIFM) attitude   Financial flexibilities  Relevance to real-world problems  Uncovering and relearning through reflections Learning theories Theories are conjectures or results of speculations which are based on a certain course of action, behaviours or practices. Such independent suppositions lay the foundation of various systems of ideas that help to understand the habits of mind and strategize the norms to educate accordingly. In simple terms it helps us to understand the possibilities of various ways learners function and how learning can happen around the individual strengths and weaknesses. Just like how there are pedagogical theories for the young learners; there are evidences of theories for adults too! The tools of training or facilitating are generally based upon these theories. The importance of knowing the theories as a learner helps you to understand the way you would comprehend new concepts. Further it would prepare you to pick the ideal way to understand the newer facts and implement them into your field of expertise or otherwise. Here we have a concise list of adult learning theories: Andragogy It was a path breaking theory put forward by Malcolm Knowles in 1968. Knowles was one of the very few names in the list of the first generation of adult educators whose instructional theories and approaches made him known along the names of humanistic educators like Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. A lot of the crux of Andragogy can be understood from the above-mentioned differentiation between young learners and adult learners. Best on this assumption, Knowles extracted four basic principles to design the approaches:  Adults learn better if they feel respected and their ideas and opinions are welcomed.   Adult learners like to be self-directed. The sense of autonomy should be nurtured as that helps them to make choices to understand the workload and take responsibility of their actions.  Errors are welcomed by adults eloquently as they have a clear idea of its importance. Errors/mistakes help to gather experiences which in turn assist in better learning of skills and concepts.  Adult learners prefer to be informed about the goals and objectives well in advance.  More than theoretical considerations, realistic practices help adults relate the concepts to real world scenarios. A more pragmatic perspective in education is favoured over lecture style bookish approach.  Localisation of approaches makes the education more convincing and acceptable among adults.  Involvement of adults in planning, execution and evaluation of the entire process of learning is an expectation of the learners that should always be a considering factor to design instructions. There have been other contributors and researchers who have added more to these principles. However, the above-mentioned points have been considered more foundational in terms of addressing the principles of adult learning and education. Andragogy has also been one of the most popularly accepted theories to understand the factors that motivate adult learners. In chapter 5, you would be able to find it more in details. Motivation is a key concept to comprehend the underlying conditions that build the interest to learn, among the adults. In further readings, you would be able to know more about the motivation and how it differs among different adult learners and also if the learning is self-paced or guided. Malcolm Knowles made some realistic findings and the application of andragogical approaches in an adult learner classroom has been quite successfully accepted and utilised by leading facilitators around the world in their respective field of expertise. The following gives a visual organization of the principles: Self-directed learning This was an extension to Knowles’ Andragogy which was also referred to as Autodidacticism. It has been there for centuries when the whole purpose of adult education was a vocational and need based process; for example, alchemy or nursing. Even today the same can be applied. Although the awareness was prevalent, a thorough record of how the learners function in such type of learning atmosphere was not declared. A theory for formal use was put forward for the first time in 1970 by Alan Tough while he worked closely with a team of other experts and teachers. Later, one of the key contributors, D.R. Garrison (1997), worked around the andragogical strategies and approaches and added a few more observations along the lines of his self-management model. His observations are based on three areas - motivation, self-monitoring and self- management. The key highlights of self-directed learning are:  There are four major elements that are interlinked in this learning theory- teacher/instructor, peers, mentors and agenda. All of these need to work in synergy maintaining a sensitized learning environment.  Tangibility and transparency of feedback. In this learning theory, the adult learners are believed to be more convinced when there is lucidity in terms of understanding the nature of the terms used by the authorized body or the instructor to review and/or record their progress.  Learners work best when they feel free to choose their suitable learning scheme. They would like to set goals for them, implement a plan and carry that out to produce successful results.  Learners take active part in decision making along with the teacher. This creates a cooperative learning atmosphere where the learners seek a more personalized way to satisfy their learning needs.  Such learners are collaborators as well as self-motivated learners who like to add value to their learning as per their experiences and reflections. The success rate of a self-learning model is however, debatable. Such conditions work best with the self- motivated adults and they are likely to take up:  Self-paced or massive open online courses (MOOCs)  Applied science or technology-based programs  Bottom-up or theory-based subjects In spite of letting the adult learners be comfortable while learning, the SDL model still managed to receive criticism. For those learners who do not enjoy understanding concepts or rather lack confidence to do so, this model might not be a pleasant learning experience. Money is a major deciding factor for adults to learn something new. For those adults who are looking for, value for money, in terms of handheld instructions and expect instructors to scaffold or stage the concepts, SDL seems to be far from being an acceptable practice. This somewhat again depends on the age group and the culture of the learners. Young adults, mostly pursuing a bachelor’s degree after their high schools in some cultures are seen to have preferred this model more than the other age groups of adults and young adults. It is certain that while in high school, they explore the possible areas of interests along with struggling to secure a grade for the subjects they are not interested in. Sequentially, when they are finally high school graduates, such adults like to feel free and away from instructions and facilitated learning. Directly or indirectly, this occurrence has been a constant and has seen a rise in the number of bachelor’s degree sign-ups over the various MOOC platforms. The graph presented below provides us a rough idea of the type of learners who would like to learn in an SDL setting.  (source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11423-020-09747-8) Case study Nora Carhana is a new sales entrant at a ticketing company. She has a previous experience of 6 months working around the same responsibilities at a retail enterprise. During her orientation what she found was apart from the obvious changes like the sales pitch, she found it difficult to understand the target market and the nature of the business that she was responsible to handle. With a little help of her co-workers, she understood her gaps and upskilled herself by learning more about the principles of her new company. By the end of her orientation period, she was confident about how to meet her sales targets through effective use of her knowledge. Nora felt motivated and her self-management skills helped her to monitor and analyze her progress as a sales executive in the organization. Experiential learning theory Developed by yet another modern thinker, David Kolb in 1970, as the word suggests, the theory is majorly based on giving importance to the learner’s experiences. In a simplified way, experiential learning enables the adult learners to build a hands-on and practical implementation of knowledge so that they can enjoy a more reflective process of receiving education. Adults bring in a lot of experiences in the classrooms. In a mixed group, the learners are not only from different backgrounds but more likely to be from different professional or hierarchical credentials as well. With that when there are programs designed for adult learners, this theory can be applied to have strategies where the learning can be connected to their perspectives. A very basic example of an experiential approach would be role play. The key highlights of this theory are:  Learners are the centre of the learning process. Their reflections form the basis of their knowledge absorption.  As per the theory, knowledge would only grow when the learners can reflect upon their works and performances. So, it is imperative for an experiential approach to encourage the learners to participate in the class happenings.  Therefore, self-involvement by the learners is important to categorize the experiences into concepts, reflections and utility of the knowledge gained in due course.  Such a learning theory can be used to derive strategies for learners who would like to fall back on local relevance of concepts and systematic recognition of the skills learned. For example, any program devised to train on soft skills. The theory can be summarized by the cycle presented below. Case study Le Cordon Bleu London organized a guest chef event with Neil Campbell where a thorough demonstration of sustainable cooking was done and discussed. That made the adult learners who signed up for the short-term courses to speak about their experiences of utilising every scrap of the ingredients they use for daily cooking. That discussion made them connect Campbell’s insights with theirs and it helped them to unlearn and relearn a few more waste reduction techniques while cooking. Overall, experiential learning has a lot of benefits. So, it is one of the most popularly believed learning theories for adult learners. Connecting past experiences with the current state of learning has always proved better over theoretical memorization. It definitely makes one self-reliant and a better learner. Action learning theory In simple words it is a perfect mesh of problem-solving practices in order to build a community learning atmosphere. A very comprehensive and a suitable way to deal with working adults in a corporation, the theory was developed by Reg Revans in 1982. Action learning theory is based on the idea to develop problem-solving skills in individuals by letting them voice their ideas to solve challenges that they face at every level of their key responsibility areas. Going by the theory, people are gauged and grouped in terms of their like-mindedness towards working out a problem. Such a group is termed as “set”. A set sits together and analyzes the difficulties faced while learning or adjusting to a new set of concepts/instructions. Before they hold a discussion or a meeting, a leader is appointed in the group who is further known as the “facilitator”. Let us consider the set as S and the facilitator as F to understand their roles. The role of the facilitator can be summed into these points:  As an advisor and the moderator, F outlines a fair checklist and sets a goal for the S.  F prepares a time bound forum for the S and allows each member to give individual opinions. Meanwhile the process, F records the proceedings of the forum.   Further, the records are used for reflections and follow up with the S to encourage them to think “out-of-the-box”.  Finally, when the solutions are laid out as per the goals, F works as an intermediary between the S and the management of the corporation to seek approval on the ideas concluded. This process has also led Revans to coin the term “midwifery” for the facilitator. The role of the set can be expanded as follows:  Prioritize the time and the goals of the discussion.  Contribute and participate in the forum.  On approval of the practices, the members are expected to implement the same in their responsibility areas. On meeting again to reflect on the process once the new solution is accepted, the final touch base is done by keeping these questions in mind:   Did the members of the set implement the new ideas?  Were they able to meet the expectations?  What were the findings of the newly implemented practices? From this session, the facilitator now creates a detailed report of both the forum discussions and defines the practices newly adopted to put into regular action. It is shared with the management or the concerned team in the hierarchy and kept as a record for future iteration. When a new such forum is again created along the lines of a similar challenge, the previous goals and practices are recapitulated and the sets are now expected to now work around it. Therefore, the theory concludes this approach as a cyclical one. It can be simplified by the following cycle. The advantages and disadvantages of this theory can precisely be understood from the following case study. The Human Resource Management of a Corporate Education Establishment found out that the leaders within the organization could benefit from a learning and development program to restructure their existing ways of work. The establishment brought together the leaders from their different departments. They are put into groups to work towards the goal. Each group was made based on the polls which were created on various issues. The people with similar struggles were further put into sets of 4-5 people each. The forums were made for 3 hours. A lot of participation was anticipated. However, the biggest disadvantage was the time. Spending 3 hours on a collaborative meeting seemed a tedious task since the leaders were from different departments. The issues were similar, however, the perspectives differed. While a few teams engaged in working out solutions and “giving it a go” a few of the set members would resort to “manage without me”. While the facilitators tried to keep a more neutral format to work towards a unitary organizational goal, a few leaders would conclude that “it could have been resolved over an email.” A careful nomination of the facilitators was then the soul stem of the sets to keep the discussions as per the goals and resolve the problem. Project based learning theory One of the earlier educators from the 20th century, John Dewey is an important name in the field whose contributions have been as pivotal as John Piaget, Fredrich Froebel and Loris Malaguzzi. He put forward the theory of project-based learning as a functional approach to teach young learners. The theme of the theory revolves around “learning by doing.” In due course of corporate developments and education becoming streamlined for various age of learners, Dewey’s PBL becomes applicable for adult learners as well. As expected, the adults preferred to learn following this model. Also known as problem-based learning, the overall idea is similar to that of action learning and experiential learning theories. The key points of the model are:  Learners are given the opportunity to explore their interest areas and come up with a critical way to handle and complete tasks. This enables adults to feel freedom in utilizing their thinking skills to effectively pursue things as per the real-world demands.  