Adults learn differently. I know this, because, contrary to popular belief, I am an adult. But most of what we do in teaching and learning is premised on pedagogy of the child. This is not a complete waste of time and resources, but there are differences that are inherent in the way adults learn and the way children learn.
One of the primary differences between adults and children is the level of knowledge. Now, many adults might point out an area such as computers to show that there are places where children know more. Perhaps they do know more about the ins and outs of using a computer, but I’d hazard a guess, that the processes they used to get there are precisely the processing that adults possess in abundance. Inquisitiveness and curiousity are perhaps the two key criteria that more children possess than adults, but there are a range of other skills that adults have that children don’t.
So why is it that adults are reticent to learn about computers? What sorts of barriers to learning are there? This is actually the subject of a great paper I am writing with a colleague (Arthur, who shall remane blogless). What are the differences between adults and children when we design learning activities for them? Part of this arose from my PhD and is based on Vygotsky’s work. But we’ve taken it beyond what I found in my PhD and there are meta-levels that we’re looking at.
But, I’ve just come across some of the things we are elaborating. I’ve been trying to learn Kinemac, but finding there are some things I just don’t get. I tend not to be a visual thinker, I think in words, I create word pictures, so moving to learning a 3D animation process is somewhat of a challenge. Working out the difference between what I know and what I think I need to know is exactly the process that is central to adult learning. In some ways, particularly when we talk about learning computers, children are more likely to click something and think “what’s this do?” Adults tend towards the “What does that button do? Where can I find out? How can I know before I do?” before clicking. There’s a more considered (generally) and focussed approach which can lead to a more nuanced understanding.
For Kinemac, there is no guided tour that will build up my understanding of animation in parallel with my understanding of the program. There are many examples out there. Kinemac has a gallery of small projects, with both the movie and the project file. But, each one of them is predicated on an understanding of 3D relationships (4 if you include the time aspect which is really breaking my brain). It’s not an area I’ve worked in much. It’s not something I understand. It’s something I must learn.
That’s the problem I’m facing. I’m an adult, and I’m learning.