Technology and Adult Learning: are we using a screwdriver for a nail?

If you wear eyeglasses, you don’t get a pair without a prescription that works for your unique eyesight. When you take notes in class, you probably don’t use a Sharpie. I also assume you don’t get to work by driving in reverse. You use the right tool, at the right time, in the right way to get the job done…right? So why don’t we follow the same rules for using technology in learning? And lest you think, “Oh, but Midori, technology is different, a pen isn’t technology,” I will stop you there! Technology doesn’t have to be digital or have a plug to be considered technology, it can be as simple as a hammer and nail, as long as it helps a human to achieve a purpose. [1] Let me illustrate a few ways we should better use technology to enable the adult learner.

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Technology for Cognition: Presentations and Content

Whether a slide deck, a Prezi, or an overhead projector, we MUST stop using presentation technology incorrectly. The brain is a powerful filter that works to gatekeep information it deems irrelevant. [2] If we overload the senses, the brain will not be able to do the work of attending to the information at hand and will filter out the perceived noise. 

• Edit ferociously. When designing any type of supporting visual for your presentation, adhere to Mayer’s Principle of Coherence, which states that people learn better when extraneous material is excluded. [3] For every word, image, or sound that you choose to include in supporting visuals, ask yourself if it is really, truly going to support the learning that you want to stick with your audience.

• Avoid words. I mean, seriously, don’t use them at all on your slides. Let your learners focus on YOU, and the message. Use a simple image or a single number to make your point. Try it, I promise no one will stand up and become enraged that you didn’t create 10 slides of bullet points. Cut out the noise and let their brain focus on the most important message they need to absorb in order to learn. Because, as Mayer reminds us, with the right use of multimedia to support the content, learners actually will learn better.

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Technology for Constructivism: Social Tools

In a world where billions have made social networking/media sites a staple in daily life, how do we not capture this same essence in online learning? Social media sites utilize video, pictures, commenting, and sharing to engage their audience in the lives and stories of other people. So why do online learning platforms simply offer a “Discussion Board” feature and nothing else that meets the needs of an adult learner? Because, without those needs being met, adults will simply leave. [4]

• Make it actually social. For learning to occur, the learner must have meaningful experiences within the context of the content they want to learn. [5] While e-learning platforms have provided the means to supply functional learning tools, where are the opportunities to engage with other learners in a more natural, casual way, to get to know them on a more social level? In the workplace, we have introduced IM platforms such as Slack, where employees can not only discuss important work issues, but augment their engagement with channels designed to share recipes, pet pictures, or even just informally discuss company happenings. This is a critical feature that should be added to all online learning experiences.

• Stop with the fake gamification. Slapping a badge on a user ID for sending an email, or responding to a post is NOT gamification, NOT socializing, and definitely NOT learning. It might encourage someone to spend an extra few minutes checking the box on putting words on a discussion board, but it certainly doesn’t foster the feeling of having a social experience, or trigger internal motivation. Instead, gamification should involve teams, goals, challenges…and fun! [6] For example, cybersecurity classes will often use a game called Capture the Flag (CTF), where teams must find the “flag” in a series of challenges that test their knowledge of coding, attacker tactics, and more. CTF immerses them in a hands-on, social environment where the team collaborates to achieve a goal while applying and practicing new skills and knowledge.
  

A vehicle is one of the most sophisticated pieces of technology in our modern world. So, remember, if you can drive a car, you can master technology. Just remember the end goal and purpose of the technology, and you will be a wiser, more efficient driver of learning for your adult learners.

References

1. Aunger, R. (2010). What’s Special about Human Technology? Cambridge Journal of Economics, 34(1), 115–123. https://doi-org.libproxy.boisestate.edu/https://academic.oup.com/cje/issue

2. Cepelewicz, J. (2020, August 27). To Pay Attention, the Brain Uses Filters, Not a Spotlight. Quanta Magazine. https://www.quantamagazine.org/to-pay-attention-the-brain-uses-filters-not-a-spotlight-20190924/

3. Mayer, R. (2017). Using multimedia for e-learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 33(5), 403–423. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12197

4. Rothwell, W. J. (2008). Adult Learning Basics (1st ed.). ASTD Press.

5. Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L. L. (2013). Adult learning : Linking theory and practice. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.

6. Kapp, K. M. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction : Game-based methods and strategies for training and education. Center for Creative Leadership.