The learning model requires adults to use the diverse cognitive skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity.  The approach extracted from the theory lets the learners structure their learning process and ask for feedback to weigh up the results. This is done in a continual procedure.  Through the learning theory, the approaches are designed as such that the adults learn in close relevance to the real-world and on-the-job scenarios. This prepares them to encounter the several challenges in the job world with much confidence. Case study The curriculum of the international business studies at an esteemed business school required young adults to take up short term internships to add up to the credits. International internships were an obvious advantage. But soon it was found that not many of them would have the funds to support an abroad internship. The program was restructured and an academic consultant agency was hired. Further tie-ups with the local consulate offices made the school bring the whole “look and feel” of the internships close to what the students could have experienced. The cultural orientations and the generally accepted norms of business administration of the selected countries were briefed to the students. This helped them understand the diverse concepts of business, management, administration while becoming more prepared for the future job placements. Further, business coaches were roped in for a social media meet and greet. That definitely took an attractive turn since an Instagram live works better for a new generation forum setting. On their final semesters, their projects could meet the expectations in spite of not being able to get the exposure as it was traditionally planned. PBL can be drawn to close resemblance with game-based learning for young learners which is again, is applicable for the adults as well. Just like how PBL helps them to be prepared for real world challenges, game-based learning helps them to understand the similar perspectives in terms of recreational activities. This sometimes involves the use of technology that enhances the engagement and competitiveness among the learners. The image below gives a clear glimpse into the productivity that is boosted when the training and learning is “gamified”. Transformational learning Also known as transformative learning, the theory was developed by Jack Mezirow in 1970. A sense of self and environment jointly make the crux of this learning theory. As per Mezirow’s observations, the adults make their assumptions and perspectives the gateway to all their beliefs and outlook toward various phases of life. As learners, the adults then have to focus on changing their belief patterns and accepting the possibilities of other options around them. When this is done successfully, an adult learner becomes more open-minded and welcomes new perspectives without filters or inhibitions. For example, adult language learners should be given cultural orientation about the use of voice tone and body gestures in an elaborate form. Only then it makes it easier for them to understand that what is acceptable in their individual culture might be offensive in the culture of the language that they have signed up for. Approached derived from transformative learning theory mostly use dilemmas and situations that challenge the learners’ belief systems and let them unlearn and relearn concepts. Through various questioning techniques and activities that challenge the critical thinking of the learners, they become equipped with free flow of ideas that in turn expand their level of understanding. Although this works in harmony with the learners emotional and intelligence quotients, the learning theory finds it a little tricky to be utilized in all educational settings for adult learners. This however is considered the “stickiest” of all the theories because of its eye- opening impact that influences the personalities of the learners for the rest of their lives. The key components of the theory are:  Dilemma vs. assumptions  Critical thinking  Questioning  Emotional judgment  Reflection  Reintegration Mezirow went ahead and elaborated the components in 10 phases. The following diagram would give you an idea of the phases in an illustrative format. The transformational learning theory is best suited for personality development courses, life skills, situational analysis, etc. To summarize on the theory let us look at the case study below. Case study Perry Hayden has been associated with healthcare in the US for decades. She has made a reputation of being a fantastic nursing educator in the country and has been working with a few nursing schools as a visiting lecturer. What she found out that the aspiring practitioners are trained within a structure to meet the theoretical and professional competencies. However, a lot of times, the aspirants would fail to resolve or face unprecedented medical emergencies or events. After discussions with the authorized board, Hayden could finally implement a more reflective and action based research way to educate the nursing practitioners. Over the years following that, the curriculum was made more deductive and the practices were designed to put the learners in unknown situations and dilemmas so to broaden their emotional and technical understandings. Although such practices make adult learners shake off their boundaries in their heads, the theory is criticized for the fact that not many people are comfortable exploring and reflecting on their cultural, religious, emotional or any other personal biases. So, the approaches are rewarding as well as demanding at times. Conclusion The theories are observations made after surveys and experiments conducted under certain conditions. It is always debatable whether or not a theory would precisely apply to a set of learners at the same time. The idea of learning about these theories is not to overwhelm you with jaw aching facts. It is about understanding the possibilities of all the different ways adults can learn. This brings a positive light on us that learning is beyond age. The theories then help us to deduce approaches and strategies to become a better learner. In fact, an alert learner can also build up one’s own theory based on observation of the self; which is precisely the activity in the previous page helped to develop. Activity  Do you think you can connect to any one of the theories or have gone through similar scenarios like the case studies?  How do you think that has helped you to become a better participant in any learning environment?  