Till we graduate and get on to a job we are almost always taught. At least that was how we were supposed to learn. (Of course in today's world lot of learning happens outside of the schools and away from the purview of the teachers and parents. This is beside the point.)

The one fact however is that there is a lot of guided learning in the younger years. We have the course curriculums which provide a structure to what we need to learn. In the adulthood i.e. we are into our professional lives we do not have the structures to define what we are supposed to learn. This pedagogy being a difference is there a difference in the way we learn? There are many researches done on this subject i.e. adult learning.

Let me share what I think on the subject. First there is a difference in what we learn. Let me propose that there are two different areas of learning - knowledge and skils. Knowledge can be a combination of data, facts, rules, logic, perspectives and so on. Skills on the other hand is how it is applied for solving a problem or for creating something with the knowledge. Let us take an example. An Accounts person is supposed to have knoweldge of the accounting principles, the statutory regulations and so on. Whereas the skills are that of numerical aptitude, interpretation of the laws in a particular context and so on.

The reason why we need to make a distinction is that the way we pick up knowledge and the way we can become skillful can vary.

The way the accounting person will learn about the tax laws is different from the way the taxes are calculated by the person.

We pick up knowledge by reading, observing, participating in forums, being part of networks and so on.

We become skillful by applying, by doing, experiencing.

In short I would say that adults learn best by experiencing and from the experiences of others.

One we can gain from outside and for the other it has to be internal.