Understanding Adult Learning

• Use of a learner centered approach were goals are set, activities are planned and reflection happens
• There is also self directed learning giving the learner the autonomy to explore topics of their interest

Malcolm's Theories

Teaching Strategies

Understanding Adult Learning Theories

Malcolm Knowles looked at the differences between adult learning and child learning. This is known as andragogy. The theories that he developed include motivation, content relevancy and more.

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Andragogy vs Pedagogy

• Encouragemnt of active participation through hands on activities and discussions
• Incorporation of real life examples and relevant case studies to make learning more practical

Andragogical strategies

Andragogy is the study of educational learning for adults, while pedagogy is the study of educational learning for children. Each play their own role in adult education and each focus on different factors of motivation.

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What is the Difference?

Andragogy vs Pedagogy

There are some key differences when it comes to andragogy and pedagogy. The first major difference is the learning behavior of each. Adults are self-directed meaning that they are capable of being responsible for their own learning, while children are more dependent on the teacher for their instruction. Another difference is that adults are more intrinsically motivated where as children are more extrinsically motivated. Adults are more self motivated to learn where as students are motived by grades, avoiding consequences or some other perk(Pappas,2015).

• Adults need to know why they are learning something.
• Adults can be ready to learn something for any different type of reason
• Information that is learned usually benefits the adults life in some way