As eLearning designers, our mission is to engage a very special audience: adult learners.

This isn't about just slinging content their way and hoping for the best. We need to deeply understand adult learning psychology to develop courses that not only attract but also engage and educate our learners.

But here’s a crucial insight: adult learners can be quite the skeptical audience. They often come with a mixed bag of experiences—some good, some downright discouraging.

In fact, a study by the International Journal of Educational Technology found that 58% of adult learners are initially reluctant to digital learning due to past negative experiences.

Additionally, as the McKinsey Global Institute reports, up to 375 million workers (or 14% of the global workforce) will have to switch occupational categories by 2030 due to digitization, automation, and advancements in AI.

This rapidly changing landscape can induce a mix of anxiety and resistance among adult learners who may feel overwhelmed by the need to adapt continually.

Yet, the demand for eLearning solutions has never been greater, with the market projected to reach $325 billion by 2025 according to Global Market Insights.

Your role? Transform these challenges into opportunities.

By crafting eLearning experiences that are relevant, responsive, and rewarding, we can flip the script. Let's give those who have had less-than-stellar past experiences compelling reasons to change their minds and fully engage with our courses. 

Who is the Adult Learner? 

Who is the "adult learner" in the context of corporate training? Let's explore this concept a bit more deeply.

Malcolm Knowles, a pioneer in adult education, identifies several key characteristics that define adult learners:

• Self-directed: Adults feel the need to take control of their learning process and use their experiences to guide their education.

• Life-experienced: They bring a rich background of experiences that shape their learning and can be drawn upon in educational settings.

• Goal-oriented: Adult learners are typically focused on achieving specific, immediate goals through their education.

• Relevance-seeking: They prefer learning that is relevant to their current life situations and professional needs.

• Practical: Adults appreciate learning that they can apply practically in their daily personal and professional lives.

• Need for respect: Adults expect their prior knowledge and experiences to be respected by educators and peers.

These are folks with packed schedules and zero patience for fluff. They’re looking for training that’s not just a check-the-box exercise but something that genuinely helps them solve real-world problems. 

Here’s the kicker: they don’t want to sit through a drone of PowerPoint slides. They want learning that’s practical, engaging, and—dare we say—maybe even a little fun? They want to walk away with skills and knowledge that make a difference in their daily work lives. So, when designing training, remember you’re dealing with individuals who are as keen on growth and efficiency as they are on getting out of the office in time to catch that evening yoga class or soccer game. Let’s make their learning worth their while!

Unlocking Motivation: What Drives Adult Learners?

Getting adult learners to fit eLearning into their already busy schedules is no small feat. To effectively motivate them, it's crucial to grasp the core drivers that prompt them to prioritize learning and take decisive action.

Here are key insights to better understand and tap into what motivates adult learners:

1) Job Relevance: Make Learning Matter

Adult learners are here for a reason—they need specific skills to perform better at work. We need to truly understand what drives them, what challenges they face, and design our eLearning courses to fit right into their professional landscapes.

Adult learners like to see real progress towards defined goals. Our courses must be direct, relevant, and immediately useful. They don’t have time for fluff—they want skills they can use right away.

Tip: Use AI to Boost Learning Relevance

By integrating AI into our eLearning systems, we can tailor content more precisely to each learner's job roles and career ambitions. AI can track their progress, recommend focused areas for improvement, and keep the learning directly tied to their real-world applications.

Here're More Tips to Make Your Courses Actionable and Relevant:

• Start with the End in Sight: Kick off each module by clearly outlining what learners will take away.

• Break It Down: Give step-by-step instructions on how to apply what they’re learning.

• Connect the Dots: Use simple analogies to link new ideas with what they already know.

• Show, Don’t Just Tell: Provide real-life examples that show how these skills solve actual work problems.

• Sum It Up: End each module by summarizing the key points to reinforce the takeaways.

• Keep It Clear and Accessible: Ensure all materials are easy to find and understand, removing any barriers that might distract or hinder learning.

With these steps, you'll create eLearning content that's not just educational, but also engaging and highly applicable to your learners' daily tasks.

Read: Stop Blah, Blah eLearning! 5 Rules for Creating Relevant and Fluff-free Courses

2) Progress: Align Learning with Life Goals

Progress isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a must-have. Teresa Amabile from Harvard highlights how crucial progress is as a motivator for adults. People dive into eLearning not just to fill time—they want it to resonate with their career aspirations and life goals. They're far more engaged when they see how the course will help them climb the next rung on their career ladder.

