Most of us are familiar with the term pedagogy, which is the art or science of teaching. There is another more specific term called andragogy, which is the art or science of teaching adults. Children and adults learn differently. While much learning design is focused on creating effective learning experiences for young minds, as the need for reskilling and cross-skilling continues to gain prominence across industries, exponentially increasing the number of adult learners, learning and instructional designers have been focusing on creating learning experiences specifically designed for adult learners. This is where andragogy comes into play.
Key Concepts of Andragogy
The term andragogy was first used by Alexander Kapp, a German teacher, in 1833 but was extensively used by Malcom Shepherd Knowles, an American educator, in his adult learning theory during the 1980s.
Knowles based his adult learning theory on five assumptions:
- Self-concept—As people grow, they become less dependent on others and more reliant on themselves.
- Adult learner experience—As people grow, they accumulate numerous experiences. These experiences become their major source of learning.
- Readiness to learn—As people grow, they are inclined to learn things that help them fulfil their current social roles.
- Orientation to learning—As people grow, they are less interested in theoretical learning and more interested in applied learning.
- Motivation to learn—As people grow, they learn only when the motivation comes from within not because someone else is asking them to learn something new.
Based on the above assumptions, Knowles laid down four principles of andragogy:
- Adult learners learn the best when they are involved in the planning of the course they are about to take.
- Adult learners rely a lot on the experiences they have accumulated over time during the learning process.
- Adult learners like to learn about subjects that have an immediate impact on their personal or professional life.
- Adult learning must be problem-centric rather than theory-centric
Applying Concepts to Practice
How can you translate these insights about adult learning traits into effective learning design? Below are 8 ideas.
- Leave Space for Independent Learning
Younger learners typically need to be guided through a course. However, adult learners prefer learning on their own. Self-study or group collaboration projects that require negligible information are a good way to get through to adult learners. Games or simulations that have minimal instructions and allow learners to explore on their own can also be effective. - Meet Learners Where They Are
Adult learners come from diverse backgrounds and have different levels of experience and skills. This diversity impacts the way they learn. Some may prefer online learning, whereas others may prefer offline learning. Courses should be designed keeping this in mind. It is best to have a mix of instructional design models when working with adult learners. It is also a good idea to circulate a questionnaire at the beginning to understand the level of understanding each learner comes in with. - Think Social
Adult learners like to learn things that aid them in honing skills related to their social roles. eLearning courses can take advantage of this by asking learners to use social media platforms or online collaboration tools to complete an assignment. This gives the learner a chance to work on their networking skills and to work with people who share similar interests. - Demonstrate Usefulness
Young learners understand that something they are learning today will come in handy perhaps five years down the line. However, adult learners prefer learning things that they can immediately utilize. eLearning courses targeted at adult learners should constantly reiterate the immediate advantage of learning a given topic and how the learners can use the concepts in their day-to-day lives. Including scenario-based learning in a course can help adult learners visualize the advantage and opportunity that comes with completing the course or activity. - Explain the “Why”
Young learners may not ask their instructors why they are learning a given topic. However, adult learners want to know exactly what they will achieve when they learn about a topic. eLearning courses targeted at adult learners should motivate the learners to complete a module and its associated activities and assessments by telling them exactly how doing so will help them. For example, learners could be told that completing an activity or task will help them improve their collaboration skills or communication skills. - Build on Existing Knowledge Base
Adult learners come into instruction with experiences accumulated over a lifetime. It’s often effective to weave these into learning, perhaps providing a space for learners to share insights. Additionally, giving adult learners activities and tasks that allows them to research the subject matter helps them gain new experiences. This also allows them to apply their existing knowledge, make errors, and course correct, as necessary. - Focus on Problem Solving
It’s a good idea to include activity-based or case study-based learning when designing courses for adult learners. Keep in mind that adult learners are typically not interested in memorizing concepts, definitions, etc. but need to understand how learning a concept will help them overcome an issue they face on a day-to-day basis. - Ask for Feedback
Adult learners like being involved in their evaluation process. When instructors ask adult learners to share their feedback, it gives them an opportunity to customize the course, assignments, activities, and assessments in a way that will help their learners the most.
Use these principles and ideas to design more effective courses, activities, assessments, assignments, and case studies for adult learners.