Do you think knowing about the learning theories would also help to improve your quality of life? Chapter 4 The Fifth Assumption Inputs:  Introduction to Knowles’ Fifth Assumption and intrinsic motivation  Connect Knowles to transformative learning  AHA! Moments - how to achieve them while learning  Conclusion  Activity When we talk about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, these are extremely wide areas to explore in terms of adult learning. It is expected that the facilitator would do the mandatory research on the background and the experiences that affect the motivation of individual learners. Adding to that, you as a learner should also be prepared with a reflection based on your motivating factors so that the readiness to learn is evident not only to yourself but also to the facilitator. In this chapter, we are going to look at one of the pivotal ideas that were assumed by Malcolm Knowles. He proposed that the motivation of the adult learners is majorly build on abstract and emotional concepts and less possibilities of equal extrinsic barriers. Well of course, the external motivation does show visible amplification into the learning process, yet the reviews prove different results each time the factors are examined while the learning groups are immersed in an educational experience. Not so assuring? That is expected; let us take a look at such a possibility through a few instances. According to Knowles, “While adults are responsive to some external motivators (better jobs, promotions, higher salaries and the like), the most potent motivators are internal pressures (the desire for increased job satisfaction, self esteem, quality of life, and the like).” In some learners especially, the high school goers or the undergraduates have a high expectation of a tangible reward as a token of appreciation for their achievements. While some are driven to stay focussed and learn better for a high SAT score or attaining the desired GPA, some may be motivated to carve their niche by looking for jobs or business possibilities where academic merits do not define their achievements. Such learners too, look for external signs of motivation. On the contrary when we look at adults, a rewarding experience has got a lot to do with their intangible and emotional expectations. As an adult learner in a formal setting, appreciation and constructive feedback are considered more motivational than a physical payout or a material bonanza. Of course, securing good grades give a general satisfaction but for adults getting the attention and nurtured based on their emotional triggers are considered significant. Connect Knowles to transformative learning The theory of transformative learning as discussed in chapter 3 has a lot of positive influence over an adult learner’s intrinsic motivation to learn. As a learner adopting transformative learning strategies prove to boost confidence and stay in learning. It nurtures the curiosity among the learners and lets one believe in the significance of lifelong learning. Compared to other learning theories where the strategies are more technical and need based, a learner can easily adopt ways based on this theory. That takes us further into confirming the fact that as an adult learner one is more driven by collaboration and exchange or lending an ear to diverse view points. Shaking off the inhibitions as one learns along with the peers, enables adults to feel motivated as now the different viewpoints prove to be comforting. There is less anxiety whether the facts shared are right or wrong. Now the learners are keener to know how different experiences and ideas can take them forward into attaining the solution to a task and move ahead. Channelling your internal motivators trigger the right aha moments! How do you achieve that? Following are a few ways:  There would be times when adult learners go through a feeling of “I do not care about the grades, just provide us enough guidelines to complete the program.” This happens when you are not completely sure about the program that you have signed up for or you are here for a very specific part of the curriculum. For example, an internal training on an organizational development where all the concerned departments are expected to fulfil some tasks over a period of time. The training would cover everything directed towards all the departments. However, if one is from the sales and another from digital marketing, the learners would selectively try to show participation and might show frequent lack of motivation. If you get such  thoughts, the best way to look at it is to think that the organization as a unit. Every department is interlinked when it comes to success of the same. Practicing to change perspectives help you to keep yourself motivated. Additionally, it is always a rewarding experience when you assist or share ideas to other departments.  More than being just a participant in the program, you should be able to actively understand the instructional design followed by the facilitator. Be apprised about the fact that when you look for the takeaways from a learning process, for adults it is designed to make it very autonomous for your comfort. When as a learner you engage yourself into understanding the “trigger” events planned by the facilitator it keeps you motivated to look forward to the class. Participating and actively listening to the peers in team projects, simulations, researches makes you get different viewpoints and finally move to closing the loop with the facilitators.  To get closer to the transformation you had expected in the beginning of the program, take deliberate and thoughtful action to self-assess. You can assess your performance more than just doing mental checklists. Prepare questionnaires and see if you have all the answers. A few more things that you can do to self assess:  Photo essay  Postings on Reddit  Word web  Join social media communities catering to your learning needs on Facebook, Twitter.  Publish a paper based on your observations on professional networks like LinkedIn. Conclusion Intrinsic motivation and triggers are different for individual adult learners as learning majorly happens by choice. So, to expect a program have your desired instructions to trigger your internal motivation all the time will leave you in fantasy and a lot away from the aha moments of learning. The best ways to look at are the strategies/suggestions mentioned above. This will prove to boost your confidence and motivate you to find ways to keep yourself engaged in the learning process. Activity Apart from the strategies mentioned, what are the other things can you think of to take care of your intrinsic motivation? Let the creative juices flow! Chapter 5 Motivation Inputs:  Introduction  Motivation in learning  Why is motivation important?  Motivation in adult learning - how to nurture?  Theories and forms of motivation  How to foster motivation?  