Andragogy
As people mature into adults, so does their learning style.
American educator Malcolm Knowles defines andragogy as “the art and science of adult learning”. The Greek word andragogy translates to “man-leading”, similar to pedagogy which is “child-leading” (Pappas, 2016). Knowles presents five assumptions of adult learners and four principles of andragogy to explain how adults learn differently from children, which can help make adult education more engaging and effective.
Theory in Action: Example of Practical Application
There are several ways andragogy will influence the development of my mindfulness curriculum (which you can compare to my behaviorist, constructivist, and cognitivist/connectivist approaches). I plan to offer mindfulness workshops both live (this could be over video conference technology or in-person) and as recorded lessons that people can view on their own schedule. I will keep these workshops short and with a single-focus, which helps establish revelance and allows adults to attend as needed, when they have an immediate need.
Each workshop or lesson will present the benefits of mindfulness and the particular meditation up front, to help further establish relevance but also to present a problem that adult learners are looking to solve such as how to reduce stress at home and at work or how to be more present with loved ones and in work meetings. By taking broad mindfulness concepts and applying them to specific and relevant scenarios in people’s lives, the answer to the question of “what’s in it for me” becomes apparent and motivating (Gutierrez, 2018).
Each workshop or lesson will also feature a meditation or practice that adult learners can begin using immediately, as well as time during the session to practice. A hands-on approach that actively involves the learner is much more memorable than passively receiving knowledge and information.
There are a couple of ways I can involve adult learners in guiding their learning experience. In live sessions, I do this by asking questions that draw on people’s prior knowledge and experience (to be answered through a polling a chat tool) that can be referenced and tied back to throughout the lesson, and by encouraging learners to ask questions as we go through the workshop. For recorded lessons and live workshops, I will include a means of submitting suggestions for future topics that learners are interested in.
References
Gutierrez, K. (2018, April 24). Adult Learning Theories Every
Instructional Designer Must Know. Shift eLearning.
https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/adult-learning-theories-
instructional-designPappas, C. (2013, May 9). The Adult Learning Theory — Andragogy — of
Malcolm Knowles. eLearning Industry.
https://elearningindustry.com/the-adult-learning-theory-
andragogy-of-malcolm-knowles
