ADULT LEARNING DIGEST

“Education is not prepa-

ration for life; education

is life itself.”

- John Dewey

In This Digest

Born to Learn

The Motivation Continuum

Best Practices through the Lens of

Motivation

4 Conditions that Influence Motivation

What Happens When They Go Home?

3 Strategies for Sustaining Learning (and

Motivation)

SSIPP: Recipe for an inviting learning

activity

Janet McAllister, Northeast SARE Professional Development Program

Motivation—a perennial challenge... In our recent survey of state coordinators, a number of respondents ex-

pressed this challenge as an area in which further professional develop-

ment was desired:

How can I motivate my audiences to engage in the learning experiences I

offer and take action using what they learn?

There is a lot packed into that question.

We will do some unpacking in this digest by:

Exploring concepts from social psychology about different types of mo-

tivations and the human needs driving them.

Considering conditions that motivate adults to learn and to participate

in education programs, and their relationship to the best practices for

adult learning

Understanding from neuroscience that the learning is just beginning

when your workshop is done and what more you can do to keep learn-

ing and motivation going.

Motivating learners and Sustaining their learning Winter 2016

“The noblest pleasure is

the joy of understanding.”

- Leonardo da Vinci

2

3 INNATE HUMAN NEEDS drive our motivations ac-

cording to self-determination theory, a broad framework for the

study of human motivation.

Curiosity to learn is a natural human state.

Born to Learn! Motivation to learn is a trait all humans share.

Humans by nature are curious, inquisitive and adven-

turous. We have a natural inclination to be motivated to

learn and explore the world around us. We need to learn

to survive. We are attracted to novelty. We actively

seek to assimilate new information and creatively apply

our skills. We’ve been doing this since the day we were

born.

Self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000) de-

scribes two types of motivation— Intrinsic and Extrinsic.

We’ve mentioned these before in discussion of adult

learning and you probably know something about them

from experience and intuition. But we’ll review.

Intrinsic motivation: doing something because it is

inherently interesting and enjoyable. It comes from within

the person.

People are intrinsically motivated for some tasks and

not others.

Not everyone is intrinsically motivated for every task.

Extrinsic motivation: doing something for its instru-

mental value; i.e. because it leads to a separate outcome

we desire. It comes from causes outside the person.

Outcomes can include:

Avoiding a punishment

Gaining approval or reward

Achieving a goal

.

COMPETENCE: Humans have a

need to be (and be seen as) com-

petent and capable of success.

AUTONOMY: Humans have a need

to be (and be seen as) self-

directing, responsible and in control

of their own destiny.

CONNECTEDNESS: Humans

need to feel connected to other

people—family, peer group, team,

community, society.

People build

stronger intrinsic

motivation for a

task when they feel:

Competent: It’s im-

portant for learners to

experience success

using new skills in

real-life situations

Autonomous and in

control of the task:

Offering choices pro-

motes responsibility

for learning

Socially connected:

Fostering social inter-

action; a sense of

belonging and pur-

pose toward a shared

learning increases

commitment

3

The Motivation Continuum

Motivations occur along a continuum. Note as you move farther out the right side of the continuum, the

source of motivation becomes more internal to the person. People generally have more than one motivation

along the continuum—a mix of internally and externally derived motivations—for learning or doing something.

What’s important for facilitators of adult learning to know is that motivations that are internalized—those to-

wards the right side of the continuum—are more likely to be sustained.

Good News: Generally, adults participating in voluntary

professional development education enter the programs with

at least a moderate level of internally driven motivations. Oth-

erwise they wouldn’t show up. They are not likely at the far

right of the spectrum, intrinsic motivation—learning just for the

fun of learning, but they likely have a self-improvement pur-

pose or a goal they want to achieve, which is a higher level

extrinsic motivation.

A challenge for facilitators is to gain an understanding of

learners’ goals and aspirations so they can align the project

goals with the learners’ goals as much as possible.

Helping participants internalize the value of the learning for

helping them achieve their goals is an important step toward

fostering lasting motivation to stick with the learning program.

Do you know what’s motivating

your participants?

