Key Principles of Andragogy
According to Knowles (Carlson, 1989 and Atherton, 2002, para. 2) two key differences in the ways
that adults and children approach learning are that adults:
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Desire to be self-directed and |
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Want to take responsibility for decisions. |
Courses for adult learners must be sensitive to these desires and should be designed to
permit some autonomy in how students approach and schedule their learning activities.
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An article on andragogy in the Theory Into Practice (TIP) database, an excellent online
resource by Greg Kearsley that succinctly presents fifty learning and instructional theories,
lists Knowles' assumptions:
- adults need to know why they need to learn something,
- adults need to learn experientially,
- adults approach learning as problem-solving, and
- adults learn best when [they believe that] the topic is of immediate value. (Kearsley n.d., para. 2)
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