Adults and children will have the same learning ability.

Age and learning

Learning is a continuous process throughout our life. The only difference between children and adults is in what is being learned and the way it is being learned.

A newborn child first learns the motor skills required to control movement. The child will next learn how to walk and talk. They will also learn to use simple utensils and to play a lot. Next, they are sent to nurseries and schools to learn reading, writing and counting, and as they grow older, more advanced subjects will be included in this learning process.

When the child grows up and finishes school, and becomes an adult, the learning process still goes on but it is different from the learning that occurs in a classroom environment. New skills are acquired on the job, and other vital skills like driving, cooking, managing your personal finance or caring for children become a necessity. It is therefore not meaningful to make a direct comparison between children who are still in school with an adult who has left school for many years. Likewise the child will also not be able to perform the tasks that an adult can do. An apple should only be compared to an apple.

The hypothesis that adults and children will have the same learning ability is proven to be false. Adult participants performed slightly better than the children.

This science fair project may be repeated, this time, with  a different age group like 15 year old students and 60 year old adults.

Modify the science project experiment, using a different type or number of flash cards.