4

Best Practices through the Lens of Motivation

Adults enjoy being successful at learning that helps them effectively cope with

problems or situations important in their lives.

Starting from this statement, let’s consider 4 conditions that influence adults’ internal

motivations for learning. Understanding these conditions and their influences will help

you design strategies that promote positive motivations for participation and learning.

Fortunately, we have a toolbox already to draw upon for designing such strategies.

As you review the 4 conditions that influence motivation below, refer to the 4 best

practices for adult learning posted beside them. Can you identify at least one best practice strategy

you are already using that addresses each motivational condition?

The 4 motivation-influencing conditions provide another lens to use for understanding the rationale for effec-

tive project organization and facilitation strategies, and for selecting strategies. We can meet both the neuro-

logical and psychological needs surrounding learning using the same tools.

4 Best Practices for Adult

Learning

1. Provide a safe envi-

ronment for learning

2. Uncover and share

learners’ mental

models

3. Link content to

learners’ prior experi-

ence; let them experi-

ment with it

4. Let learners con-

tribute to content, pro-

cess and outcomes

Can you identify which of the

3 INNATE PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS

from page 2 each of the 4 motivation-

influencing conditions relate to?

(Wlodkowski, 2008)

5

INCLUSION

Humans have highly developed neural net-

works that drive our social actions and re-

sponses to social interaction. These cause

us to seek bonds with others, cooperate,

mourn loss, and fear rejection. As such,

adults are motivated to participate when they feel part of a

learning community where their differences in experiences,

viewpoints, goals are respected. When adults feel free to

make contributions without fear of judgement or rejection,

and feel that their voices are heard, their experiences and

contributions matter, they are more motivated to partici-

pate. If adults feel a strong sense of connection with the

learning group, they may become motivated not just for

their own learning, but for the group’s collective learning.

WHAT FACILITATORS CAN DO:

a. Include introductions and other opportunities for shar-

ing experiences and stories,

b. Use team/small group projects and exercises; these

can be organized for a number of different purposes.

ATTITUDE

Adults form attitudes immediately about any learning expe-

rience. It happens automatically. Participants in voluntary

learning, like Extension and SARE projects, likely arrive at

the first event with initial positive attitudes based on recruit-

ing information and reputation of Extension, SARE and/or

the facilitator. It’s critical at the each meeting, but especial-

ly the first, to do as much as possible to rein-

force positive initial attitudes so participants

return. Attitudes are not static; they will be

influenced continually by these conditions:

Interest and relevance of the content—Adults are

most interested in and pay more attention to content that’s

relevant to helping them with something in their lives, but if

participants get bored by unstimulating learning activities,

they can lose interest in even highly relevant content.

WHAT FACILITATORS CAN DO:

a. Offer learners multiple ways to interact with content

and participate actively.

b. Create opportunities for learners to connect content to

their own experiences and life situations

c. Positively confront/discuss erroneous or negative be-

liefs or assumptions learners may hold about content.

Expertise, attitude, facilitation abilities of instructor—

Adults will judge you and the project; forming

and reforming attitudes constantly. They will be

deciding if your project is the right place for

them to achieve the learning they desire—are

the instructors knowledgeable, unbiased, en-

gaging, supportive and nonjudgmental?

WHAT FACILITATORS CAN DO:

a. Ensure all instructors have an attitude of acceptance

and inclusiveness

b. Inform guest facilitators about learning objectives, par-

ticipants backgrounds and project goals.

c. Encourage guests to minimize use of PPT.

Volition and responsibility towards the learning—

Adults do not like feeling coerced or forced into any action,

or feeling that what they learn and how they learn is dictat-

ed and out of their control. We want to be self-directed—to

have volition about our learning. Adults need to experience

choice in all aspects of their learning – what they learn,

how they learn, how they apply what they learn.

WHAT FACILITATORS CAN DO:

a. Conduct needs, interest and skill assessments to give

participants input about interest, relevance of content.

b. Solicit input for and endorsement of project goals and

expectations for participants

c. Include personal goal setting, learning/participation

agreements, self-directed learning tasks

Self-efficacy and success in learning—Adults want

to be successful in learning. It is motivating to experience

success and attribute that success to our own efforts.

