Kids vs Adults (The Learning Edition)

I transitioned from K12 to adult learning a few years back and realised that adults learn differently than kids.

Here are 5 differences I wish I knew when I started -  

1/ Energising you vs needing to be energised

Kids energise you! It’s one of my favourite things about working with kids is the positive vibes and energy they have. As facilitators and designers - working with kids leaves you with a very positive feeling because of this energy.

Adults on the other hand are quite the opposite. As facilitators and designers, you need to infuse adults learners with energy.

2/ Centre of the universe vs a speck in the void

For kids, learning is the centre of their universe. From school to homework to extra classes - their entire lives to some degree and the lives of their parents, revolve around learning. 

For adults, especially those that start working - learning if at all, is only a small part of our lives. We struggle to prioritise it along with our work and life.

3/ Curiosity vs convenience

Kids are innately very curious. A large part of how they learn is driven by this. A lot of their unstructured learning happens simply by asking questions and looking at everything around them with wonder.

Adults on the other hand, are looking for convenience while learning. How well does this fit into my schedule? How does it add value to my life? Learning often becomes quite transactional.

4/ Marks vs Growth

Unfortunately for children, in formal learning environments the end goal ends up being some sort of testing. That becomes the reason why a lot of them end up learning something.

For adults on the other hand, the end goal is growth - a raise, a promotion, being able to do something better. 

5/ Parents vs organisations

Learning is always a multi-stakeholder space. For kids, they might be the end users but the ‘customers’ and key decision makers are the parents.

For adult learners, the ‘customers’ and key decision makers often end up being organisations/ managers/ HRs. This hierarchy works differently in different cases.

6/ Learning vs Unlearning

Kids are easily mouldable, there are opinions they are still forming about things. As a result while learning something new, they are more open to things, eager to explore and try out the new.

Adults come with a lot of preconceived notions. We carry ‘the baggage’ of our past experiences and are often not able to see beyond it. Learning something new or learning something differently, often involves a great deal of ‘unlearning’ as well.

What are some other differences you have seen in the way kids and adults learn?

Caveat, these are based entirely on my experience in the space. There are exceptions to every norm. Everyone is different and some of these might not hold true for kids or adults that you see around you.