Module 2: Principles of Adult Education

Medical students and residents are adults and have needs and motivations unlike child learners.

Adult Learning Principles

1. It has been said that doctors learn “just in time.” This means that they are motivated to learn based on need. They seek information they need to manage a patient, to solve a problem or pass a test. Learning for fun is a luxury.
2. Effective learning takes place in a friendly environment. Learning motivated by threats or ridicule is disappearing from medical education. While someone may learn under such negative conditions, the event is remembered long after the knowledge or skills are forgotten.
3. It is important to take an educational history. This point will be stressed throughout the modules. This helps to identify an appropriate starting point for learning based on the learners past experiences and current level of knowledge and skills.
4. Like any body of knowledge, one of the first tasks is to learn the language. In adult learning, it is especially important to incorporate the appropriate nomenclature to facilitate good communication.
5. Adults prefer to set their own learning pace.
6. Adult learners do not like to be evaluated. Self evaluation can be used effectively with performance based feedback. Performance based feedback gives the learner the information he/she needs to change.

Do these adult learning principles fit you? How?