Adults typically carry a lot of baggage about their learning

capabilities based on prior experiences—anxieties, emo-

tional reactions, opinions about how well they

can/can’t learn certain content or in certain

formats. These can negatively influence atti-

tudes and confidence about new learning.

WHAT FACILITATORS CAN DO:

a. Inform adults at the beginning about all aspects of the

project – the objectives, plan for learning, what is ex-

pected of them and how they will be supported

b. Offer encouragement, recognition and supports

throughout the learning.

c. Include opportunities to see what success looks like in

others (e.g. role models, mentors, relatable peers).

More about the conditions that influence motivation...

6

MEANING

To learn and retain learning, adults must be able to make

meaning of the new information. If learners can’t make

meaning or understand the purpose of the learning as it

relates to their needs and interests, then they will be

frustrated and disinterested – these are not motivational

attitudes.

Relevance plays a key role in ability to make meaning of

new information we encounter. A few adults may be in-

terested in learning just for the sake of learning (do not

count on these being a large proportion of your audi-

ence), but most have a purpose for their learning—a per-

sonal goal for how the learning will help them deal more

effectively with something important. The more adults

can internalize the relevance of the learning for their pur-

pose, the more the project will mean to them, and the

greater their motivation.

A motivating purpose for the learning may

extend beyond the individual’s self-interest

to a social purpose. If coping with a life

problem or situation improves a valued soci-

etal condition or purpose as well, say it re-

duces pollution or promotes community welfare, then this

additional social relevance can add an emotional dimen-

sion that increases meaning and motivation.

WHAT FACILITATORS CAN DO:

a. Organize content by life or problem situations rather

than by subject to respond to adults’ life-centered

orientation to learning.

b. Use stories to help learners recognize the value of

the personal and social purposes for the learning.

c. Remember the neurological processes of learning,

and design activities for connecting new information

with prior knowledge and applying new skills in au-

thentic tasks.

d. Use engaging activities like case studies

and problem scenarios that challenge

learners to extend and develop their cur-

rent knowledge or skills.

COMPETENCE

Competence means having the necessary knowledge

and skills to effectively do the things we need to do or

value doing. Competence in purposeful activities brings

us fulfillment and a feeling that we matter. This is one of

the innate human needs driving learning and striving

from birth onward. We build competence as we take new

learning and practice with it, particularly in our real lives

or situations that closely resemble our real

lives. We also need feedback about our

performance to make improvements and

connect successes to our efforts.

When we become competent, we feel confident to use

our new knowledge and skills to address the situations in

our lives, which hopefully, include the performance tasks

for your project.

WHAT FACILITATORS CAN DO:

a. Include opportunities for practice and authentic prob-

lem solving/skill application activities and assign-

ments.

b. Use assessments of performance by self, peers,

teachers and/or mentors

c. Provide timely, constructive feedback.

The 4 conditions described above aim to promote internalization of motivation.

Do externally driven motivators work at all?

In some cases external motivators of rewards or approval can help create positive motivation for learning.

For example, continuing education credits are an often-used extrinsic motivator. Many people take their profes-

sional development very seriously and getting credits is a way to show others you are staying on top of your

game, as well as a source of personal pride. Surely some may attend just to get the credit certificate signed, but

many will be there to truly learn as well as get the credits.

Financial incentives can be positive motivators. Surveys of farmers (Dollisso and Martin, 1999),

found that a desire ‘to increase profitability’ was the top reason they participated in educational pro-

grams. However, this desire was closely linked with a more internal drive ‘ambition to succeed’, the

top-rated motivation for learning, demonstrating the mix of motivations mentioned earlier. Financial

supports such as money for travel reimbursement or supplies to implement an activity that applies the learning

may also have a positive influence on motivation.

7

What Happens When They Go Home?

You help learners comprehend meaning of new

concepts by helping them make direct linkages to

related ideas already stored in neural networks—

this saves cognitive energy. These connections to

prior knowledge and skills help the brain more

easily “make sense” of the new.

