The Theory or Andragogy emphasizes the following points:
Adults are self-directed learners.
Adults need to understand "the why" behind what they are learning (ie, "This piece of knowledge is important because...")
Adults "learn by doing".
Adults learn best when instruction is problem-centered (rather than content-centered).
Adults learn best when the learning topic is immediately helpful.
Adults have a lot of life experience to draw on when when learning something new (eg, "I observed this phenomenon at my last job.")
When we design training curricula and training workshops for life science professionals we focus on:
Involving learners in curriculum or workshop design.
Creating a facilitative learning environment.
Explaining why a topic is important.
Providing opportunities to "learn by doing."
Positioning learning as a problem to be solved rather than content to be absorbed.
Discussing how the training is immediately relevant.
Asking learners to connect what they have learned to previous life experiences.
Click here or watch the video below to learn more.
Andragogy (Malcom Knowles). InstructionalDesign.org website. http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/andragogy.html. Accessed July 1, 2016.
Finlay J. Andragogy (Adult Learning) [YouTube Video]. 2010. Accessed July 1, 2016.
TEAL. Adult Learning Theories. https://teal.ed.gov/sites/default/files/Fact-Sheets/11_ TEAL_Adult_Learning_Theory.pdf. Accessed July 1, 2016.