Mature+Adult+Motivation

= What is the definition of mature adult? =

A mature adult has been away from the formal learning system for several years. Mature adults have different learning needs than children, adolescents, and even 20-year-old college students == = What motivates mature adults to learn? =

The majority of adults are life-long learners. Learning occurs as a by-product of making sense of life experiences. Adults may learn from workplace training. They may undertake self-study for business and/or pleasure. Adults' learning process continues throughout life as they make their way up Maslow's hierarchy of needs towards self-actualization.

Motivation comes in two forms:
 * 1) Extrinsic - external to the learner, in the form or reward or punishment, e.g., pay raise or demotion.
 * 2) Intrinsic - comes from within the learner, e.g. personal satisfaction at learning new skills. Intrinsically motivated students tend to work harder to learn the material and consequently process it at a deep level in their brain.

Mature adults are culturally diverse. Cultural diversity not only refers to ethnicity or a person's country of origin. Cultural diversity can be influenced by many factors - by living in different areas within one country, by socio-economic status, past experiences, gender, religious persuasion etc. As people age their cultural diversity increases, i.e., any group of mature adults is far more diverse than any group of children or teenagers because of their divergent life experiences. Thus it is most challenging to teach a class of mature adults.

= How can teachers enhance the learning environment to increase mature adult students' motivation to learn? =

First of all and easiest to accomplish, the physical environment can be enhanced, for example room temperature can be moderated to keep students awake. Placement of desks and chairs can facilitate learning.

A more challenging task is to make lessons fun, interesting, and relevant. Teachers need to show enthusiasm for their subject. They also must show respect for their students' abilities by choosing relevant activities.

Dr. Raymond Wlodkowski,a well respected psychologist and consultant in adult education, states there are four conditions that enhance mature adults' intrinsic motivation to learn. Below is a listing of the four conditions along with some well-established techniques to support these conditions.

1. establishing inclusion - teacher and students must feel respected by all. 2. developing attitude - relevant, interesting subject material promotes a positive attitude in student. 3. enhancing meaning - subject material must be engaging, feed into learner's goals, and not be too simple. Learning it should provide a challenge. 4. engendering competence - human beings are innately programmed to interact with, understand and improve their environment.
 * can be facilitated by having students work in small groups,
 * multidimensional sharing,
 * collaborative learning,
 * participation guidelines.
 * have students choose topic to work on,
 * choose relevant learning models,
 * ensure successful learning.
 * have students devise questions relating to chosen topic,
 * pose a problem - the more mysterious or intrigueing the better,
 * create a classroom simulation of a real-life problems,
 * use a variety of teaching methods.
 * have students assess themselves,
 * give consistent, prompt feedback,
 * give authentic (true to real-life) performance tasks.

= Motivation when faced with extreme disability = Nick Vujicic, born with no arms and no legs, gives an inspirational motivational speech and demonstration. This youtube video (more than 1.2 million hits to March 2011) has the power to motivate everyone, no matter what challenges are being faced.

media type="youtube" key="wOlTdkYXuzE" height="390" width="480"

**Bloggers Zone:** Check this out: @http://post-secondary.blogspot.com/

= Mature Adult Education Quotation = Small groups of aspiring adults who desire to keep their minds fresh and vigorous; who begin to learn by confronting pertinent situations; who dig down into the reservoirs of their secondary facts; who are led in the discussion by teachers who are also seekers after wisdom and not oracles: this constitutes the setting for adult education, the modern quest for life's meaning. - Eduard Lindeman, The Meaning of Adult Education (1926).