7 Things That Make Us Better Learners

As a follow up to Dr. Peter Rushbrook’s post on keynote speaker Stephen Billet, I was curious to find out Prof. Billett’s insights on what makes some adults learn better than others.

I asked the Professor what helps adult learners succeed at work.
Here are 7 things he zoomed in on:

1. Being respected
   Through being treated with respect and involved in workplace decision-making, adult learners are likely to be both more fully engaged in their work activities and learning for their work, and are motivated to do both.


2. Given opportunities
   Opportunities for adults to utilise and extend their capacities through work activities generate rich learning and strong commitment to contribute to the workplace.


3. Peer guidance and support
   As work requirements change, adults need support and guidance to learn new skills. The best way to show such support is in ways that are respectful of the learner. For instance, older workers in Singapore have said they prefer to learn through processes that permit them to share what they know and also learn from others in reciprocal sharing, not being positioned as students and being taught by others.


4. When work becomes a vocation
   When workers come to identify with their occupation, it becomes a vocation, a calling, rather than a job. They become motivated in not only being good at what they do but also actively engage in learning more about it. This happens when we find meaning and value in our work.


5. Commitment to learning
   It’s very rare to find a worker who doesn’t want to be competent in their workplace and effective at work. Most people want to do a good job, and to be utilised effectively. By providing opportunities that bring out the best in individuals, the workplace benefits too.


6. Active learning
   The best learning takes place through observation, listening and practice, rather than through formal training courses. Such everyday learning is active and on-going as workers engage in work activities and interactions. These provide a strong base for continuing education and training (CET) arrangements.


7. Engaging in new challenges
   Tackling new tasks and challenges opens the door to new skills and knowledge. The claim that older workers are not adept with new technologies is largely untrue! The irony is that restricting older workers’ access to new technologies may well make such claims correct! So, having expectations for individuals to engage in new tasks can be central to their learning. 

Enjoy this post? Do tune in for more tips and insights from our symposium speakers in the weeks ahead!