Adult Learning Theories
Part 1: Theory of Instructional Design Chart
| Standard and learning objective: learners should be competent in information technology (IT) and other aspects of e-learning. | ||
| Andragogy | Self-Directed Learning | |
| Description of the theory | Malcolm Knowles developed the theory between 1968 and 1970 as a means to aid adult learning. The term andragogy comes from two Greek words, “and” and “agogos,” which refer to “man” and “leader,” respectively. Therefore, the term refers to the education of adults as opposed to children. It was one of the first theories of adult learning. Malcolm considerably compared the teaching of children vis-à-vis that of adults in his argument. Andragogy is the exact opposite of pedagogy, which refers to the teaching of children. | It is a non-formal method of learning that uses daily routine practices as learning opportunities. It is self-initiated, supervised, and evaluated and thus does not need a formal instructor. The learner establishes needs and interests and designs the curriculum that fits his/her personal goals, hence self-directing learning. It is best for individuals who are literate since it requires a lot of discipline, self-restraint, and intrinsic motivation to focus on the task in the absence of formal supervision, as is the case with formal learning. |
| Key Concepts of the theory | 1) It centers on task performance as opposed to content memorization because adults are practical oriented. 2) The theory also asserts that adult learners should be informed of the reason for learning specific concepts because it motivates them to learn. 3) Adult learning should involve problem-solving contexts because adults learn better when solving real-life problems. 4) Experience enhances better learning among adults; hence instructors should model learning to tap onto it. 5) Adults prefer to learn concepts that are of quick relevance as opposed to learning for futuristic needs. | 1) It allows individuals who have tight or irregular schedules to learn by making use of the limited time they have to learn. 2) The learner is entirely responsible for the content, learning materials, learning methods, and the mode of evaluation. 3) Learning aligns with daily activities according to the learners’ wishes and preferences. 4) It is possible either traditionally or through online platforms. |
| What is the role of the instructor | 1) Establish rapport with the adult learners as a means of ensuring a conducive learning environment. 2) Evaluate the learners’ interests, strengths, weaknesses, and needs. 3) Develop an individualized program for each learner based on the strengths, skill level, weaknesses, and needs. 4) Develop a systematic learning program to realize the objectives. 5) Work cooperatively with the learner in designing the content, material, and content for instruction. 6) Evaluate the instruction and make improvements where necessary.
| 1) Conducts self-evaluation of needs, skill-level, and interest to draw the learning objectives, method, materials, and mode of assessment. 2) Identifies learning opportunities 3) Apply relevant resources, techniques, and evaluation to realize the learning objective. 4) Develop criteria for the evaluation. 5) Reflect on the significance of the learning opportunities or lessons chosen. 6) Develop the mental stamina, will, and discipline needed to learn in an informal setting without direct supervision successfully.
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| What is the role of the student | 1) Learns by drawing from real-life lessons from experiences. 2) Collaborates with the instructor in designing the individualized education program based on needs, weaknesses, interests, and strengths. 3) Draws from internal other than external motivation to learn. 4) Dedicates time and commitment to meet the learning objectives as outlined in the individualized education program. | 1) The learner identifies learning opportunities. 2) Focuses on the learning task since he/she also doubles up as the instructor. 3) The learner also provides feedback on the success or failure of any learning opportunity undertaken.
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| CONTENT: (What do you want learners to know through the learning objectives?) | Traditional Setting Students can learn task-oriented concepts since traditional setting includes physical interaction between the instructor and the learner. The instructor can easily teach and supervise practical aspects of the curriculum in real-time as the learner progresses. Distance Learning Environment Students can learn the curriculum elements that need memorization in distancing the learning environment to assess the learned concepts since the instructor can quickly evaluate and relay the results without physical evaluations. | Traditional Setting The learner may engage in self-directed tasks such as the library or internet-based research. Additionally, activities of daily living and routine work also provide perfect opportunities to learn something new.