Conclusion Introduction Motivation is one of the key driving forces that help an adult learner to decide whether or not one should get back to being a student. The right triggers and the environment play pivotal roles in moulding such decisions. In this chapter we are going to look at various ways, motivation works for adults and how they can be nurtured. Note that this chapter is all about a reflective experience. There are activities at the end of a few segments. Through these activities you would be able to realise how motivation is not only about staying in the learning process but also how to retain the information learnt. Motivation in learning If we go by the simple way to understand it, motivation is anything that ‘moves’ us towards accomplishing or accepting challenges successfully. Again on regular instances in life, it is basically the right drive that helps you to do anything at all. Motivation helps a person to compare the consequences and act towards achieving favourable results. When it comes to learning, motivation enhances the performances of the learners. It is important to receive the right motivation for a learner to use one’s cognitive abilities to the best of the efforts. For example, learning requires remembering facts, understanding functionalities, think critically for answers, etc. Such processes comprise of the basic learning structure. To do all these brain skills, a learner needs to find or rather should be fed the desired motivation to stimulate learning outcomes. Motivation in learning is aided- tangible or intangible. It creates the required readiness in learners to pay attention to the work. A motive is something that a learner needs to set before studying something. Once a definite motive is identified, motivation can become an enhancer that facilitates the readiness to learn. Learning or not, a concrete motive is valuable to find meaning in whatever one does. If you as a learner know the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ you are learning, it puts you in a concrete sphere where you can have a clear-cut view of how you would wish to achieve the payout. Why is motivation important? Here is a brainstorming activity for you: What is that one thing that could drive-in learning opportunities in your daily routine? Technically you should not take between three to five seconds to answer the question to yourself with relative excitement. If it takes more than that, then there are two hypotheses:   You have been involved in a mechanical way of life that has restricted you to think of possible learning opportunities due to obligatory reasons;  You are in search of the right opportunity to learn; however, balancing work and life has removed the habit of learning from your thought process. For both the conjectures, there is a severe lack of motivation. Note that in the previous segment we had discussed how motivation and attention are overlapping factors. Here we are going to look at how these two factors can be managed if we know the importance of motivation in learning. Motivation and independence Once a goal is set to learn, a suitable plan is devised to stay engaged in the process. Organizing one’s priorities to give time to learning signifies that the learner is motivated. A motivated learner has agency and a stronger belief in one self to strive towards the purpose of learning. As an adult learner we tend to not believe in existing or established concepts and rules quite readily. We have our assumptions based on our experiences and environment. So when a new idea is introduced and if that does not align with the individual mindset of the learner, there is a lack of acceptance. That directly leads to lack of motivation. However, a motivated learner would challenge oneself to accept the new information and work towards understanding the validity of the same. In that way, motivation gives you independence to think from different perspectives and keep yourself in the habit of gaining knowledge. Motivation and composure This is a vital reason why adults have equal chances in learning just like their younger counterparts. Adults are motivated to learn due to more congenital and inherent factors unlike young learners who would need a visual or a tangible evidence of reward. When the adults take up learning, they have less fear of failure or criticisms. The assessments and feedback received on the performances through the teacher or the peers is considered a need and a positive interaction. This welcoming attitude builds resilience and self-assurance. Once a learner is motivated such factors are automatically in place to amplify the urge to learn. Motivation and critical thinking When adults are inherently motivated to learn it helps to think for longer span of time to solve the challenges. This helps to enjoy the process of learning. When an adult learner is motivated it enables one to think harder and come up with different ways to look at a problem and apply the best suitable solution. It enables learners to inquire and stay intrigued to ask thought-provoking questions that are not confined to the stated ideas. When this importance is understood an adult learner can find more meaning satisfaction in the process of learning. It enhances the use of the knowledge in relevance to the localised cognitive abilities. Finally, it assists in increasing attention. Motivation in adult learning What’s it going What’s it going to to take to win! Vs take to learn! As adult learners our minds are majorly split between these two areas when it comes to going through the process of learning. The first placard (on the left) is when we are not able to find the right motivation or halfway down the process we are annoyed by the activities. Now the learning activities may not be futile but it is not closely following our pre-conceived notions in which we have been comfortably hiding our potential. The second placard (on the right) is when we have a determined motive and we are looking forward to gain all the knowledge and become aware of the outcomes. When it comes to motivation, an adult learner sort of is on the same place like the young learners except for the fact that the restlessness or the attentiveness is not expressed in prominent manners by the former. In terms of being attentive in the learning process, it overlaps with the factors that keep one motivated. Attention and motivation follow one another. It is debatable that whether a learner when pays attention, is motivated as well or the other way round. For example, while you are reading this, it might happen at times that you are motivated but you are not able to pay attention to the entire paragraph and you catch on a few particular vocabularies. Similarly, you may not be motivated but you keep reading and pay attention so that you can know about the outcome. Such overlaps are something that ideally cannot be controlled and a lot depends on the learner and how one wants to accept the learning process. However, an adult learner can increase the alertness and the readiness to learn whole heartedly unlike young learners. Time and again, Andragogy is proved correct. As described by Knowles that adult learners are self-directed and autonomous, the right kind of attitude can be beneficial to keep one motivated to learn and stay in learning. Theories and forms of motivation When it comes to understanding what helps an adult learner to get motivated it is important to take a look into how the mind operates to stimulate the desire to learn. Especially after a long break from the academics, adult learners tend to find it difficult to get in the habit of learning in the initial period. There are numerous factors to justify the struggle. All these can be understood if we know the different forms of motivation through the theories below. