One of the characteristics noted by Knowles was that adults tend to be more self-sufficient and independent than children, so the way they are taught should reflect this. The expert suggested that teachers of adult education should act as facilitators in the classroom, guiding students in their own independent study, rather than feeding them facts. One way of encouraging grown-ups to lead their own education is to set them the task of giving a presentation. The students may be given a topic and a few weeks to prepare before they are to present their findings to the class. Teachers could facilitate this process by offering guidance to the students if they struggle on any aspect of their learning as they discover a subject for themselves.
Another activity that may suit the independence of adult learners is group work. Students could be asked to form groups, elect a leader and then work on a particular topic. Knowles advised that adult learners prefer goal-oriented work, and this may be a good opportunity to ask students to work toward a particular target. For instance, people studying architecture may be asked to build a model building that would suit a particular purpose, or that would be earthquake-proof.
According to Knowles, adult learners may not be interested in knowledge for the sake of it, looking instead to gain skills that will help them in a practical way that is relevant to their own lives. For this reason, educators may be more successful in their training of mature students if they try to show explicitly how what they learn can be useful outside of the classroom. Field work could be a good way to achieve this aim. Take students out of the classroom and into a real-life situation where the skills they learn could be used. For instance, people learning a language may benefit from being taken to an establishment or area where they can talk to native speakers. A good place to do this would be in a restaurant or cafe, of which there are many owned by individuals from other countries. Students could be encouraged to order their food or drinks using the language they have learned.
Adults come into education having learned from a lifetime of experiences, and Knowles suggested that this prior knowledge is a resource that should be used by teachers. He encouraged tutors to connect what is taught in the classroom with what the student already knows. This could help people to engage in the lesson, as the subject may seem more relevant or meaningful to them. So, for instance, a counselling student may be encouraged to give a presentation to the class about how the natural skills they have in listening and giving advice have helped people in the past, possibly offering anonymous examples of where they feel they have been useful and where they were at a loss as to what to do.