Distance Learning Environment Self-Directed Learning (SDL) is the best form of learning for internet-based research since people who prefer SDL also engage in formal instructional programs; hence it provides them with the impetus to conduct personal driven research. |
| CRITERIA: HOW (How will the students demonstrate their knowledge use in the particular theory) | Traditional Setting The andragogy theory asserts that adults prefer task-oriented instruction over memorization learning. Students will thus demonstrate their knowledge use through the functional performance of tasks. Moreover, this theory states that learners prefer real problem-solving situations to learn hence instructors can evaluate their response and action to real-life problems in real-time Distance Learning Environment Students can demonstrate their knowledge use on learning content that requires memorization since the theory is easier to assess over the online platforms as opposed to useful content. | Traditional Setting In this theory, students would demonstrate their knowledge using the learned concepts to solve real-life problems. Additionally, they can also apply knowledge learned through SDL in the performance of tasks or examinations in other formal educational programs.
Distance Learning Environment Students may decide to take online examinations to gauge the success of their learning activities. It also allows them to compare the effectiveness of the SDL to other formal instructional programs. |
| A recommendation for incorporating technology. (Technology recommendation based on the learning theory) | Traditional Setting In the conventional setting, the instructor can introduce technology in various ways. For instance, he/she can incorporate the use of a projector when teaching or during a PowerPoint presentation. Distancing Learning Environment Online learning tools that help an individual with research such as various databases for the different field can be of much help to adult learners since quite often there are not technologically savvy. | Traditional Setting The learner may decide to incorporate technology in several ways. For instance, other than hand-written note-taking, the learner may choose to type and save the notes electronically.
Distancing Learning Environment The learner might choose learning opportunities from online platforms. For instance, other than a read a recipe from a book, the learner would decide to watch an online cooking video and practice in real-time as the video progresses. |
Part 2: Technology Reflection
The incorporation of technology in learning has significantly improved the quality of education. In pedagogy, learners are now able to maneuver and manipulate online learning tools to further their education. However, andragogy still faces challenges in technological incorporation since a majority of adult learners are either semi-literate or technologically inept. Therefore, the application of technology in adult learning is more challenging than it is with pedagogical education.
Learning in a traditional setting involves one-on-one learning involving an instructor who directs learning activities and the students who perform the tasks. The instructor often physically supervises task performance hence providing the much needed instant feedback to the learner (Merriam, 2018). However, the recent occurrence, such as the Coronavirus pandemic, has led to a shift in learning from the traditional classroom learning to e-learning through the various online platforms hence the need to incorporate technology in distance learning.
The incorporation of technology in andragogy can be in several ways. For instance, in andragogy and transformational theory, the instruction can be through an online system such as video conferencing to replace the traditional classroom setting. Such a platform enables interaction through visual and audio between the instructor and the learners hence closely resembles the traditional classroom setting (Cartelli, 2008). Cartelli (2008) further posits that in andragogy theory, guidance during task performance can be through an online system just as it would have happened physically. The learner may only perform the task under live recording as the instructor supervises and makes corrections where necessary through the same platform. Finally, the submission and marking of written examinations are through online platforms, unlike traditional settings, where the instructor manually or physically do
es it.
The use of technology in distance learning environment differs from the traditional setting in several ways. First, audio-visual appearance replaces the physical interaction between the instructor and the learners. Their interaction shifts from physical to online; hence, this affects some tasks’ performance and makes learning more voluntary, unlike the formal nature of traditional settings (Cartelli, 2008). Knowledge of distancing learning manipulation is critical for future practice. The shift to e-learning exposes learners to better learning resources, which may lead to permanent incorporation of the two for an excellent learning experience. For instance, physical libraries are often limited and not updated with the most recent learning materials. Yet, online platforms have databases with current research materials and books, making it superior to traditional instructional methods.
References
Merriam, S. B. (2018). Adult learning theory. Contemporary Theories of Learning, 83-96.
Cartelli, A. (2008). Between tradition and innovation in ICT and teaching. Encyclopedia of Distance Learning, 159-165. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-59140-555-9.ch022
Brockett, R. G., & Hiemstra, R. (2018). Facilitating self-directed learning. Self-Direction in Adult Learning, 103-121. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429457319-9