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation If we go by literature, intrinsic motivation is an ingrown ability whereas extrinsic is influenced by external aspects. In intrinsic motivation, adult learners engage in activities or learning for the sake of pleasure or curiosity that drives them to learn new skills or upgrade in their field of expertise. Extrinsic motivation is when there is a rewarding factor involved in the process of learning. In this form of motivation, an adult learner is motivated to learn due to any tangible return or reinforcement. At times both the forms of motivation work well while in a lot of major areas, intrinsic and extrinsic forms of motivation tend to work independently. Intrinsic motivation works best when:  You love a particular area of responsibility in your workplace and you are driven to give your best. At the same time, if you have been looking forward to learn a new skill. For example, you are interested to watch Spanish shows on Netflix and you aspire to understand the language without the English subtitles! Now you are motivated to learn the language.  When you work towards achieving a personal goal. For example, time management.   When you enjoy doing something for pleasure. For example, reading or playing an instrument. Extrinsic motivation works best when:  You are appreciated for your contributions. For example, getting rewarded during appraisal checks and getting recognized for your efforts with an award.  When you learn a new skill because that would help you to upgrade yourself in your field of work. For example, when the company wants you to attend learning and development workshops which in return would prove beneficial to contest for a promotion.  When you receive incentives for your collaborative efforts that are not included in your key responsibility areas. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations both have pros and cons and they should be well blended to keep you in learning. Adults are usually self-directed learners. When it comes to learning, intrinsic motivation is common among them. However, extrinsic motivation is quite an effective tool when it comes to learning. David G. Meyers in his work, Psychology: Eight Edition in Modules states that: “A person's interest often survives when a reward is used neither to bribe nor to control but to signal a job well done, as in a "most improved player" award. If a reward boosts your feeling of competence after doing good work, your enjoyment of the task may increase. Rewards, rightly administered, can motivate high performance and creativity. And extrinsic rewards (such as scholarships, admissions and jobs that often follow good grades) are here to stay.” Now to summarize these forms of motivation and the influence on learning it can be said:  Intrinsic motivation Extrinsic motivation Helps to facilitate Intrinsic and Extrinsic Helps to facilitate learning through work best together learning through external internal nods. For when: prompts. For example, example, rewards and gains by the enjoyment or end of the learning interest in some process. action. Pros: Curiosity (intrinsic Pros: motivation) moderates  More attention  Understand the learning severity of the task  Eagerness to take or the necessity of challenges. the same.  Critical thinking  Boosts social and creativity. learning.  Advance to newer  More productivity. levels of learning.  Set the priorities straight. Cons: Productivity is amplified Cons: when there is continued  Less appealing  If the order of the praise for the good work reward system is  Time consuming is involved (extrinsic changes, there is a motivation) loss in motivation.  More focus on the reward. Nature vs. Nurture There have been many theorists who believed that motivation can adapt or change its intensity as per the tasks and skills. This applies to life as well. For example, if you are a learner who is a professional digital marketer and you love what you do, you would be motivated to upgrade yourself as per the latest trends. That does not necessarily mean that you would have the same motivation to learn how to cook and survive living alone in a different city. So instead of packing lunch for work, you would rather order from your favourite sandwich takeaway! At the same time, it is also believed to be genetic and sensitive towards the environment when it comes to taking the initiative to learn and stay focused. These factors have greater potential to impact learning. They are subconscious and we are not aware of such influences. So, in many ways, staying in learning is a genetic factor where the motivation comes partly from the inherited state of mind. For example, there are stories where you would see a family lineage of successful people in their fields of work. For example: if we look at the family of the diplomat, Shashi Tharoor. His grandfather was the founder of Reader’s Digest, his parents were prominent in the advertising field working with major newspapers. Tharoor has a list of achievements while his wives and the present generations are all equally driven in their areas of expertise. To understand the impact of genetic motivation, this can be used as an example. However, one must remember that there are always exceptions and genes are not always the answer to one’s motivation and other behavioural factors. All these influences which are intangible, helps a learner to gain task-specific motivation. As a learner, you should rejoice the smaller successes and nurture that motivation so that it becomes more malleable and you can keep that learning state of mind from getting exhausted. Activity-1 Here are a couple of questions that you can answer to find the traits that you can reflect on and keep yourself motivated to learn. Q1. Make a list of the things where you can find out the genetic and non-genetic traits of your family and friends. For example; The majority of my friends are married and they have no interest to learn something new. (Non-genetic) I look up to my boss as a teacher and a mentor. (Combination) My family usually wakes up early and we make it point to sit together for breakfast and discuss the day before we go for our works. (Genetic) I can barely manage to learn anything due to peer pressure. (Non-genetic) Q2. Once you have the list, know that this is the environment where you belong. Do you think as an adult learner your environment is influencing drives you to be a better learner? Why? If needed, how would you like to improve your learning environment? Flow theory Through the learning process, a learner would go through various emotions. There are feelings of anxiety, confusion, wonder, amazement, relief, fear, worry, helplessness, etc. When describing their feelings while learning, students are found to have gone through all these emotions even when they are motivated to learn. This is present during the initial period of learning. Once the target concept and structures become comprehensible, the flow becomes the state of learning instead of all the other conscious emotions. This is when the self-conscious feelings and self-doubt take the backseat and the learners feel intrinsically motivated. When the flow helps the learners to overcome there are a possibility of boredom and disengagement. At times the challenges or the problems become easier and the learners can learn with minimum guidance. Such times make the learners get bored of the activities. Now the mind becomes structured to think critically in that segment. So as a learner, you should always strive to advance in the learning process. That takes you a notch above your current learning abilities and keeps you motivated. Achievement Goal Theory This theory connects to how a learner is motivated to reach the target. It is further divided into 2 parts- performance goals and mastery goals. Performance goals are mostly based on how a learner would be