Summer 1991 // Volume 29 // Number 2 // Tools of the Trade // 2TOT3
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Enhancing Adult Motivation To Learn
Abstract
Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn. Robert J. Wlodkowski. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1985. 314 pp. $24.95 hardcover. This excellent resource combines usable teaching strategies for stimulating adult audiences with a balanced base of theory. The organized presentation of practical strategies for adult learning are of particular use to Extension planners and impart refreshing ideas on instruction.
Enhancing Adult Motivation To Learn. Robert J. Wlodkowski. San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers, 1985. 314 pp. $24.95 hardcover.
In this book, Wlodkowski notes that "every instructional plan needs a motivational plan." This, he says, creates a dimensional flow and a connectedness between instructor and learner that promotes the best possible educational experience.
This excellent resource combines usable teaching strategies for stimulating adult audiences with a balanced base of theory. The organized presentation of practical strategies for adult learning are of particular use to Extension planners and impart refreshing ideas on instruction.
The book is divided into six main sections, each dealing with a factor that influences motivation: attitude, need, stimulation, affect, competence, and reinforcement. Within each of the sections are a total of 68 motivational strategies. Each section addresses the beginning of a course or presentation, the main portion of the learning activity, and the ending. Techniques and examples are given throughout. Not only are the strategies explained thoroughly, but a summary chart is included for easy reference.
"We can't talk adults into learning," Wlodkowski indicates, but we can help them overcome attitudinal barriers. It takes an astute instructor to read audiences and adjust prepared materials to fit the unique needs of a given individual or group. The author cites Maslow's theory to provide a compelling rationale for use of adult learners' needs to strengthen instructional sequencing and educational organization. Just as we plan developmentally appropriate curriculum for children, being in tune with adult needs enables instructors to plan relevant experiences that motivate learning.
Using this book as a reference will help individuals improve their effectiveness as instructors by planning to meet learning needs and employing choice, positive feedback, and optimum challenge. In these ways, a reinforcing learning environment for adults can be created and maintained.