5 Steps of the Adult Learning Process to Learn Discovery

The five-step adult learning process is an experiential learning model, often called discovery learning, which creates an environment in which learners themselves realize what they need to know and do differently, and some learners will benefit from this activity more than others.

this experiential learning model helps all learners to start from their current level and develop from a shared experience, and since experimental learning actively engages the learner, it is possible to use the same activity with a diverse audience.

The process is a set of steps that must be followed in each learning experience and can be used to design and deliver content on any topic.

5 Steps of the Adult Learning Process to Learn Discovery

1. Preparing the trainer for the learning activity

The goal of the first step in the adult learning process is to introduce and prepare the learning experience. The setting “the number of steps and the importance of doing them in a particular order” or the level of skill of the facilitator will determine the degree of detail of the plan needed for this step, and there are four typical methods to achieve this:

1.1. Purpose or objective of the activity

In a participatory lecture, this step is usually: “What we are going to talk about today is…” for the fundamental discovery learning experience, the goal may be part of what needs to be discovered, so it will not be revealed in the setting.

1.2. Explain what you're going to do as a trainer

In a participatory lecture, you can provide information, view drawings, ask and answer questions, and for a small group discussion, you can divide people into groups and assign tasks to them, and you should be available to present the coaching and assist the groups as needed.

1.3. Explain what participants are expected to do

In a small group discussion, participants may be asked to explore a situation, conduct a brainstorming session or provide solutions to a problem, and then report back to the group as a whole, and in a video or virtual presentation, participants may be asked to read key ideas, answer specific questions, or take notes for further discussion, and in the training session with a specific program, participants may be expected to create a document that meets specific criteria.

1.4. The basic rules that accompany the learning experience

In stalemate breaking or session initiation activities, the rules may be that each participant joins a group of three other people they do not already know. In a technical lecture, it may include the basic rules at the time of asking questions, i.e., clarifying questions that need to be asked on time, and questions that need to be postponed until the end of the presentation.

2. Learners' participation in the learning activity

The goal of the second step in the adult learning process is to engage participants in the learning experience actively. Types of learning experiences include:

• Participants' lectures.
• Role playing.
• TRAINING SESSIONS.
• Case Studies.
• Videos.
• A structured experience.
• Computer Assisted Learning.
• Shows.
• Questionnaires and inventories.
• Practical Experiences.
• Explore online materials.
• Decision making groups.
• Small group discussions.
• Films.
• discussions.
• Self-learning.
• session initiation activities.
• Providing and Receiving Feedback

The learning activity may be based on the learner or the trainer, and the more independent and motivated the learner is to learn, the more learner-centered the experience will be, and the junior learner needs more teacher guidance to facilitate the learning process.

3. Debriefing where learners participate and explain their reactions to the activity

The goal of the third step in the adult learning process is to help learners discover and share their reactions and experiences during the learning experience. The focus of debriefing is on the content of the learning experience. You mustn't let learners move to the concepts and principles of learning too quickly. The role of the trainer in this step is to facilitate the discussion that asks learners what happened to them during the activity, and the course designers need to formulate practical questions to achieve this.

If the learning experience is organized, a game, a role-play, or any other activity, this step aims to help participants end the activity and prepare to move to learn points, and this step is important when the activity generates feelings, helps discover beliefs or values, or includes personal feedback, and some participants participate in an activity topic or details and really need time to discuss this before they are ready to move to the next step.

Using  structured discussion is the best teaching method of instruction to facilitate debriefing from the learning experience, and to do so you can explore what actually happened during the activity, discuss content matters, and ask questions to raise reactions, In addition several other teaching methods of instruction can help facilitate debriefing discussion, You can:

• Ask each participant to write down their reactions or ideas and then discuss them.
• Ask small groups to elicit joint reactions and share them with the whole group.
• Ask partners to have dialogues with each other, then comment on them.

4. Learners identify concepts through their reactions

The goal of the fourth step in the adult learning process is to help the learner identify and discuss the broader concepts and principles they have discovered during the learning experience.

It is important that the ideas generated in this step come from the learners, and if you reveal and explain the concepts and principles to the learners, they will remain yours instead of being discovered, and this is the necessary conclusive leap for the learners to move from experience to learning; that is, the point at which they move from the details of the activity to the concept that the activity is designed to be inferred.

If this step is deleted, learning will be incomplete, participants may later say they have enjoyed an activity, lecture, or discussion and may understand the specific points of the learning experience, but will not be able to report what they have learned in broader terms.

Some learners move easily from detail to the broader concept, others will need encouragement and coaching to discover broader concepts and principles, diverse learners can learn different things from the same activity, the role of the trainer as facilitator is to ensure that each learner learns something of value from the activity, and again the task of the course designer is to write down practical questions to capture learning that meets learning objectives from learners.

Your role in this step is to guide the discussion; Concentrate on the learning points and move away from the specific activity; for example in the discussion of the case study activity It is important that the discussion moves to the concept taught by the case study rather than staying with the details of the story, and after a participatory lecture, ask learners questions to encourage them to summarize the main ideas and reformulate the basic concepts.

This is the best time to chart answers, ideas, and concepts; it will help learners to remember key ideas and reinforce their concepts, and you can demand conceptualization by asking the question: “What did you learn from this activity, this discussion, this training session, or this case study,” about __ in general? ” Fill  in the blanks with the general topic, and the purpose of the learning experience; for example, to lead, manage your time, report in a timely reporting of requirements, communicate in the workplace, create a product, etc., and when you outline concepts, you should avoid writing words or phrases that are specific to the activity, and you should make participants move to a more general conceptual level; for example, in a case study discussion rather than writing: “one is required to give clearer directions”, write: “Give clear directions”.

5. Applying learners' concepts to their cases

The aim of this final step in the adult learning process is to help the learner decide what to do with the new information or skill, without this step, some participants will not be able to apply the new learning in the situations they face, and it will remain theoretical ideas, and this step is the goal for which the entire learning experience was designed.

Your role in this step is to lead the discussion without creating content, and this step often includes a question such as, “How will you use this method of asking questions the next time a subordinate asks you to help with a procedure? ”or“ In which situation would you be more effective if you used this method?” Diverse learners certainly take something different from the lesson because different functions require different applications, and the role of the trainer is to make sure that a sufficient number of questions are discussed; the concept is applicable to all learners, and the course's designer must seek to present a variety of questions to choose from.

Additional teaching methods that can help facilitate the application of learning include:

• Request each participant to explain how they are applying this new information, and develop a personal action plan.
• Partners cooperated with each other on action items.
• Ask groups with similar interests to discuss and share common applications with the larger group.
• Role-play using real situations to practice methods that participants have recently learned.

Using Discovery Learning with Diverse Learners

When this method is used to learn adults with experienced learners; that is, those for whom knowledge or skill has been part of their daily work for some time to come, you will often find that they are moving quickly from the learning experience to steps (4) and(5) “defining concepts” and “applying learning”, while beginner learners stumble into step (2) “learning experience,” may struggle to identify and apply broader concepts and principles, and your role as a facilitator is to get all learners to understand concepts and principles.