Andragogy Workshop
"SMART" Learning Objectives:
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
1) Compare and contrast the major assumptions of andragogy from those of pedagogy.
2) Justify using andragogical assumptions for designing courses that promote greater learner engagement and deeper understanding.
3) Design a course outline guided by the principles of andragogy.
1) Compare and contrast the major assumptions of andragogy from those of pedagogy.
2) Justify using andragogical assumptions for designing courses that promote greater learner engagement and deeper understanding.
3) Design a course outline guided by the principles of andragogy.
Description of Andragogy:
How does Andragogy differ from Pedagogy?
Compared to traditional teaching methods or pedagogy, which were originally intended to teach children, andragogy describes principles for teaching adults. I personally view these theories as lying on a continuum, with the pedagogical assumptions applicable in situations where the learner is exposed to new and unfamiliar concepts, and the andragogical assumptions applicable to more advanced learners with the goal of enhancing critical thinking and self-directed learning.
Compared to traditional teaching methods or pedagogy, which were originally intended to teach children, andragogy describes principles for teaching adults. I personally view these theories as lying on a continuum, with the pedagogical assumptions applicable in situations where the learner is exposed to new and unfamiliar concepts, and the andragogical assumptions applicable to more advanced learners with the goal of enhancing critical thinking and self-directed learning.
The underlying assumptions of pedagogy are that the learner is dependent on the instructor, and the instructor controls the learning objectives, sequence of study, topics, and assessments. Andragogy, on the other hand, assumes that the adult learner comes with prior experiences in the real world which can be valuable for teaching new concepts, and the teacher acts more as a facilitator of student learning rather than as a content expert. Unlike pedagogy, in andragogy control of the learning environment is shared between the instructor and the adult learner. According to Knowles, Holton, and Swanson (2015), there are 6 major andragogical assumptions which guide adult learning, as described below.
Assumption 1: Need to Know
The first assumption describes the adult learner's need to understand why a topic is relevant to his/her life before learning it. This contrasts with pedagogy in which children are told by the instructor what they need to know.
The first assumption describes the adult learner's need to understand why a topic is relevant to his/her life before learning it. This contrasts with pedagogy in which children are told by the instructor what they need to know.
Assumption 2: Learner Self-Concept
The second andragogical assumption relates to the adult learner's self-concept as an independent being who enjoys taking responsibility for his/her own learning (Knowles et al., 2015). This differs from the pedagogical assumption that learners are dependent on the instructor's expertise.
Assumption 3: Role of Learner's Prior Experience
The third assumption describes the importance of taking into account an adult learner's previous experiences when designing new learning activities. An instructor should tailor activities in the context of learners' differing backgrounds and previous experiences (Knowles et al., 2015).
The second andragogical assumption relates to the adult learner's self-concept as an independent being who enjoys taking responsibility for his/her own learning (Knowles et al., 2015). This differs from the pedagogical assumption that learners are dependent on the instructor's expertise.
Assumption 3: Role of Learner's Prior Experience
The third assumption describes the importance of taking into account an adult learner's previous experiences when designing new learning activities. An instructor should tailor activities in the context of learners' differing backgrounds and previous experiences (Knowles et al., 2015).
Assumption 4: Readiness to Learn
The fourth assumption states that adults are ready to learn material when they encounter a problem that needs to be solved in the real world. This is opposed to the pedagogical assumption that learners are ready to learn what and when the instructor deems necessary.
The fourth assumption states that adults are ready to learn material when they encounter a problem that needs to be solved in the real world. This is opposed to the pedagogical assumption that learners are ready to learn what and when the instructor deems necessary.
Assumption 5: Orientation to Learning
The fifth andragogical assumption discusses the adult orientation to learning which is problem or task focused rather than subject focused, as in pedagogy (Knowles et al., 2015). In order to effectively teach adults, one must frame new facts in terms of their applicability to the real world.
