"An old dog doesn't learn new tricks either" – have you heard that before or even said it yourself? We are convinced: that's not true! After all, everyone can learn to learn, even at an older age.
“I'm too old for that” is probably the most common excuse from older employees or course participants when it comes to the topic of further training – especially popular in software training. But don’t worry: this myth about learning in old age has already been debunked a few years ago! We have already discussed this topic in the blog and found that older people actually have a certain advantage when it comes to learning. After all, their prior knowledge is significantly greater than that of younger people. This allows for better connections to be made between information.
Tip: You can find the whole article here: “What Hansel doesn’t learn…” – The Myth of Learning in Old Age
What is true: Adults learn differently than children, after all, their basic prerequisites are different. In most cases, adults learn voluntarily, to personally develop or to meet their professional needs. Adults also enjoy learning collaboratively and bring a wealth of experience and resources into the learning process. Besides their prior knowledge and experiences, they also have a different approach to knowledge. Accordingly, learning motivation differs as well:
Adults are motivated by relevance and practical connection.
Adults are intrinsically motivated and act problem-oriented.
Adults learn independently and at their own pace.
And that’s exactly what you can leverage when learning! Whether you want to learn yourself or are a responsible party for the learning process of others: Create the necessary space in the learning process so that individual learning preferences can be taken into account. Motivation is crucial!
Supporting learning to learn with the right strategy
My colleague Laura has already reported in the blog about how the learning strategies of children and adults differ. Therefore, I would just like to briefly touch on the various learning strategies here:
Depending on your preference, you should pursue cognitive, metacognitive, or resource-based learning strategies. Typically, the learning process consists of aspects from all three strategies.
Especially in adulthood, it pays off to consciously combine these strategies. For example, those who actively process new content, reflect on their own learning process, and utilize suitable resources significantly improve their learning success. Learning thus becomes not only more effective but also more sustainable.
No matter which you prefer – to make learning easier for yourself in adulthood, you should pay attention to a few things in each learning process:
10 Tips for Learning to Learn in Adulthood
These 10 tips will help you support your adult learners in training and seminars during the learning process:
Find a quiet place without distractions, change it regularly
Create a positive attitude towards the learning process
Learn often, but in short units very much in the sense of microlearning
Start with difficult topics and don’t push them to the end
Note down important points, ideally even by hand
Plan conscious breaks before you need them because you are exhausted
Set your own goals and check them regularly yourself
Don’t forget to review what you learned soon
Do self-tests after each learning unit and check your knowledge
Find study partners and exchange information about what you’ve learned
Secret tip: Active Recall instead of many repetitions!
Most people think that they learn particularly well when they read and repeat texts multiple times. However, a significant error occurs: You think you know a lot because certain words and text passages seem familiar to you. Often, however, you then only skim the text. But in a testing situation, you can’t remember it anymore because you miss the small cues. Therefore, according to the Active Recall method, it is much more sensible to actively recall what you have learned from your own memory, without learning materials and texts, and summarize the content independently.
The next time you read a text to learn the content, it’s better to write down questions about the text that you then answer instead of summarizing the most important information from the text!
Ideally, pass these tips directly on to your learners, whether in the online course or in the training itself. This way, you provide your participants with immediate actionable recommendations that they can implement independently. Support them in learning, for instance by sending regular reminder emails for your online course. Offer participants the opportunity to reach out to you directly with questions. Ensure a good learning environment from the start in the form of a learning culture where learning is truly welcome! All of these factors positively influence your participants’ learning motivation.
Conclusion
Learning can also be intentionally improved in adulthood if learning strategies, motivation, and the learning environment are consciously designed.
Adults already bring many experiences, prior knowledge, and clear goals into the learning process. This is where their great strength lies. When learning content has a direct connection to daily life and can be processed independently, both motivation and learning success increase.
The tips presented show that small changes in learning behavior can already make a big difference. Short learning units, regular repetitions, self-tests, or methods like Active Recall help to anchor knowledge in the long term.
Anyone who understands learning as an active process and consciously shapes it can develop new skills even in adulthood and continuously educate themselves.
Updated on 06.03.2026
