Does your course ‘fit’ the adult learner?
May is my designated Trainer Appreciation Month. So, I’m writing a blog series to help trainers teach and write great courses. And, I’m offering special discounts on my resources for trainers. See them here.
Most real estate courses are not written with adult learning principles in mind. So, let’s look at these truisms and write our courses to reach the adult learner effectively. This is one of the areas we address in my resource on how to write a course (click here to see it).
From writing courses for most of the major real estate franchises, and training thousands of real estate instructors, I’ve found some undeniable truisms. Here’s one:
Why Write a Course for the Adult Learner?
Benefits to teaching to these principles in your course:
- Adults aren’t bored (!)
- Adults feel important
- Adults pay attention
- Adults retain more
- Adults feel protected; low risk environment
- Adults like you better
- Easier for you to teach!
The Big Principles to Keep in Mind
Adults learn through association.
We learn what we already know. Two fellows teaching community colleges instructors how to teach shared that one with me. How insightful!
How do skilled presenters accomplish this in a course environment?
Do you relate what you’re teaching to the adult’s prior experience? Or, do you jump right into a complex theory and expect your students to keep up…..
Adults learn by doing
Life is do it yourself. Do you have your students doing an action in class? What happens in your course to assure the students are doing? How do you know they can do whatever it is you are teaching them to do? Observe it in class, of course!
Retention soars when adults do and say something at the same time. How are you using this principle in your course?
How much doing of significance do you have planned in your class?
Big principle: How we retain information is directly related to how we acquire that information.
Would you say that instructors are most concerned with short-term, or long-term student learning?
Adults learn from each other
Use teaching methods to encourage information exchange.
How do you assure students are exchanging information? Are you using various alternative delivery methods (not lecture) to assure students are learning not only from you, but from one another?
Adults learn through repetition
Use several approaches to the same concept/process. Does your course offer review and repetition to assure students are really learning?
Adults learn through rapid recall
What rapid recall methods have you seen used in the classroom? Do you do this so you ‘tie up’ each section before you move on?
Adults seek to satisfy individual needs
Experience levels vary greatly. How would an instructor find out each student’s individual experience levels prior to getting into the classroom?When I’m teaching Instructor Development Workshop, I provide each attendee a ‘pre-conference survey’ at registration, so I can see the needs and level of learning of that person. Even the words used give me some powerful hints about each attendee’s priorities and beliefs!
Adults learn practical information.
They want information and skills to directly apply to their lives–right away.
How have you seen instructors assure that the information is not only applicable, but that the student applies the information to their challenges, while in the classroom? Are you assuring that each of your attendee translates the course information/skills into action plans?
Go back to the course your teaching or writing and see if you are adequately addressing how adults learn. Doing so is one of the attributes of a real course, not just an ‘information overload!
Expert Guidance to Write that Great Course–at a $30 discount this Month!
If you’re serious about writing that great course, this is the resource for you. Step by step, Carla Cross, who has written courses for Re/Max, Better Homes and Gardens, Keller Williams Realty, GMAC, Royal LePage, and CRB, shows you exactly how to create your course and your outline. And, for those Washington state instructors, she shares tips on how to get your course approved for clock hours.
This resource is digital. You will get access immediately.
May Trainer Appreciation Month bonus: Keys to a Killer Introduction
This ‘how to write a course’ includes:
2 instructional videos
Templates to use as guides for course creation
Examples of courses
2 ‘cheat sheets’ to write your course modules
Tips on how to write teaching methods right into that course, so you can sell it!
Guidance in how to get your course approved in Washington state.
With 95 pages, this resource, along with the 2 instructional videos, shows you exactly how to create a course that has substance, sizzle, and ‘sell’!
May Trainer Appreciation Month price: $99.95 with coupon create course. (Regularly $129.95. Save $30)
Click here for more information and to order. You’ll get immediate access to the 95-page resource guide and 2 instructional videos. Remember, to get your discount use the coupon code create course.
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