An adult learning group can bring together people whose lives have been shaped by different technologies, workplaces, and social experiences. Some participants may be starting their careers, while others bring decades of professional and community experience.
These differences create opportunities for learning. Participants can exchange practical skills, compare ways of approaching a problem, and discover perspectives they might otherwise rarely encounter.
Intergenerational learning gives this exchange a purpose. Through activities that involve people from different age groups, educators can create opportunities for participants to learn with and from one another.
For the XXI Adults project, this approach connects closely with the focus on social and intergenerational learning within modern adult education.
Moving Beyond Assumptions About Age
Intergenerational learning is sometimes described as younger people teaching technology while older people share life experience. This can be a useful exchange, but it captures only part of what participants may contribute.
Digital confidence varies at every age. An older learner may have extensive experience with professional software, while a younger participant may need help using an online public service. Practical knowledge, creativity, communication skills, and confidence also differ from person to person.
Educators can begin by asking participants what they would like to learn and what they feel comfortable sharing. This gives the group a clearer picture of its strengths and interests.
Planning activities around those responses helps ensure that roles reflect people’s abilities rather than assumptions about their age.
Creating a Shared Purpose
Bringing different generations into the same room is a starting point. A shared task gives participants a reason to interact and combine their knowledge.
A group might create a neighbourhood guide, prepare a community event, document local stories, or develop a practical resource for other learners.
For example, participants creating a digital neighbourhood guide could divide responsibilities according to their interests. Some might gather information about local services, others could take photographs, check accessibility details, or organise the content.
The task works best when everyone can see how their contribution supports the result. Educators should explain the goal clearly and provide enough structure for participants to begin working together.
Making the Exchange Reciprocal
A meaningful exchange gives each participant opportunities to contribute and learn.
One way to support this is a skills-sharing activity. Participants identify something they can explain or demonstrate, alongside something they would like to practise.
The skills can be modest and practical: organising files, preparing a simple budget, growing herbs, writing a formal message, or planning a journey. An educator can help participants find useful connections and agree on achievable goals.
Roles can change throughout the activity. A participant who explains one task may need guidance with the next. This makes room for different forms of expertise and allows everyone to experience both giving and receiving support.
Helping Participants Explain What They Know
Knowing how to do something does not always make it easy to teach.
A confident user of a digital tool may move through the steps too quickly. Someone demonstrating a practical skill may leave out decisions that have become automatic through years of experience.
Educators can offer simple guidance: explain the purpose, demonstrate one step at a time, invite the other person to try, and check what needs clarification.
The person learning should have time to complete the task themselves. Taking over may produce a quick result, but it leaves fewer opportunities to practise.
Useful questions include: “Would you like me to show that step again?” and “Which part would you like to try next?” These questions keep the exchange respectful and responsive.
Making Space for Different Perspectives
Participants may have different expectations about communication, work, education, or community life. A shared activity can bring those differences into view.
Educators can encourage discussion through concrete examples. Asking how people have searched for work at different points in their lives can reveal changes in tools, expectations, and opportunities. Comparing experiences of learning a new skill can highlight both differences and common challenges.
Discussion needs clear ground rules. Participants should listen without interrupting, avoid generalising about an age group, and remain free to disagree respectfully.
The purpose is to understand another person’s perspective. Nobody should be expected to speak on behalf of an entire generation.
Designing Activities Everyone Can Access
Participants may differ in their mobility, hearing, vision, language skills, or familiarity with the materials being used. These needs should be considered individually.
Readable instructions, suitable seating, clear demonstrations, and enough time to practise can help people participate. If an activity uses digital tools, educators should check access to devices and offer an introduction where needed.
Different ways of contributing can also be useful. A participant might prefer to record an audio explanation, write a short text, demonstrate a task, or help organise information.
Choice allows people to contribute comfortably while creating opportunities to develop new skills.
Learning Through Community Stories
A local storytelling project can provide a practical setting for intergenerational learning.
Participants might work together to document changes in a neighbourhood, collect memories of community events, or explore how local occupations have evolved. The process can involve interviewing, recording, writing, editing, and presenting information.
Each task offers opportunities to share skills. One participant may help prepare thoughtful interview questions, while another demonstrates how to record clear audio. Others may contribute local knowledge or help organise the final material.
Personal stories require care. Participants should choose what they want to share, understand how recordings or photographs will be used, and give permission before material is published.
Reflecting on the Experience
A short reflection helps participants recognise what they have gained from working together.
Educators can ask what learners practised, what they contributed, and what they would like more time to explore. Participants might also discuss whether an explanation or perspective changed their understanding of a task.
Feedback can identify difficulties, such as unclear roles or unequal opportunities to participate. Educators can then adjust future activities so that the exchange remains useful for everyone.
A successful activity gives participants space to recognise both their own contribution and the support they received.
Connecting Generations Through XXI Adults
Within the context of XXI Adults, intergenerational learning offers a practical way to connect education with cooperation and participation.
Adults bring different experiences into a learning environment. Shared tasks, flexible roles, and respectful communication can help turn those differences into resources for the group.
An educator creates the conditions for this exchange by making the purpose clear, supporting access, and giving each participant room to contribute. Learning then becomes something people build together—through explaining, listening, practising, and discovering what others know.
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