Season 6 Episode 3: Adult Learning Principles Make a Difference in Your Classroom with Kristen Gosse, MEd, of InJoy Health Education

This episode was recorded on 5/23/22 

The students and patients that you interact with have far different expectations for learning than a K-12 student.  They are with you for a very specific reason and expect you to give them relevant information they can use right away that they can incorporate with what they already know.  Adult learners require educators to use some unique approaches that tap into both the art and science of teaching.  This episode will give you some specific tips on how to incorporate Adult Learning Principles in your classroom or virtual classes.   

Our expert is Kristen Gosse, MEd, the Learning Strategist and Content Development Manager for InJoy Health Education. She has a background in professional writing and almost 14 years of experience designing content for pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and parenting health education materials. Kristen explores ways to apply adult learning theory and the psychology of motivation to health education. If adults do not understand or feel empowered, they are at a disadvantage to make informed decisions in almost every facet of life. Her goal is to nurture this feeling of empowerment through thoughtful, engaging content and effective learning experiences. 

 

Listen and Learn:  

• Adult learners need to be in charge of their own learning 
• Your students want to be treated with respect 
• Many prefer social interaction in the classroom or online 
• Students learn through doing, practice, and return demonstration
• The “Fab 4” basic principles of well-known researcher in Adult Learning, Malcolm Knowles
• There is no such thing as a learning style for an individual---everyone needs to see information in multiple ways to retain it
• How reflection is helpful in processing information, so asking the learner to jot down ideas is useful
• Why these principles apply to the classroom and the bedside 

 Resources & Mentions: 

• Engaged: Designing for Behavior Change by Amy Bucher 
• Designing for How People Learn by Julie Dirksen 
• Julie Dirksen’s website: https://usablelearning.com/
• https://elearningindustry.com/the-adult-learning-theory-andragogy-of-malcolm-knowles 
• Healthy Content Matters: Bringing Patient Education Online 

Related Products from InJoy: 

• Online Education
• Books + Web Apps
• PowerPoints
• Video Programs