motivated to upskill only to satisfy the ego, look superior among peers or appearing to be smart in a room full of people. This might not result in effective learning or reach excellence. Mastery goal is when the learner wants to upskill by putting in all the effort to finish a task or have clarity in concepts. There is understanding and analysis involved which in turn helps to learn and perform in a way that leaves scope to reflect and continue with improvements. Such motivation to look at refinements by oneself helps a learner to feel proud of one’s abilities without just meeting the requirements. For example, when corporations run regular performance evaluations, if a professional is motivated in this form, the quality of work is not only improved to awe the auditors but also it is proven that such professionals would generally show a more positive personality. An adult learner like that is an independent learner who is well aware of the learning needs and works towards achieving the goals without the worry to feel superior. Expectancy Value Theory This is interesting and quite connected with a learner’s intention to stay motivated. It can be looked at from two areas- expectations from the learning process and the value or the effort given by the learner to stay motivated till the end of the task and carrying the knowledge forward. According to the model, these two indicators influence motivation to learn and the selection of the skill or task. Expectancy and values are initiated among learners within themselves. Learners who are inclined to such a model or form of motivation structure are observed to have selected to learn subjects or skills according to their competency levels. These competency levels are determined by themselves. In other words, they are inwardly aware of their self-efficacies. For example, for an adult learner who wants to make a shift from the current job profile to something else, a mental checklist of reflecting on the abilities would make the process easier. If the learner has been working in the banking sector and wants to pursue an ESL teaching job, one needs to enrol for a TESOL certification program. However, before that, if that learner forms a checklist to interrogate oneself if at all he or she would be able to make it happen, that streamlines the process of the necessary undertakings. Such forms of motivation help to set goals for you. Also, when it comes to getting motivated in this pattern it is more or less influenced by the beliefs and attitudes of the people who have walked the same path earlier to you. So such learners not only set goals for themselves but also look at the pros and cons from the perspectives of others as well. It can be summarized that this theory somewhat looks like this: Activity-2  Out of all the models of motivation, which one do you think is more practical to consider?  Have you ever used any one of these models in your earlier phases of learning (school, university, etc.)? Reflect on them. How to foster motivation? The theories provide a foundational view into how motivation works in different ways. While the models can find varied emphasis depending on personal and environmental factors, the highlights below would provide a clearer picture of how to practically cultivate motivation.  Practise growth mindset As a learner, you should practise using the word “YET” anytime you feel confused or helpless. When you add this to your “I can’t do that”, it instantly turns to an affirmative tone “I can’t do that, YET”. This realisation brings a lot of change. It removes self-doubt. Instead of thinking you are not “smart enough” you would work hard and go past the challenges looking for creative ways to learn the skills and concepts. Such a mindset would take you further into the process of learning as now can understand your motivation triggers and what are the favourable conditions for you to learn something.  Focus on self-efficacy Be consistent in enjoying smaller successes. Do not ignore the small steps and how you could climb up the ladder towards your goal. When you take ownership of your success, no matter how insignificant it might look to others, you are pushing your competency levels. Challenge yourself by ways that are “just right” for that particular phase of learning. Decide that by yourself. For example, if you take Spanish classes and you are almost nearing the end of your A1 levels you should be take initiative to describe things around you in Spanish. That way you can think in the language and improve your fluency.  Accept the struggle “It’s ok to not be perfect.” For a lot of us, it sounds very mainstream and we tend to not normalize the thought. As adult learners, we are self-directed and our needs dictate our choices most of the time. So when there are times we falter we tend to detach ourselves from the learning phase and pile our heads with consolations which are mere excuses to not look on the brighter side. Accepting that it is a new skill or concept to learn, so failures are normal- this mindset would change your course of thought and action. At the same time, do not let that thought sit for too long!  Do not get carried away by tangible rewards Tangible rewards are at times inept. Extrinsic motivation may not always help to reach your goal and stay productive. A job promotion is a good reward as long as it benefits you as well as the company. Similarly, there are certain times when extrinsic motivation would not help in the learning process. For example: you enrol for an L&D workshop where you are promised a lot of templates and working materials. You look at it as a rewarding experience and you are only there for the workshop to end. But were you motivated to learn enough during the workshop? Debatable! Much that extrinsic motivators are highly effective in some areas, keeping your temptations under control is a key factor to develop integrity in learning.  Anticipate but do not wait for the hurdles It is a good thing if one can foresee the struggles that might happen in the different phases of learning. However, it will be foolish to dwell or wait to see the hurdles making their way to obstruct a smooth learning experience. Once anticipated, make a note of the counter solution that would help you to stop the very chance of the problem to arise.  Create the ideal space to learn While some people like to listen to music while learning, some learn the best while working in a team. Find out how you function better as a learner. Look for ways to create that ideal environment. It can be anything. From a comfortable chair to a corner with a soft board to pin your ideas- find out what would be the most favourable condition for you to learn. You will not have the luxury to meet all the ideal conditions always. A little reflection into your needs would help you find out alternatives.  