Andragogy and Adult Learning

Something that I have struggled with in the position I am in as an adult educator, is having my staff engage in education. I've had to come to the realization that not everyone has the motivation or desire to learn. The question for me is how do I get them there? How do I get them as excited as I am to expand my knowledge and thinking so that they can be successful?

I built my education and referred to these assumptions in the last year and have found that I have a better understanding of my learners and have focused on getting to know each individual learner throughout the teaching and learning process. I found this article to be very interesting and helpful.

 

Knowles, Holton III, and Swanson provide a list of assumptions that

are associated with andragogy and adult learning. A

summary of these assumptions is as follows:

1. Adults need to know why they need to learn something before

undertaking to learn it.

2. Adults have a self-concept of being responsible for their own

decisions, for their own lives.

3. Adults come into an educational activity with both a greater

volume and different quality of experiences from youths.

4. Adults become ready to learn those things they need to know and

be able to do in order to cope effectively with their real-life

situations.

5. In contrast to children’s and youths’ subject-centered orientation

to learning (at least in school) adults are life-centered (or taskcentered

or problem-centered) in their orientation to learning.

6. While adults are responsive to some external motivators (better

jobs, promotions, higher salaries, and the like), the most potent

motivators are internal pressures (the desire for increased job

satisfaction, self-esteem, quality of life, and the like).

These assumptions form the basis for many adult learning models

that attempt to address the needs adult learners identify and ensure that

those teaching adult learners approach the educational process differently

http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ917394.pdf

Rabbit & Turtle Story

Went to a Leadership Course and they showed this video clip. I love it and it's message. I show this video as well when talking about Leadership and use it during group activities.

When we speak about student engagement I believe that inspiring is one way to that, and this video clip does just that.

There's enough gogies to go around!

I've learned through out this course and throughout my career as an educator that there is an art/science to teaching and learning. I wish I could go back to high school and facilitate discussion with my teachers whom I didn't pay much attention to or rather disliked, and embrace the fact that I could probably have some great discussions with them. I now can relate and emphasize with them what they went through on a daily basis.

The art/science consists of many types of teaching and learning. In educational terminology, there are "gogies".

Pedagogy is about the "how" of teaching. What methods are you as an educator using to engage your students?

Andragogy is the study of teaching and learning with adults. It's more or less learner-centered. More attention is placed on what the learner is doing.

Heutagogy is about developing the skills to learn on one's own. Learning how to learn.

Understanding the gogies in one step in becoming a great educator and understanding your learners.

I had fun today in one of our discussion forums where we were asked to make a bumper sticker about gogies. This is what I cam up with.

Barry Zimmerman Discusses Self-Regulated Learning Processes - ScienceWatch.com - Thomson Reuters

Barry Zimmerman Discusses Self-Regulated Learning Processes - ScienceWatch.com - Thomson Reuters

"Active Learning" is an umbrellas term that now refers to several models of instruction. There is cooperative learning, discovery learning, experimental learning, problem based learning, and inquiry based learning.

How do you learn?

It's interesting for me as an instructor to go back in time when I was a student and come to the realization that its true in fact that everyone, including me learns differently. To truly learn, we need to make an idea, a concept, or a solution our own. How do we do this? By our personal knowledge and experience. I also believe that it becomes a skill and sometimes a habit for those that struggle with staying focused. In order to do this effectively, we need to be engaged. Other wise the learning may not exist as deeply as it should. When a learner is engaged they actively examine, question and relates to what is being taught.

When referring to the models of instruction, where do you fall?

I myself, would say I'm a problem based learner as well as a discovery learner. I think this is why I love nursing. It's full of challenges around real problems. It's using a lot of critical thinking and as a nurse, we do this on a daily basis. This type of learning definitely enhances engagement and motivation as we pull in our experiences during problem solving.

Discovery learning is close to problem based learning. Students are not provided with the exact answers but rather the materials in order to find the answer themselves. Students can also draw on their knowledge and experience to manipulate the answer. This is why I'm drawn to this type of learning, because as a nurse, we love to problem solve and we don't always have every piece to the puzzle and have to come up with those pieces through experience. Love this type of learning! It's so exciting and when the answer is found its rewarding and satisfying!

Hi everyone! I'm back on the blog scene after many months of taking a break from school. Lots of craziness happening in my life in the past couple years, but I'm excited to continue the PIDP program and get my diploma.