One way to look at adults is to compare them to children. The National Center for Research in Vocational Education has created the content that immediately follows.These are generalizations and certainly do not apply to all adults. Learning as used below is widely applied to informal and formal situations so that learning how to be a better wood worker or organic gardener qualifies as "learning."
Lorcan Dempsey makes a key point when he argues that the future of libraries rests on our ability "to place the library in the user environment" and NOT place the user in the library environment. The more that we know about the user environment, the better the quality and the utility of user services. Library services must create visible value for the user.
The thoughtful adult services librarian will be able to relate each of the characteristics below to the development of an adult services program.
Children, especially younger ones, have limited expectations. Adults have substantial expectations, and these may be negative. Thus, some adults have the sense that learning is likely to be difficult and boring. Successful adult learning often requires that negative expectations be challenged.
Children depend on adults for material support, psychological support, and life management. They are other directed. In contrast, adults depend on themselves for material support and life management. They are largely self- or inner-directed.
Children see learning as their major role. Adults see themselves as doers with learning new skills as a relatively small part of their daily life.
Children learn they are told to learn. Motivation is often external [rewards from parents and teachers] rather than internal. Adults may face "forced" learning, but often learn based on internal motivation [pride in learning and doing, achievement] and a personal desire. Give autonomous, self-directed adults, services need to involve adults in the learning process. Successful learning facilitates rather than directs.
Children are told what is important and priorities are external rather than internal. Work-related learning for adults may be similar, but much adult learning is based on the adult's own sense of what is important, valuable, and interesting.
Children are normally educated or learn as part of a group. These groups, often based on age or academic achievement, contain children with several similar attributes. Adult learners are more likely to be different from each other and groups of adults are more likely to be more heterogeneous.
Children often find time passing more slowly than adults do. Too, adults are more concerned with finding time for activities and using that time effectively.
Children have limited life experience. Adults have a more substantial experience and often a much richer one. Experience can facilitate as well as inhibit learning new skills and enjoying new experiences. Adult learners can provide a rich, shared resource for learning. In this sense, adult learners may become teachers and facilitators, especially in group settings. Effective learning builds upon experiences, allowing adults to make real contributions to the learning environment.
Children learn relatively quickly while adults often learn more slowly.
While children may have goals, these are usually external. Adults may also face external goals in learning for their work environment or they may create their own goals. Knowledge and understanding of these goals is essential in adult services. Most adults favor the practical and the immediate in their learning. Learning outcomes need to be visible, relevant, and attained fairly quickly.
Most children are open to new information and experiences and will readily adjust their views to accommodate new learning. Adults are much more likely to reject new learning that contradicts their values or previous experiences.
Children's readiness to learn is usually a function of biological, intellectual, and academic development. Adult's readiness to learn is often a function of need -- employment or life situation.
Children's learning is often based on the assumption of future need. Adults are more focused on more immediate needs at work or at home and may dismiss learning that does not seem immediately useful. "The mature individual finds greater value in learning that can be applied immediately and learning shifts from being subject-centered to being performance-centered. Adults expect to see evidence of progress and the development of skills that can be applied to improve some aspect of their life.
Adults have a variety of demanding roles so that convenience is important. Services need to be available at convenient times and relatively nearby. Time is valued and return on investment [often considered informally] is an important issue.
Six factors serve as the most common motivations for adults to undertake new learning:
Because of work and home responsibilities, adults face many barriers against participation in learning activities. We need to consider how to reduce or eliminate these barriers. Common barriers include:
