Treating Students as Adults
How do we work with new students at a university? For a lot of students, this is the first time they are away from home and finally making their own decisions. It is the time to harness that new found freedom and allow them to take control of their education as well. Now is the time for impowerment.
Malcolm Knowles came out with a list of six assumptions of andragogy . The six assumptions are:
1. The learner's need to know
2. Self-concept of the learner
3. Prior experience of the learner
4. Readiness to learn
5. Orientation to learning
6. Motivation to learn
"Andragogy works best in practice when it is adapted to fir the uniqueness of the learners and the learning situation" (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2011, ch. 2, para. 8)
Assumption 1: Learner's need to know
According to the assumptions of andragogy, adults need to know why they are learning something before they become engaged in the learning. Learners should feel that they are also a part of the learning. Collaboration .
Can you come up with examples of how you currently collaborate with students?
Assumption 2: Self- directed learning
Student's need to be allowed to take control of their learning and the direction it should head. They need that autonomy . People are capable of directing their learning and decided on how and in what way they should learn.
Are there topics that you can pass off to students to learn on their own?
Assumption 3: Prior Experience of the Student
Our experiences impact our learning everyday and each person has different experiences. These experiences can impact us in 4 different way according to Knowles (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2011, ch. 9, "Prior Learning", para. 1):
1. Create a wider range of individual differences
2. Provide a rich resource for learning
3. Create biases that can inhabit or shape new learning
4. Provide grounding for adults' self-identity
Our past experiences will help shape our future and our goals.
What ways do you think the past experiences of your students is affecting their education? Do you think your past experiences are changing how you interact with students? How so?
Assumption 4: Readiness to Learn
"Adults generally become ready to learn when their life situation creates a need to know" (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2011, ch. 9, "Readiness to Learn", para. 1). As we move into situations, we need to make sure that we a ready to know and retain that information. A high school freshmen may not be at a stage in there life to learn about child care but a senior in college is ready to learn about job application.
Is there certain information that should only be given to someone at a particular point in their time meeting with you? I.E. Sophomores in college are not ready to learn about resume writing or applying to grad school.
What information can you categorize as important to a specific group of students that may not be of interest of affect another group as of yet?
Assumption 5: Orientation to Learning
Orientation to learning deals with learning in real-life contexts. Can our students make a connection with what is being taught? Does it resonate with them and their lives?
How can you make your interactions with students resonate in their lives? What connections can you make with the information you are providing that could be useful in their real-life situations?
Assumption 6: Motivation to Learn
What is motivating that student you are sitting with to learn? Motivation s will vary for each person and each motivation is very different. Adults are generally motivated by "solving problems in their lives or results in internal payoffs" (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2011, ch. 9, "Motivation to Learn", para. 1). Wlodowski belives that adult motivation can be summed up in four factors (Knowles, et al, 2011, ch. 9, "Motivation to Learn", para. 2):
1. Success: Adults want to be successful learners.
2. Volition: Adults want to feel a sense of choice in their learning.
3. Value: Adults want to learn something they value.
4. Enjoyment: Adults want to experience the learning as pleasurable.
What do you think the most common motivator is for your students to be in higher education? How can you use those motivations in your students best interests?
"... Learning opportunities are most effective when they are specifically tailored to the learner’s needs and housed within a relevant contextual setting" (Duran, Brunvand, Ellsworth, and Sendag, 2012, 313).
We have now very briefly discussed the six assumptions of andragogy and asked some questions along the way. Take a look back through your answers and see if you can find any connections. Do you see a path that you can take when working with your students to encourage more autonomyin their learning or education?
Keep these answers in mind as we move through the next discussion of technology. These answers and situations that you have thought of may help you pick applications to help in your meetings with students.
References
Duran, M., Brunvand, S., Ellsworth, Ju., Sendag, S. (2012) Impact of research-based professional development: Investigation of inservice teacher learning and practice in wiki integration. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 44(4), 313-334. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ976471
Knowles, M., Holton, E., Swanson, R. (2011) The adult learner. [Kindle iPad verison] Retrieved from amazon.com