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Andragogy
Andragogy, which is both a method and practice of instructing adult students, is a term that was popularized in the 1960s by Malcolm Knowles (Fox, 2020).
Knowle’s 6 Assumptions of Adult Learning
1. Need to Know – It is important for adults to understand why they are learning what they are learning and how it will benefit them (Fox, 2020).
2. Self-concept — people will learn more effectively if they are able to work independently, and you should foster an environment in which learning is collaborative and self-directed while yet providing some form of direction (Fox, 2020).
3. Learner Experience, which refers to having a larger pool of life experiences from which to draw, influences the learner's motivations, needs, interests, and aspirations. It is essential to assist students in determining their own learning goals and to provide chances for self-reflection (Fox, 2020).
4. Readiness to Learn – Since it is the goal of adult learners to be able to apply what they have learned to actual life circumstances, courses should include activities and projects that encourage adult learners to conduct independent research and exploration of the subject matter that will provide them with first-hand experience (Fox, 2020).
5. Orientation to Learning: focusing on the task at hand as well as the problem at hand, and asking how doing so can assist me in resolving the issues. Adult students need to be able to see how the material they are learning applies to their everyday lives. Learning can be accomplished through a variety of activities such as case studies, role acting, and self-evaluation (Fox, 2020).
6. Motivation for Learning - Adults must look within themselves to find the motivation to learn; they must have a valid purpose for participating in each activity and must be aware of the abilities they will acquire as a result of accomplishing the task at hand. Relevance is crucial (Fox, 2020).
Improving Andragogy of Educational Technology Training for Adult Learning
We should keep Knowle's six assumptions in mind when organizing professional development (PD) or training in educational technology for adult learners.
Additionally, high quality professional development should include:
1. Active learning – Before implementing new technologies in the classroom, teachers should have ample opportunity to gain practical experience with those tools (Martin et al., 2010).
2. Coherence - The training that teachers receive ought to strive for coherence between the views and knowledge of the teachers and the learning that takes place (Martin et al., 2010).
3. Duration - The time allotted for professional development in educational technology ought to be extended beyond a single day. Yoon et al. (2007) discovered that programs requiring a minimum of 14 hours of PD led to good and significant benefits on student achievement.
4. Collective Participation - Administration's decision to divide grade levels throughout professional development was always a turn-off for me. Making a group of teachers from the same grade level and having them all work with the same educational specialist for at least a year makes more sense (Martin et al., 2010).
5. Technology support – Professional development facilitators should offer instructors continuous, site-based technical help and feedback for two years as they incorporate these technologies into their lesson plans and classrooms (Martin et al., 2010). Simply exposing teachers to new technology without providing support will not be sufficient.
6. Implementing a New Strategy - Professional development should not be content-focused; rather, it should be planned with proximity to practice. This means that the primary emphasis of the training should be on assisting educators in directly applying new pedagogy and technological advancements in the classroom (Martin et al., 2010).
7. Clear vision - Training should aid educators in their understanding of how technology might relate to academic standards and how it offers a strong teaching strategy. Educational technology should have a clear vision for student achievement (Martin et al., 2010).
Resources
Fox, P. (2020, July 22). Adult learning theory: Knowles' 6 assumptions of Adult Learners. YouTube. Retrieved August 3, 2022, from https://youtu.be/SArAggTULLU
Martin, W., Strother, S., Beglau, M., Bates, L., Reitzes, T., & McMillan Culp, K. (2010). Connecting Instructional Technology Professional Development to teacher and student outcomes. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 43(1), 53–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2010.10782561
Yoon, K. S.,
Duncan, T., Lee, S. W.-Y., Scarloss, B., & Shapley, K. L. (2007). Reviewing
the
evidence on how
teacher professional development affects student achievement
(Issues and
Answers Report, REL
2007 No. 033). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education,
Institute of
Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional
Assistance,
Regional Education Laboratory Southwest
