Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn: A Comprehensive Guide for Teaching All Adults

by Raymond J. Wlodkowski

New to this edition is the blending of a neuroscientific understanding of motivation and learning with an instructional approach responsive to linguistically and culturally different adult learners. Based on the most current educational and biological research, "Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn" addresses issues that focus on deepening learner motivation and helping adults "to" "want" "to learn." In the book, Raymond J. Wlodkowski offers a clear framework and sixty practical, research-based strategies that are designed to elicit and encourage learner motivation. In addition, the book is filled with practical examples, guidelines for instructional planning, and cutting-edge ideas for assessment and transfer of learning.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction

530 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Raymond J. Wlodkowski is Professor Emeritus, College of Professional Studies, Regis University. Raymond does research in adult motivation to learn and culturally responsive teaching.

Raymond Wlodkowski began his work in education as an elementary school teacher in the Detroit Public Schools. For the last forty years he has taught at universities throughout the United States and Canada with professorships at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Antioch University-Seattle, Regis University-Denver, and Edgewood College in Madison. He is the founding Executive Director of the Council for Accelerated Programs (CAP) and the former Director of the Center for the Study of Accelerated Learning at Regis University. He is a psychologist whose work encompasses adult motivation and learning, cultural diversity, and professional development.

Recent books for which Dr. Wlodkowski shares authorship are Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn (4th ed.), twice the recipient of the Phillip E. Frandson Award for Literature (1986 and 2009), Diversity & Motivation, winner of the 2010 Cyril O. Houle Award for Outstanding Literature in Adult Education, and Teaching Intensive and Accelerated Courses. His books have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese. Dr. Wlodkowski has been the recipient of awards for teaching excellence at two universities and has also received the award for outstanding research from the Adult Higher Education Alliance.

In October of 2012, he was inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame. He has worked extensively in video production, authoring six professional development programs including Motivation to Learn, winner of the Clarion Award from the Association of Women in Education for the best training and development program in 1991. His Ph.D. is in educational psychology from Wayne State University in Detroit.

Reviews

[Don Barger]

Good book for motivation and planning learning

I enjoyed this book. It is a topic in which I rarely study but it was very helpful in understanding how to design training and curriculum.

[Strick]

Very solid.

[David Barney]

Good information

[Francisco]

This book has a lot of facts and straight facts on how our brain works with motivation and around what makes us motivated. I picked this book from my library because I really needed motivation in my life. This book didn't motivate me to complete my goals but most definitely showed me how to think about motivation. This gave me insight on how adult brains changed over time to the influence our motivation and willpower. It was a very Interesting book to understand adult brains. Phycology is always fun to learn and this book shows you evidence on how the brain enhances motivation. It was difficult to read because it's worded like a phycology text book, but using the advice in this book in real life has really opened doors for me because I know the tricks behind my brain to avoid procrastination. Now when I see myself not motivated, I remember some key points that I forced myself to memorize, to get up and go. I recommend taking notes on this book and keep the main points that you can use to make a real difference.

[Jennifer]

This book was required reading for ELPA course The Adult Learner (SPR 2012). A dynamically interesting read for teachers, tutors, and others teaching adult learners. Also, good for educational administrators to read.

Lastly, good for the curious to read.

[Dehhulk]

Superbly presently and easily understood. Making great use of the book for research.

[Christian]

A great andragogical survey, with many solid pieces of advice.

The new edition has 100 additional pages, and is noticeably improved from the last revision.

[Valerie]

I go back to this book again and again. I highly recommend Wlodkowski to anyone who teaches or designs programs for adult learners.

[Bob]

Excellent summary of the research and thought relevant to motivating adult learners. Much quicker read than I anticipated.

[Abner Huertas]

I'm a business consultant and I work with adults. This book really helped me to understand how we as adults learn. in my work I've to teach, this book gave me more tools to do a better job.