But deep learning takes time and adults will not

build a strong neural network for new content at

one workshop, or even two. Their networks for

new learning will still be fuzzy when they leave

your events. They need time and meaningful prac-

tice to reinforce their new networks.

3 Strategies for Sustaining the Learning (and Motivation)

BEST PRACTICE STRATEGY HOW IT SUSTAINS LEARNING

Deliberate Practice

lays down main neural highways

needed for knowledge and skill

Allows learners to develop essential content-specific knowledge and skills

Improves their efficiency using knowledge and skills

Reduces cognitive load (as some tasks become automatic) so brain can address

genuine problems

Applications to Genuine

Problems

establishes neural connectors to

other brain networks

Allows learners to identify gaps in knowledge and skills as they work to apply what

they learned in real-life situations

Reinforces and expands essential knowledge and skills

Commitment to Social

Learning

establishes and strengthens the

connectors to other brain networks

Helps learners uncover, share and expand mental models—exposure to a range of

possibilities within the domain context

Identifies gaps in experience, knowledge and skills

Enables learning from role models, mentors, vicarious experience

Help learners get from

here...

...to here with the

strategies below.

Turn the page for specific examples of things you can do to apply these strategies

in your projects.

Which motivational conditions do you think each of these strategies is influencing?

Adapted from Sandy Bell, 2015

The strategies below will reinforce and sustain participants’ learning after an event. But there’s more—the strate-

gies will also reinforce and sustain participants’ motivation to continue participating and learning with you.

Another win-win for the best practices!

8

9

(Sandy Bell, 2015)

SSIPP: Recipe for an Inviting Learning Activity

Safe. There is little risk of learners suffering personal embarrassment from lack of knowledge,

personal self-disclosure, or hostile/arrogant social environment

Successful. There is some form of acknowledgement, consequence or product that shows

learners are effective, or that their effort is worthwhile investment towards progress

Interesting. The activity has some parts that are novel, engaging, challenging or stimulating

Personally endorsed. Learners encouraged to make choices that affect the learning ex-

perience (e.g. what they share or learn, how, when or where they learn, with whom they learn,

how they are assessed), basing choices on their values, needs, concerns or feelings.

Personally relevant. Learners’ concerns, interests or prior experiences are used to cre-

ate elements of the activity, or activity developed in collaboration with the learners.,

Try this recipe out for an activity at your next event! (Wlodkowski, 2008)

10

References

Bell, A. (2015). Three strategies for sustaining learning after a learning event or project. Workshop

for Northeast SARE state professional development coordinators., Unpublished.

Deci, E.L. and Ryan, R.M. (2000) . The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the

self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, vol. 11, no. 4: 227-268.

Dollisso, A.D. and Martin, R. A. (1999). Perceptions regarding adult learners motivation to partici-

pate in educational programs. Journal of Agricultural Extension, vol. 40. no. 4: 38-46.

Wlodkowski, R. J. (2008) Enhancing adult motivation to learn. 3rd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-

Bass Publishers.

A Few Other Interesting Reads (not specifically referenced)

Brzozowski, R. (2014). Coordinating effective professional development projects. Journal of the Na-

tional Association of County Agricultural Agents, vol. 2, no. 2.:1-6.

Friedman, R. Deci, E.L., Elliot, A. J., Moller, A. C. and Aarts, H. (2010). Motivational synchronicity:

Priming motivational orientations with observations of others’ behaviors. Motiv Emot, 34:34-38.

Gillet, N., Lafreniere, M.K., Vallerand, I.H. and Fouquereau, E. (2014). The effects of autonomous

and controlled regulation of performance-approach goals on well-being: A process model. British

Journal of Social Psychology, 53:154-174.

Knowles, M.S., Holton, E.F. and Swanson, R.A. (2005). The adult learner. 6th ed. Burlington, MA:

Elsevier Publishers.

Lieberman, M. D. (2013). Social: Why our brains are wired to connect. New York, NY: Broadway

Books Publishers.

Strong, R. and Harder, A. (2010). Motivational orientations of adults participating in a Cooperative

Extension master gardener program. Journal of Extension, vol. 48, no. 4.: 1-7.