How to Connect Techniques of Motivation and Active Learning to Support Adult Learners

Motivation and Learning Techniques
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Motivation and Learning Techniques Adult learners, or students older than the typical university age of 18 to 25, are increasingly becoming more prevalent in higher education. This group incorporates a more significant part of the student body in online and physical classes in American educational institutions. The US Department of Education data illustrates a constant increase in the proportion of adult learners among the overall number of students enrolled (NCES, 2021). Addressing the learning of age-diverse people requires age-oriented courses that support the unique demands of adult learners in the classroom. The education sector and scientific literature library must adjust their approaches and curriculums in response to this development in the education sector. Teaching techniques for this kind of population in school have to be different from the normalized systems due to unique traits, values, beliefs, and standards. Furthermore, motivation techniques for adult learners are necessary since the older generation can easily quit the education system due to society’s perception that they are slow and late learners. Thus, stakeholders should determine feasible and efficacy-based techniques for teaching adults, motivating them to remain in class and finish their courses while identifying the efficient application of the adopted methods. Instructional Strategies for Adult Learners and their Implementation The American National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) statistically illustrates the ongoing growth in adult learners at degree-granting institutions. Trends reveal that from 1991 to 2001, total adult student enrollment increased by 11% and another 20% from 2003 to 2013 (NCES, 2021). In 2013 alone, post-secondary institutions enrolled an estimated 7 million students aged 25 and older, and experts project the number to rise to approximately 9,760,000 learners by 2025 (NCES, 2021). Due to such skewed statistics, teaching techniques should adapt to changes and promote learning continuity. The first approach is the constructivist model, where teaching focuses on critical thinking abilities through inquiry, problem-based, and discovery learning strategies. This method purposes to equip students to be autonomous adult learners by emphasizing practical, influential information literacy and critical thinking abilities (McCall et al., 2018). Its implementation would include tailoring library training as a requirement for adult learners and externally exploring abilities to increase their overall academic achievement and engagement. The use of scaffolding in education is another constructivist technique. Scaffolding is the process of breaking down difficult jobs or abilities into smaller, more manageable chunks for completion through a stepped approach (McCall et al., 2018). It makes the activity less stressful and easier to do and allows adult learners to track their progress. These students can benefit from a variety of scaffolding techniques while learning information literacy. Implementation of the tactic occurs in the case of first-year adult learners, who may require ...