It makes a huge difference when employees feel that their development is a priority to their organization, rather than feeling like just another cog in the machine.

Action Steps to Showcase Progress:

• Visualize Success: Include videos of professionals who have successfully applied what they learned to advance their careers. Seeing is believing!

• Track and Reflect: Allow learners to regularly assess their own progress. This not only keeps them informed but also empowers them to take control of their learning.

• Use AI to Enhance Personalized Learning Paths: Incorporating AI can dramatically improve how learners engage with courses by personalizing their learning journeys. AI can track progress in real-time, suggest customized learning modules based on performance, and even adjust difficulty levels to keep learners challenged but not overwhelmed.

• Feedback Loop: Provide timely feedback to celebrate their successes and guide them through challenges. This helps maintain momentum and keeps motivation high.

• Certify Their Achievements: Offer certificates or other tangible proofs of completion. It’s a milestone that gives a sense of accomplishment.

• Reward Progress: Implement levels, badges, or other forms of recognition within your course. These small wins are significant morale boosters and show learners that every step forward is a step worth taking.

3) Trust: Ensuring Your Course Delivers Real Value

Building Trust by Showcasing Real Benefits

It's essential to provide concrete evidence that your course will be beneficial. This goes beyond just claiming it’s useful—learners need to see how the skills they acquire will be directly applicable to their jobs.

Action Steps to Establish Trust:

• Highlight Tangible Outcomes: Start by clearly outlining the practical benefits of the course. How will this training make their daily work easier or open up new opportunities for advancement? Specific examples can help solidify this.

• Use Success Stories: Incorporate testimonials or case studies from previous participants who have successfully applied what they learned to improve their work performance or grow in their careers. Seeing real-life applications of the course content can significantly boost trust.

• Maintain Professional Standards: Ensure that every aspect of the course—from the user interface to the content itself—is professionally executed. A polished and well-organized course reflects your commitment to quality and builds confidence in the course’s value.

• Provide Ongoing Support: Show that you stand behind your course by offering robust support. This could be through interactive Q&A sessions, access to additional resources, or even post-course follow-up. Support demonstrates your investment in their success beyond just the course material.

By focusing on these elements, you communicate that your eLearning course is not just another box-ticking exercise, but a valuable tool designed to make a tangible difference in their professional lives. This approach not only builds trust but also enhances learner engagement and satisfaction.

4) Exploration: Learning Through Discovery, Not Just Clicks

Exploration in learning isn't just a preference for adult learners—it's a critical component of their motivation and engagement, especially within the corporate world. This approach taps into the innate curiosity and the desire for autonomy that characterize adult learners.

Studies show that when adults feel they have control over their learning process, their engagement levels can increase by as much as 60%. This sense of control and the opportunity to explore can turn obligatory training into an engaging and enriching experience.

Moreover, exploratory learning environments are shown to improve knowledge retention rates by up to 30% compared to more passive learning methods. This active engagement not only helps adults retain information better but also enhances their ability to apply what they've learned directly to their job roles.

Action Steps to Foster an Exploratory eLearning Environment:

• Encourage Active Participation: Create multiple opportunities for learners to interact with the content. Whether it’s through simulations, forums, or interactive tasks, give them the tools to be part of the learning process.

• Solve Problems Creatively: Create real-life scenarios that learners might encounter in their work. These should challenge them to apply their knowledge to solve problems or make decisions.

• Interactive Video Learning: Use videos where learners can interact with the content, such as choosing what action the video character should take next.

• Personalize Learning Paths: Allow learners to choose how they navigate the course. By letting them decide the sequence of topics or the depth they want to explore, you respect their autonomy and enhance their engagement.

• Leverage Their Experience: Use activities that incorporate learners' prior knowledge and experiences. Simple "what if" scenarios can help them apply new knowledge in familiar contexts.

If you're aiming to design eLearning courses that truly connect with adult learners, using AI-powered technology can help speed up the process and enhance the overall learning experience.

By understanding the unique challenges and expectations of adult learners, you can create more effective and engaging content.

SHIFT AI offers tools that simplify course creation, allowing you to focus on delivering content that not only answers their questions and solves their problems but also supports their growth.

Remember, adult learners often manage a variety of responsibilities—creating courses that respect their time and contribute positively to their lives can make a significant difference.