Problem-Solving Strategies
Problem-solving strategies represent an important way the adult learner begins the problem-solving process. It is important to use instructional methods that enable the adult learner to leverage these strategies during the problem-solving process. Prior strategies represent the default setting as the learner attempts to solve a problem. New types of problems lead to incremental changes to the problem-solving strategies. Adults confront more situations than non-adults or young adults. Where problems occur, the adult develops strategies to solve these problems. As adults age, the adult confronts more and different situations with different types of problems. Familiarity with a range of different types of problems, learning how to distinguish problems from symptoms, and developing strategies to solve the problems represent a wealth of relevant experiences to draw on when confronting new types of situations that present new types of problems. Furthermore, the adult learner develops a problem-solving process that serves as a model to use in future situations; the model is modifiable when the adult confronts new situations because the adult has learned that the model is adaptable from prior experience. In sum, the model of a problem-solving process provides the framework that the adult learner uses when confronting different types of situations with different types of problems.
