Adult learning theory — Knowles' andragogy and Kolb's experiential cycle
Why most corporate training fails: it's designed like school. Knowles' andragogy (1968) and Kolb's experiential learning cycle (1984) are the two theories…
- Knowles: adults learn differently than children — they need relevance, autonomy, problem-centred design, and to bring their experience in.
- Kolb: learning is a cycle — Concrete Experience → Reflective Observation → Abstract Conceptualisation → Active Experimentation.
- Most training stops at step 3 (concepts) and skips the experiment. That's why it doesn't stick.
- Design any program by walking the Kolb cycle twice — once in the room, once in the job.
Pedagogy is teaching children. Andragogy is teaching adults. Treating senior employees as children is the silent cause of L&D's bad reputation.
Knowles — andragogy
- Need to know — adults want to know why before how.
- Self-concept — adults resent being lectured at; they want autonomy.
- Experience — adults bring expertise; ignore it and they tune out.
- Readiness — adults learn when role demands change (just-in-time, not just-in-case).
- Orientation — problem-centred, not subject-centred.
- Motivation — internal (mastery, identity) outweighs external (grades).
Kolb — the experiential cycle
- 1Concrete ExperienceDo something — case, simulation, real task.
- 2Reflective ObservationWhat happened? What did I notice?
- 3Abstract ConceptualisationWhat's the model / principle / theory behind it?
- 4Active ExperimentationHow will I try it differently next time? Plan + commit.
Redesigning a program in 60 minutes
- Replace any pure-content lecture > 15 min with a case or simulation.
- Add a 'why this, why now' framing in the first 5 min (Knowles' need-to-know).
- Add explicit Reflective Observation time after each exercise.
- End every module with an Active Experimentation commitment — and a 2-week follow-up.
- Measure shift in behaviour, not session NPS.
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