Andragogy:
Teaching adults
ADULTS
LEARN DIFFERENTLY
than young people. But more importantly, their
reasons for learning are very different. Andragogy (Knowles,
1984),
the theory of adult learning, attempts to explain why adults
learn differently than other types of learners.
Who
is and who is not an adult learner?
Adult learners
are volunteers. There is no compulsion involved when teaching
adults and therefore motivation is not usually a problem.
Adults tend to seek out learning opportunities. Often life
changes, such as marriage, divorce, a job change, termination,
retirement or a geographical change, serve as the motivation
for the adult to seek new learning opportunities (Cross,1981).
Adults
often seek out learning opportunities in order to cope with
life changes. They usually want to learn something that they
can use to better their position or make a change for the
better. They are not always interested in knowledge for it's
own sake. Learning is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
These adults
bring a wealth of information and experiences to the learning
situation. They generally want to be treated as equals who
are free to direct themselves in the education process (Zemke,1984).
What
are the differences between andragogy and pedagogy?
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Andragogy
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Pedagogy
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Demands
of learning
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Learner
must balance life responsibilities with the demands
of learning.
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Learner
can devote more time to the demands of learning
because responsibilities are minimal. |
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Role
of instructor |
Learners
are autonomous and self directed. Teachers guide
the learners to their own knowledge rather than
supplying them with facts.
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Learners
rely on the instructor to direct the learning.
Fact based lecturing is often the mode of knowledge
transmission. |
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Life
experiences |
Learners
have a tremendous amount of life experiences.
They need to connect the learning to their knowledge
base. They must recognize the value of the learning.
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Learners
are building a knowledge base and must be shown
how their life experiences connect with the present
learning. |
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Purpose
for learning |
Learners
are goal oriented and know for what purpose they
are learning new information
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Learners
often see no reason for taking a particular course.
They just know they have to learn the information. |
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Permanence
of learning |
Learning
is self-initiated and tends to last a long time. |
Learning
is compulsory and tends to disappear shortly after
instruction. |
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Tips
and Techniques for Teaching Adults
- Use problem oriented instruction. Case studies, simulations
problem solving groups make the instruction relevant to their situation.
- Instruction should be about tasks not memorization of content.
- Instructors need to put their egos aside and not be afraid
to have ideas and instruction challenged. Don't be afraid to give
up control.
- Make the environment comfortable and leave time for
breaks (every 45- 60 minutes).
- Instructors should use open ended questions to bring out the
vast experiences of the adult learners.
Four
keys to adult learning
- Let adults direct themselves in the instructional
process
- Integrate
new information with previous experiences
- Make
sure the information is relevant
- Make
sure the information is readily useable for the
learner
For
more information on adult learning
The
Teaching Tips Index
Adult
learning theory
and Androgogy
Jonathan Green
Green, J. (1998). Androgogy: Teaching adults. In B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. Retrieved
from
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