Brief Guide for Teaching Adult Learners

Approaching the diverse needs of adult learners requires that we consider the best available theories and practices. To address the various approaches and strategies available, authors Cheryl Torok Fleming and J. Bradley Garner have adapted the work of Knowles, Holton and Swanson (1998) in order to provide a variety of strategies for consideration by adult educators.

One of the major goals of this work is to provide an accessible and easy-to-implement guide for teaching adults--a book that you could easily take into the classroom, implementing one or more new teaching strategies. Think of these strategies as a starting point for your own exploration, growth, and experimentation in meeting the needs of adult learners, and your students will appreciate the efforts that you are making to meet their needs as adult learners.

J. Bradley Garner serves as the assistant dean for teaching and learning in the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana Wesleyan University. Dr. Garner holds a BS Ed. and an MS Ed. from the University of Akron, and a Ph.D. from Kent State University. He has authored several journal articles and book chapters on topics related to teaching and learning. Additionally, he is the author of Brief Guide for Teaching Millennial Learners (Triangle) and a coauthor of Straight Talk: Clear Answers about Today's Christianity (Triangle). Garner's greatest passion is assisting college faculty to find new and better ways to meet the learning needs of all learners.