Israeli Study Explores the Best Methods for Older Adults to Learn New Things

Peek into a kindergarten classroom and you will likely see a busy environment with a lot of movement and activity. Teachers intuitively know that young children learn best when instruction is interactive and hands-on.

However, as people age, educational formats tend to shift from active project-based learning to lectures and memorization. A study done in partnership with the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Stanford University in California challenges this paradigm.

The recent research, which was published in and published in Educational Gerontology, suggests not only that adults also acquire information via hands-on learning and real-world connections, but also that seniors taught using these methods may be able to understand new information in a way that is deep, meaningful, and relevant.

Lectures vs Active Learning
According to a press release from Hebrew University, continuing education is an extensive and growing sector. In 2024 alone, nearly 67 billion dollars were spent on continuing education and the industry is projected to grow to 96 billion dollars by 2030. However, a significant portion of the learning and vocational training for older adults are presented via lectures and similar formats.

Professor Anat Zohar, who co-authored the study, explained in the press release, “We’re teaching older adults the wrong way. The dominant model is still the lecture, but it is built on assumptions that simply don’t hold for older learners.
“First, it relies heavily on memorization, even though memory is the very ability that tends to decline with age. Second, it doesn’t connect new ideas to the rich knowledge and life experience older adults already have, one of their greatest learning resources. And third, lectures rarely create the meaningful, relevant learning and relationships that drive motivation in later life,” said Zohar.

Older Adults can be Effective Learners
Instead, the study suggests switching out the lecture format in favor of discussion, hands-on participation, and real-world connections, the Jerusalem Post reported. Older adults learn in the same way as young adults and children do – via active engagement and building new information on previous knowledge.

This is true both in regards to learning as a hobby and to keep the mind sharp, and learning for professional or vocation purposes. Research demonstrates that seniors learn better via group discussions, interactive activities, collaboration and real-world connections.

Surprisingly, not only are these formats more effective than lectures and memorization for older adults, but also when taught this way, older individuals may actually be able to understand new information better than they could in their youth because they have decades of relevant experiences to relate it to. This is despite the fact that memory tends to decline over time.

Learning is Deeply Rewarding
This study is important because it demonstrates that older adults can be effective, capable, and motivated learners. There are a number of benefits of continuing education for seniors.

Engaging in academic pursuits can promote cognitive health. Learning new things can give people a sense of purpose and meaning, boosting emotional well-being. Interactive learning experiences also provide critical social connections for older adults.

Cognitive growth, upskilling, and connecting new knowledge to past experiences is for all ages. This study highlights the potential for seniors to participate in positive shared learning experiences that grow their mind, increase their knowledge, and boost their mental health. Plus, it suggests a surprising conclusion; when taught in an appropriate fashion, older adults may be better at integrating knowledge than their younger peers.