Ed: Points 1-3 from Mark Luetzow can be found in the last edition of Teach the Word.
4. Adult learning happens best in a safe space.
It is critical for adult learning that participants sense that they are in a safe space. Learners benefit from a manageable amount of stress and applicable risk, but their safety cannot be threatened. When the brain feels threatened or anxious, the brake pedal is applied to learning and the adult learner turns inward and disappears from the classroom. Adults need to know that their failures will be viewed not as character flaws but an admission of the sinner/saint dynamic that is true for all the church militant. A pastor who desires to provide the atmosphere that will best encourage adult learning may well share an experience that makes himself both transparent and vulnerable in order to lower the walls of the entire group.
5. Adult learning draws on the community’s experiences.
Adults bring a reservoir of experiences to the learning table. Whereas the well of experiences from which children can draw is shallow and therefore the teacher must create or describe those experiences, an adult can draw experiences in many and varied situations that will benefit the entire group. The octogenarian can recall and share information from eras that are only words in a history textbook for a millennial, while the millennial can bring a worldview that the octogenarian had perhaps never considered. A pastor who has the goal of reaching both generations would do well to explore options and be intentional about drawing water from those reservoirs.
6. Adult learning happens best when they have a respect for all participants and experiences.
Respect is a prime factor in adult learning. Learners need to know that they are heard and valued. If learners do not feel respected by the teacher and their fellow classmates, learning will be stymied. Affirmation is a conduit for learning. When the teacher affirms and values the experience and insight of the student, a pathway to learning is created. Your adult learners are much more likely to contribute and share their experiences that will benefit the group when they know the instructor values them.
7. Adults learning need time to reflect on what has been experienced.
More than their younger counterparts, adults need time to reflect on the information that has been gathered. A synthesis task will allow participants to pull things together and reflect on what they have learned. “When every learning task is a praxis (action with reflection), you will have immediacy and relevance and highly motivated learning.”
Adults learn differently than children do. How much differently is a matter of significant debate in educational circles. A pastor who desires to communicate the Word of God to his adult learners will continue to place his reliance on the power inherent in the Word itself. Educational theory aside, the Spirit will accomplish his task of making disciples of the elect.
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