In the Learning Development space, most of us understand the list of what are called “Adult Learning Principles” as kind of the rules we live by in the design, facilitation and implementation of training solutions. I learned a long time ago to ignore these principles at my own risk.
One of these principles is that adults learn best when they have a need and/or a desire to learn. When an adult learner is ready to learn it is never wise to delay their training. In fact, delaying the learning process only tends to frustrate the adult learner and your window of opportunity to make training stick closes each day you delay.
Now while I have always understood this principle, I have recently become impatient with a delay in my own learning process. While the experience of being asked to wait is frustrating, it has also allowed me to personally feel the aggravation of being an adult learner that is being delayed from learning. I am ready to learn and so therefore I should be allowed to learn now.
I recently purchased a travel franchise, and while I know a lot about the travel industry, I have a lot to learn about the back office and booking side of the business. Because I am on a different time table from the training function, I find it kind of funny to be sitting on the other side of the fence this time waiting on getting the training I need. Even though I am not working in training this time, I am still learning about the results of poor implementation. I guess I will never get completely away from the world of learning development.
For those reading that come from the training world, you may have picked up on another adult learning principle that has always been one I remember, and that is that adults learn best through experiential learning activities. They can learn from lectures, discussions, group work and research, but getting into the role is still the best way to lock down the learning. By having to wait for my own training when I want it now, I have experienced a frustration that reading about never locked down as well as feeling it has to this point.
While I appreciate learning more about the importance of implementing training when the adult learner wants to learn, I still want my training to begin now.
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