Types of learning skills
As an adult, there are some basic leaning skills that one should be aware of in the learning process. The first learning skill that can be valuable for adults is lectures. In this case, the learner would be expected to be in a classroom setting with the teacher. This learning concept is very popular when learning about new concepts. Tutorials are also popularly used in some of the cases. When using the tutorials, the learner will be expected to make notes based on the personal understanding of the concepts presented in the tutorials.
Group work is another popular approach that is common among adults. In this case, learners would sit and share their views about a given topic in order to enhance their knowledge. A learner can also engage in private readings in the library. These skills can be used together in order to enhance the ability of the learner to grasp what is being taught.
Tools to enhance learning skills
There are some tools that are always used to enhance learning skills. One of the widely used tools in the current society is the internet. The internet has valuable information that can be used by a leaner to enhance his or her knowledge on a certain topic. Books and tutorials in the library also form an important tool for learners. Some advanced schools use video-conferencing for distant learners or in cases where the lecturer is unable to travel to the physical classroom (Boulay, 2009).
How to incorporate new learning skills
Sometimes it may be necessary to incorporate new learning skills. A learner must determine the best approach of incorporating these new skills. The best way of doing this would be to determine how the skills are related to the current learning skills. This way, it will be easy to come up with a way in which they can be integrated in order to come up with a superior approach of learning (Seo, 2012).
Time Management
Basic skills to use time properly
Time management is a critical issue for an adult learner. The learner must have a strategy that explains when it is appropriate to conduct private studies, engage in group work, or take time to rest in between the studies. The best way of doing this is to develop a timetable. The timetable will define all the activities that a learner needs to engage in so that he or she can balance class work and other chores.
How to combat stress
Sometimes stress may affect a learner. It is necessary to come up with strategies that are helpful in combating stress. The best way that a learner can use to combat stress is to plan all the activities. The learner will also need to break the assignments into smaller manageable and less stressing tasks.
Procrastination
Procrastination is one of the worst mistakes that some learners make in their academic life. Every task should be completed in time, and the temptation to procrastinate any academic work should be avoided by all means possible.
How Adult Learners Differ From the Rest of the Society
Age
Age is one of the fundamental factors that differentiate adult learners from other learners in the society. Most of the adult learners always find themselves in class with much younger people, some as young as their own children. However, they are expected to ignore the age factor in order to be academically successful.
Priorities
In most of the cases, the priority of an adult learner is not academics. They always have families to care for which is their top priority. This always affects their academic performance as they try to balance between family life and academic work (Reischmann, 2004).
Mindset
The mind set of an adult learner is also different from the young learners. While the young learners may have undefined ambition that they want to achieve through their academic life, the adult learners always have specific reasons that make them go back to class at advanced ages.
Why Learning is the Foundation to Life
Research
Learning is the foundation to life, and this is one of the main reasons why some adults always go back to class. Through learning, research into new fields is made possible. All the fields in education require research in order to sustain the changes taking place in the society.
Intelligence
Through the learning processes, one is able to enhance his or her intelligence, making it easy to survive in the current society that has become very challenging.
Credibility
Learning also enhances the credibility of a person to hold certain positions in life. For instance, if one is a leader, having the right education makes him credible for the position, and earns him some respect among the followers.
Conclusion
Learning like an adult is different from other forms of learning in the society. The age factor and the responsibilities that an adult has pose serious challenges that a normal learner may not experience. This may affect the performance of the adult learner if corrective measures are not taken.
References
Boulay, D. (2009). Study Skills for dummies. Web.
Reischmann, J. (2004). Andragogy: History, Meaning, Context, Function. Web.
Seo, H. (2012). Social Behavior & Personality. International Journal of Management, 40(8), 1333-1340.