If there is a recurring question, the instructor is ready to key in on it during the next class period. This type of assessment is far more valuable to the teacher than an evaluation at the end of the course. It allows one to fine tune the course and meet the needs of the students immediately. It must be acknowledged that there are affective barriers to motivation in adult learners that can influence persistence. When the adult learners are thrust into an academic environment that is inconsistent with what they are accustomed to, it can have an adverse effect on learning.
Adult learners are usually goal-oriented and insistent upon relevant, practical instruction.
They are frequently more interested in a concrete outcome, such as the acquisition of a specific skill or a certain competency level in a given area of study. A clear and realistic set of goals and objectives, outlined at the beginning of the course and, most importantly, reiterated at regular intervals throughout the semester, will enhance motivation among goal-oriented students. While many faculty members regularly focus on goals at the beginning of the semester, the tendency thereafter is to plunge into the subject matter and assume that the students will keep sight of the goals for the duration of the course. When the course material becomes more complex, it can be motivational to remind students that, in spite of the complexity of the moment, the outcome will be the realization of the same worthwhile goal that they set in the beginning. Every activity should be justified as a meaningful step toward the realization of the course goal.