In adult education, professionals and teachers alike face numerous challenges that have to do with the diversity and heterogeneity of groups that adult learners bring to learning processes: Learners often differ greatly in terms of the experiences they have had in education, work and life situations and the learning resources they have acquired in phases of further education. Challenges in adult education that arise from the heterogeneity of the target groups of learners and teachers include the following: As learners have different prior knowledge, motivations, learning styles and objectives, it is difficult to develop a standardised course that appeals to everyone and is effective. The diversity of teachers in terms of their experience, expertise and didactic approaches also makes it difficult to find a standardised teaching strategy that works optimally for both the teachers and the heterogeneous learners. Different backgrounds, language levels and cultural contexts can also make communication between teachers and learners more difficult, which can have an impact on the learning environment and learning success.

What is the personas approach in adult education?

The personas approach in adult education is a method for better understanding target groups and specifically addressing their needs. Fictitious but realistic profiles are created that represent typical representatives of the target group. These profiles are called ‘personas’. The main purpose of the personas approach is to improve the planning and design of learning programmes, materials and communication strategies by putting oneself in the learner’s shoes. For example, you can find out which content, methods or communication channels are best received by the respective target groups. The process usually involves the following steps: a) collecting data about the target group (e.g. through surveys, interviews, observations); b) analysing this data to identify typical characteristics, needs, motivations and challenges; c) creating fictitious profiles (personas) that reflect these characteristics, including name, background, goals and learning preferences; d) use of these personas in the development of learning programmes to tailor them precisely to the needs of the target groups. The advantage of the personas approach is that it makes planning more personalised and targeted. Instead of just looking at general target groups, you can put yourself in the shoes of the different learning types and situations and thus increase the effectiveness of the learning programmes.

Which process model can be used to develop personas in adult education?

In adult education, personas can play a valuable role in better understanding learners and developing customised educational programmes. An easy-to-understand process model of how to develop personas effectively is outlined below:

1. Goal definition and needs analysis: First there is needed a clear definition of why personas should be created (e.g. better target group approach, individualised learning paths), then you gather information about the target group through surveys, interviews or existing data.
2. Collect data: The data collection process usually includes conducting interviews with learners, teachers or stakeholders; or using questionnaires to gather demographic data, learning goals, motivations, challenges and learning preferences; or participatory observation and analysis of learning behaviour in practice.
3. Data analysis and segmentation: It follows a step of analysing the collected data to identify similarities and differences and the formation of segments with similar characteristics.
4. Persona development: A fictitious but realistic persona is created for each segment. The following aspects are taken into account: name and picture (for visualisation purposes); demographic data (age, profession, educational background); motivations and goals, challenges and pain points; learning preferences and habits, technical affinity (if relevant).
5. Validation of the personas: Consult with real learners or stakeholders to validate and refine the personas. Ensure that the personas are realistic and useful.
6. Utilisation of the personas: Integrate the personas into the planning and design of educational programmes. Develop learning materials, methods and communication strategies tailored to the personas.
7. Continuous updating: Regularly reviewing and adapting the personas to take account of changes in the target group.

This model helps to better understand the target group and to make learning even more effective and individualised.

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How can personas be used even more efficiently and effectively in adult education?

By using personas, teachers can develop customised learning opportunities and create individualised learning paths that are precisely tailored to the needs, interests and prior knowledge of the respective target group. This increases motivation and learning success. Personas also help to personalise communication. Teachers can design their messages in such a way that they are better received by the respective personas, which increases interaction and engagement. Personas can also be used to personalise learning materials to suit the preferences and learning habits of the target groups. This can mean, for example, developing more visual content for visual learning types or practical exercises for practice-orientated personas. Personas can also help to design the learning environment (online or offline) in such a way that it meets the needs of the users. This includes, for example, the choice of platform, the design of user guidance or the integration of supporting tools. By using personas, teachers can obtain more targeted feedback and evaluate the effectiveness of their programmes. For example, they can address specific questions to the respective personas to find out what works well and where there is room for improvement.

How can teachers encourage the creativity of learners who are asked to create personas themselves?

Learners appreciate developing personas because it is a creative activity. Teachers can use various approaches to encourage learners’ creativity when creating personas. These include formulating an open task, using inspiring materials and creative methods such as group work and integrating playful approaches. Learners also appreciate individualised feedback on their learning contributions and encouragement of their engagement. By utilising these methods, teachers can encourage learners’ creativity and make learning exciting and motivating at the same time. Give learners the freedom to personalise their personas without too many guidelines. This stimulates the imagination and enables creative approaches. Provide images, stories or videos that can serve as inspiration. This allows learners to make their personas more lively and diverse. Use creative techniques such as brainstorming, mind maps or collages to develop the personas. This makes the process varied and encourages a diversity of ideas. Praise creative approaches and give constructive feedback. This motivates learners to develop their ideas further. Working in teams can stimulate dialogue and provide new creative impetus. Different perspectives enrich persona development. Turn the creation of personas into a game or competition in which the most creative or original results are rewarded.

How can teachers increase the effectiveness of learning processes by using personas in adult education?

The use of personas in adult education can help teachers to increase the effectiveness of learning processes in a variety of ways. Here are some ways in which this can be achieved: through targeted learning content and personalised learning paths, through empathy and a change of perspective, through targeted communication, motivation and engagement, and finally through evaluation and readjustment of the personas to the needs of learners. By developing personas, teachers can better understand learners’ needs, interests and prior knowledge. This allows content to be customised so that it is more relevant and motivating. Personas help to plan individualised learning paths that are tailored to the specific characteristics of the target groups. This increases learning motivation and learning success. Creating and working with personas promotes empathy among teachers and learners. This means that teaching methods can be better tailored to actual needs and barriers can be broken down. With personas, teachers can adapt their communication to the respective target groups, which improves comprehensibility and learning success. When learners see that the content is tailored to the reality of their lives, motivation increases. Personas make this connection visible and promote engagement. Personas provide a basis for evaluating the learning process and adapting it if necessary. Teachers can recognise which methods work particularly well and where there is still room for improvement.

What criteria can I use to determine how effective the personas I have developed for adult learners are?

To assess the effectiveness of your personas for adult education learners, you can use the following criteria and ask the following questions: Do the personas fit well with the actual learners? Do the characteristics, needs and motivations match the real target groups? Get feedback from the learners themselves or from the teachers who work with the personas. Do they find the personas helpful and accurate? Can the personas actually help to better fulfil the needs of learners when designing learning content, methods and materials? Have there been improvements in learning behaviour, motivation or learning success since you started using the personas? Are the personas being used to improve communication within the team or to develop joint strategies? Do the personas remain relevant and useful over a longer period of time, or do they need to be updated regularly? Overall, personas help to make the learning process more personalised, relevant and motivating, which significantly increases effectiveness.

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