As the opportunity arose to teach, I was hesitant because of the enormous responsibility I felt to ensure that the content presented would be understood and applied by the students in my class. As I began to teach, I had no idea the impact this might make on their lives. These individuals were characterized as the nontraditional student (NCES, 2002). My concerns were whether I was going about the right way to teach such a group of adult learners.
I was eager to know if there were strategies for teaching adult learners. I had heard the term pedagogy, but through various workshops and conferences I was introduced to the term andragogy. What was the difference and did it matter? Malcolm Knowles (1977) laid the foundation that differentiates adult learners. This began my pursuit to further my own education to meet my needs, which has brought me through the Instructional Design and Technology program. In these courses I have learned theories, strategies and design principles to support learning.
The first lesson learned was from the ARCS model by John Keller. One particular element that stands out is relevance. Adult learners have an immediate need to make application of their learning. These learners bring life experiences that assist in integrated new knowledge into prior knowledge. Durff’s Blog, Making Connections illustrates the schema we have and for adults it is about making the connection quickly.
A second lesson I learned was internal motivation and self-direction. There comes a time where most of us consider learning as a life-long process and embrace the challenge. Our desire to learn improves understanding of concepts as it relates to our work, interests, and daily living. In Melanie Booth’s installments on adult learning, she sheds a different perspective from her toddler’s actions. Her first three installments illustrate perspective, growth, and experience which adults bring with them to the classroom.
As I teach adults, I am also an adult learner. The lessons learned from teaching adults along with my desire to further my education have connected more pieces to the puzzle. What pieces can you add about adult learning?
References
Knowles, M. S. (1977). The modern practice of adult education: Andragogy versus pedagogy (8th ed.). New York: Association Press.
National Center for Educational Statistics (2002). Findings from the condition of education 2002; Nontraditional undergraduates (NCES 2002-012). U.S. Department of Education, NCES. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Thompson, M. A., Deis, M.H. (n.d.). Andragogy for adult learners in higher education. Retrieved February 23, 2010 from http://business.clayton.edu/mthompso/02%20Allied%20Academy%20Paper%20F inal.doc
Guest blogger: Amanda Bevis manages the Madison County Adult Education program in Jackson, TN. Her prior work has gained her experience in healthcare, computer programming, and in the university setting all utilizing her computer experience. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Instructional Design and Technology.
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Thanks Amanda for the great post. I also agree about the importance of ARCS and particularly the “relevance” component with adult learners. Despite my teaching background being with children, I currently am an “adult learner” and I constantly find myself looking for the relevance of any instruction I am given. In today’s busy world, adults really have no time to learn anything that they can not see as relevant. Although, relevance is very clear and necessary in adult education, I also see it in my work with children. A common quote it, “Why do I need to know this?’ Relevance truly is a key component whether it is in adult or child education.
Amanda,
I agree with you and Jeremy. Relevance might be the one of the most important elements in adult education. Although relevance makes learning more meaningful for children, in most cases, children do not choose to participate in learning instances they have to (such as schooling). However, adults make conscious choices about what to learn and they will deterred from learning that is not relevant to their needs.
No matter the age group, relevance is a key factor in making learning exciting and meaningful. I have only taught adults and they can choose to participate either by paying for a course or attending class. K-12 students must attend school; however their attention and motivation may be lacking if they can not make sense of their learning. Either age group, relevance must be incorporated.
Amanda, thanks for the introduction about the terms pedagogy and andragogy. I had not heard the latter term before. The Knowles article points out that pedagogy is considered more in relationship to children. Now I have a new term to separate the differences in adult and child education.