Next, adult learners are results-oriented. They learn best when they believe the outcome of the learning will be valuable to them. They want to know how they can apply the information learned in the training to their real lives and why it’s important to them. Because they are probably at your presentation voluntarily, they may tune out or even leave if they don’t immediately see “what’s in it for them.”

In contrast, children are usually “future-oriented.” This means that their presence in an educational situation is often mandatory. They perceive education as something they’ll need to have a successful future and care less about immediate results. To a large degree, they learn what they’re told to learn and don’t often question it.

Each of the training presentations offers solutions and guidance, but if time permits, ask your adult learners to contribute their own suggestions for solutions.