{"id":4410,"date":"2016-10-20T15:17:31","date_gmt":"2016-10-20T15:17:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/?p=4410"},"modified":"2016-10-20T15:17:31","modified_gmt":"2016-10-20T15:17:31","slug":"respect-adult-learners-succeed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/2016\/10\/respect-adult-learners-succeed.html","title":{"rendered":"How Respect Helps Adult Learners to Succeed"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-classic-wrap\">Adult learners bring a diverse range of backgrounds, challenges and expectations to an eLearning course. They\u2019re often busy professionals with a wealth of life experience. And if you respect that as a tutor, you\u2019ve taken a vital first step towards setting up a productive working relationship with your learners.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Happily, respect is a two-way street. If you make it easy for your adult learners to respect you in return, <strong>you create a positive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/2015\/11\/individual-and-team-based-critical-thinking-skills-in-the-elearning-environment.html\" target=\"_blank\">learning environment<\/a><\/strong> in which everyone wins. Both parties can move in tandem towards a shared goal: <strong>successful course completion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>What happens when adult learners feel ignored rather than respected?<\/h3>\n<p>Without a foundation of respect between you and your adult learners, it\u2019s harder for them to achieve \u2013 and easier for them to fail. Common issues faced from learners\u00a0who feel ignored or disrespected include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Negative <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/2014\/12\/art-science-user-feedback.html\" target=\"_blank\">learner\u00a0feedback<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Low completion rates as dissatisfied learners simply drop out<\/li>\n<li>Ongoing unpleasant emails (which can lead to formal complaints)<\/li>\n<li>More work for you, as you chase up incomplete tasks that <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/2016\/01\/how-companies-use-gamification-to-motivate-their-employees.html\" target=\"_blank\">demotivated learners<\/a><\/strong> haven\u2019t submitted<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But when respect is mutual, the <strong>eLearning experience<\/strong> has much more positive outcomes \u2013 for both the learner and the tutor.<\/p>\n<h2>5 Ways to Use Respect to Create Positive Relationships with Adult Learners<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s not difficult to base your working relationships with learners on respect. But it does require a strategic approach, and an awareness that this demographic cannot be treated like naughty children.<\/p>\n<p>Here are 5 ways to put in place a respectful online dynamic that will create better outcomes for everyone involved:<\/p>\n<h3>1. Offer outstanding \u201ccustomer service\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>As learners increasingly become perceived as our \u201ccustomers\u201d, we need to shape our own version of customer service. Yes, we want satisfied \u201ccustomers,\u201d but educational standards must still be maintained.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The key is to make sure the hard decisions you make are very obviously fair and transparent.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For example, if you made a mistake with a grade or feedback, immediately admit that you were wrong, apologize, and re-assess the work.<\/p>\n<p>But don\u2019t apologize for giving a fair grade \u2013 even if the learner is not happy with it. However, you can and should <strong>include constructive and detailed feedback<\/strong>, which provides evidence and justification for my decision.<\/p>\n<p>This way, the \u201ccustomer\u201d understands that the learning process is rigorous, but fair and transparent.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Don\u2019t be shy about your credentials<\/h3>\n<p>If you have letters after your name, make sure they\u2019re included in your email signature. Be specific about your credentials and experience in your <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\" target=\"_blank\">LMS<\/a> <\/strong>profile.<\/p>\n<p><em>Make it easy for students to respect your professional standing and expertise.<\/em> You haven\u2019t been called in off the street at random to teach this course. You\u2019re there because you know what you\u2019re doing, and you\u2019re the best person to help them learn.<\/p>\n<p>Make sure they know that.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Make expectations clear<\/h3>\n<p>Many adult learners arrive in your course pre-stressed. They often barely have time to study. And established professionals can be nervous about having their skills evaluated in a new arena. For learners like these, there\u2019s a lot to worry about.<\/p>\n<p>Acknowledge their anxiety, and <strong>demystify the eLearning process by making core aspects of the course as clear as possible<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>You can do that by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Explaining time frames for communication, and for returning graded work<\/li>\n<li>Making deadlines and important dates highly visible<\/li>\n<li>Ensuring all assessment information is self-explanatory<\/li>\n<li>Setting up an FAQ page that answers learner questions on demand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This approach reassures adult learners, and makes them feel more in control of their own learning process.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Be approachable<\/h3>\n<p>Many adult learners find it incredibly difficult to ask for help when they need it. Adult learners may range from <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/2016\/09\/create-employee-training-development-plan.html\" target=\"_blank\">corporate managers<\/a><\/strong> to tradespeople who run their own businesses. These are can-do, results-oriented people, who are used to figuring things out on their own.<\/p>\n<p>Even so, they often need help. But they\u2019re too proud or embarrassed to admit it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Make sure your learners know they can come to you with any course-related queries.<\/strong> It\u2019s a good idea to point out to adult learners that asking questions is normal, and make it clear that you\u2019re there to help them. There\u2019s no shame in asking for help: it\u2019s a natural part of the learning process.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Keep your promises<\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019ve promised a class that their graded reports will be returned on Monday, make sure that happens. If new course materials are set to be released by a certain date, keep to that deadline.<\/p>\n<p><em>When you become known for keeping your promises, learners\u00a0begin to relax<\/em>, and trust that you\u2019re as good as your word. This helps to set up a safe, professional environment in which everyone shows each other the respect they deserve.<\/p>\n<p>As you can see,<strong> there are many ways to set up productive working relationships with your adult learners.<\/strong> When these relationships are based on the bedrock of respect, it becomes much easier to work together to achieve your shared goal of successful course completions.<\/p>\n<p><em>How do you set up respectful working relationships with your learners?<\/em><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Adult learners bring a diverse range of backgrounds, challenges and expectations to an eLearning course. They\u2019re often busy professionals with a wealth of life experience. And if you respect that as a tutor, you\u2019ve taken a vital first step towards setting up a productive working relationship with your learners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33885,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[66],"class_list":["post-4410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-opinion","tag-instructional-design"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.2 (Yoast SEO v26.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How Respect Helps Adult Learners to Succeed - eFront Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One of the key factors that define the success of your eLearning course is respect. 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