Adult Learning Theories
and Teaching Strategies
Mary M. Mann
School of Social Work
Goals
 Supervisor/Supervisee Development and
Relationship
 Adult Learning Theories: Application and
Teaching Strategies
 Generational Considerations and Learning
Styles
 Listening to Students
Supervisors as Educators
Supervisors are educators
Knowing the skill – but how to teach it?
Play vital role in intern professional
development
Prepare interns to practice their profession –
the skills, knowledge and values - anywhere as
opposed to how to “do the job” in a given
agency
Identity Development:
Supervisors
 Develop Professional Identity: Process
 Transition from frontline, direct practice to
supervisory role: Challenges?
 Develop a balanced focus on self and others
 Acknowledgement of Power Differential
 Understand Supervisor Impact on Supervisee
 Awareness of personal issues, biases, and
countertransference
University of Central Florida
Identity Development: Supervisee
Stages and Challenges
Response
 Support,
 Beginning to
Encouragement.
Develop a
Professional Identity  Clearly Defined Job
Description
as a Social Worker
 Anxiety, Fear of the  Clearly Defined Roles
 Do Not Take Certain
Unknown
Skills for Granted
 Transition from
Classroom to Direct  Mutual Respect and
Trust
Practice
University of Central Florida
Adult Learning
Theories
University of Central Florida
Major Theories
Knowles (1980) Andragogy:
• Established assumptions about how adults
learn
Mezirow (2000) Transformational Learning:
• Learning that changes the way individuals think
about themselves and their world
• A shift in consciousness and understanding
Importance of these theories for field supervisors
Adult Learning: Knowles
•Adults must first understand why they need to know
something before they actually invest time in learning
it
•Most adults have a semi to fully formed self-image
and tend to become resentful when these images are
not valued in a learning situation
•Adults need to feel as if their life experience is
important as it helps them make connections between
old and new knowledge
Adult Learning, cont’d
•Adults will generally prepare more for a learning
situation
•Adults “want to learn to solve or address a particular
problem, and are more satisfied with their learning if it
relates to everyday experiences, is practical, or is
current” (Draves, p. 11).
• Adults are generally more intrinsically motivated to
learn than children
•Adults are in the learning situation by choice
(usually), may not require the extrinsic motivational
rewards that children do.
Adult Learning
(Mezirow)
• Learning originates from a place of discomfort
• Transformative learning begins when the learner is
made aware of a gap in their knowledge and an
issue and thus begins the learning process.
• Learning is active, collaborative and learnercentered
• Encourages inquisitiveness and self-reflection
• Moves away from teaching and focuses more on
facilitating knowledge
Things to Consider
University of Central Florida
Student Demographics and
Impact on Learning
•Changing demographic of traditional student: 1822.
•The era impacts the learning expectations,
environment and relationship
•Today’s students are more diverse in age with a
growing older adult population (25+)
•Approximately 23% of UCF students are above
the age of 25
•Boomers, Generation X and Millenials
Quiz
1.
When you were 20, the method for delivering a
message to someone was:
a. Carrier pigeon
b. Handwritten letter mailed with a stamp at the post
office
c. Email
d. Text/Instant Message/Instagram/Twitter/FB/Etc
Does it Matter?
•Boomers: achievement/grade oriented, selfdirected but need feedback/reassurance
•Generation X: flex time, lots of personalized
feedback but don’t like micromanaging – as long
as the job gets done, it’s not so important when
or where – not traditional 9-5ers
•Millenials: not traditional 9-5ers, flex time,
optimistic, work to live/don’t live to work,
technologically saavy, multi-multi-taskers,
immediacy, Google checkers; non-traditional
learning methods.
Is there value in generational labels?
 Best use of generational labels is to
consider that all students come to us with
different expectations and comfort with
the different approaches we may use
 We can use that understanding to design
more inclusive learning experiences that
help students of all ages learn better.
 Multiple learning methods: technology,
plus group work, plus traditional didactic
methods
Incorporating Multiple Ways
of Knowing
 You retain 10% of what you see, 30-40%
of what you see and hear, and 90% of
what we see, hear and do
 Combination of Visual, Auditory,
Kinesthetic
 Examples
Listening to Students
University of Central Florida
Listening to Students
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Availability, Availability, Availability
Don’t Assume I Know
Challenge Me: I Can Do More
Help Me Understand My Dual Role: Student and
Budding Professional
Give Me Constructive, Tangible Feedback
Clear, Concise Expectations and FollowThrough
Clearly Defined Purpose, Roles, Goals of
Supervision/Supervisee Process
Challenge Me Through Self-Evaluation:
Journals
Ask Me How I Learn Best
University of Central Florida