Develop personal mastery-oriented goals This works more in a collaborative scenario. When there are different learning groups, the inclusion of varied thoughts may seem a little overwhelming at times. To cope with that, one can develop learning goals instead of performance goals. Setting goals where you level up your thinking skills make the retention of information a long-lasting one. Remember, understand, apply, analyse, evaluate and create- these are skills that need to be mastered to perform. Constructive goal setting should be practised that is realistic and includes a short time. Conclusion Sensitizing yourself to the dynamics of motivation has a lot of benefits. Instead of looking for the right opportunities to learn, the focus shifts to finding ways to make learning happen. The various theories and forms of motivation are just a few ways to make you aware of how adult learners usually get triggered to learn and grow. However, the complexity lies in the fact that such forms are at times blended and learners show motivation in different ways for different tasks. So the idea is to look into yourself to reflect on the learning needs and cultivate motivation for a long-lasting urge to educate yourself in any skill or concept of your choice. Chapter 6 Learning styles Inputs:  Introduction  What are learning styles  VARK model  Discover your learning styles- questionnaire activity  Conclusion Introduction Learners, irrespective of young and adults have some innate qualities that make them significantly different from one and another. In terms of learning, there are a few ways or styles by which an individual learns. It does not mean that the learning styles are completely different from one another. Every learner possesses the same learning style. However, the styles are influenced by interest, environment and guidance. All these factors are interlinked to let the learner choose their distinct style of learning. That in return determines the likes and dislikes of a learner, what one wants to learn and how one would like to learn. What are learning styles? The mind of a young learner is similar to a sponge. It soaks up all the possible information that it gets to see, hear and feel. There are minimal barriers to learning as the central focus of learning is accompanied by play. Learning is more about making sense of the environment around it. Over time through maturation, when adults get back to learning, the barriers become quite prominent. The young learning years activate the habit of gathering experiences. When experiences start to define the adult personality types, learning meets optimum filters. The process, of unlearning, relearning and learning becomes difficult. Over the years behavioural scientists have researched to conclude on the ways to how adults prefer to learn and stay engaged in learning. The effectiveness of learning has a preferred style among adults. Additionally, it is also seen that at different levels of learning, adults tend to mix the different styles and adopt these perceptual modalities. The six preferred learning styles among adults are: 1. Visual- Such learners find it easier to learn from ready notes, reading materials, flow charts, easy PowerPoint presentations with pointers, flip chart graphics, etc. 2. Aural/Auditory- Such learners find it comprehensible if the study material is in an audio-recorded format. These learners usually read aloud to hear the inputs. Podcasts, lectures, discussions, etc. are usually the preferred ways to learn. 3. Kinaesthetic- Such learners understand things by going through a practical process. They like to apply their knowledge in real-life situations. In a classroom setting, they would like to move around are more active in assisting other learners. 4. Interactive- Such learners learn the best when they are learning in a study group. They like to collaborate and keep an open mind to learn more from their peers and add on to their knowledge. 5. Tactile- Such learners like to learn inductively. They would learn the best if they are allowed to not follow a definite set of instructions and can dive right into the task. 6. Print- Such learners are very mindful about taking notes and writing down information. They are all about gathering as much information as they can. In reality, they might not even look at these notes later. In a virtual classroom, such learners are likely to take a lot of screenshots and keeping them stored in the gallery. VARK model This is one of the widely used models or theories of learning styles where the learning preferences are divided into- V- Visual A- Auditory R- Read/Write K-Kinaesthetic Remember that as a learner you would possess all the learning styles. A preferred learning style means how you would usually like to learn. That in no way is limited to just one style. It may be a blend of two styles or your styles keep changing according to the type of task you deal with. It is all about your best practice that helps you to enjoy the learning process and retain the knowledge gained. VARK or not the definition or rather the learning traits remain the same for these styles. Adding to that, here are the key strategies associated with each style that helps the learners to absorb the information: Visual learning strategies   Be concise in organizing the facts; create word webs to remember the key information.  Highlight the important points  Make day-wise folders for all the study/class inputs that you can refer to later.  Transform elaborate notes into diagrams, symbols and other forms of visual cues.  Create mnemonic, mind maps and reminder notes.  Create your bulletin board. It can be a physical one at your workplace or your study corner at home. You can make a digital one and link it with all your devices like cell phones, tablets, desktops, etc. Auditory learning strategies  Pre-reading of the units/lessons before the class to avoid constantly referring and reading during the class  Read aloud the key information to yourself.  Record observations from each class, tasks and assignments to refer to later and revise the same.  Think in terms of sequence- that makes the learning process more insightful  Find a “study buddy” or a like-minded study group to discuss and interact  Sub vocalize - Try to recite notes or reading texts without looking at them to remember better. Read/ Write learning strategies  Write reflective journals and write reviews for the study sessions.  Practise using alternative texts and words and paraphrasing the reading materials provided to you.  Create practise papers and MCQ sample papers for yourself. Developing multiple-choice questionnaires by yourself would help you to exercise the associative vocabulary and concept-based language.  When writing paragraphs add an introduction and a conclusion. Otherwise, write “listicles”.  Develop a habit of reading right before you fall asleep. Study/revise new vocabulary and new concepts around that time. This amplifies the process of retaining the information.  Cultivate hobbies like reading, writing, and blogging. Staying active over social media and post your views on various topics of your interests. Kinaesthetic learning strategies  Skim through the reading text to have an overview or rough idea.  Make sure you take frequent study breaks but not exceeding the time you spend on studying. For example, for every 20 minutes of learning, you can take a breather for 2-3 minutes.  While you are on break move around, listen to music or do both.  Create a study playlist that you can listen to while you write.  Colour code the information that you learn. In a classroom setting, make sure you do not hold yourself back from asking questions. If in a self-  paced learning mode, you should be able to look for additional resources to find answers to questions.  Try to compare the things learnt with anything that has real-life relevance in your daily routine.  In a classroom setting, keep a parking lot with your questions ready so that you can take the first opportunity to ask a question during the open house. Discover your learning style - Quiz Here you are going to consider the visual, aural and kinaesthetic models to analy