The fifth andragogical assumption discusses the adult orientation to learning which is problem or task focused rather than subject focused, as in pedagogy (Knowles et al., 2015). In order to effectively teach adults, one must frame new facts in terms of their applicability to the real world.
Assumption 6: Motivation
The sixth andragogical assumption refers to the adult motivation to learn which is more internal, based on increasing self-esteem and continued growth, rather than based primarily on external rewards like promotions and greater wealth. This contrasts with the pedagogical assumption that learners are primarily motivated by external rewards such as competition for higher grades.
The sixth andragogical assumption refers to the adult motivation to learn which is more internal, based on increasing self-esteem and continued growth, rather than based primarily on external rewards like promotions and greater wealth. This contrasts with the pedagogical assumption that learners are primarily motivated by external rewards such as competition for higher grades.
References:
Knowles, M. S., Holton III, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2015). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (8th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Knowles, M. S., Holton III, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2015). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (8th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Description of Andragogy in Practice
Now that we understand the basic assumptions of andragogy, lets see how they can be used to guide educational practice. In order to effectively teach the adult learner according the andragogical principles described above, an instructor should act more as a facilitator of learning rather than as a content expert transmitting information. In medicine, this can be accomplished by using real world case scenarios, standardized patients, and observed clinical assessments.
Now that we understand the basic assumptions of andragogy, lets see how they can be used to guide educational practice. In order to effectively teach the adult learner according the andragogical principles described above, an instructor should act more as a facilitator of learning rather than as a content expert transmitting information. In medicine, this can be accomplished by using real world case scenarios, standardized patients, and observed clinical assessments.
With respect to the need to know assumption, an instructor should start out describing the learning objectives and why they apply and are relevant to the learners. Keeping in mind the adult self-concept, greater independence should be given to the learner with increasing responsibility for self study and research. The learner's prior experiences should be considered when tailoring the course, and student expertise should be sought during discussions and used as a context for new learning. A pre-test could be administered to assess the learner's readiness to learn, and new concepts should be framed in a real-world context. The learner should be oriented to how the new learning applies to his or her future practice, and should be provided with concrete and practical application examples to motivate learning rather than simply expecting performance for higher grades (Knowles et al., 2015).
In the following video, I explain how I used the principles of andragogy in creating my professional development video. By using an initial reflection activity where the audience was asked to think about the learning climate in a traditional didactic-based classroom, I addressed the need to know assumption by Knowles et al. (2015) by demonstrating to the audience that they need to adopt a different teaching style to ensure greater student engagement and application. It also brings to light their personal experiences in teaching, and addresses their readiness to learn a new method based on problems they may have encountered by teaching using traditional lectures.
In the second reflection activity, the audience is asked to think about the big idea of their course which they wish their students to remember long-term. This requires the audience to reflect on their previous experiences with teaching, provides a context for framing how team-based learning (TBL) concepts can be used to promote long-term retention and change in their students, and addresses the adult’s orientation and motivation to learn a new teaching approach in order to achieve a practical long-term teaching goal. Finally, the learner's self-concept is addressed by providing a list of resources to encourage continued independent study and self-development.
Final Video: Teaching Guided by Andragogical Assumptions
In this video we will discuss designing team-based learning (TBL) modules as a means of enhancing deeper understanding, specifically with respect to medical education. This video is an example of teaching guided by the andragogical assumptions discussed above. The essential premise of TBL is that students should be responsible for their own learning, and it helps to promote collaboration and team-working skills along with critical thinking though discussion and application of learning to real-world scenarios.
In this video we will discuss designing team-based learning (TBL) modules as a means of enhancing deeper understanding, specifically with respect to medical education. This video is an example of teaching guided by the andragogical assumptions discussed above. The essential premise of TBL is that students should be responsible for their own learning, and it helps to promote collaboration and team-working skills along with critical thinking though discussion and application of learning to real-world scenarios.