(This was initially posted for Week 1 of Foundations of Adult Learning Theory)
As presented by Merriam and Bierma, the Andragogical learning style involves a set of assumptions first introduced by Malcolm Knowles in the late 1960s. Among Knowles’ assumptions are two key points: a) an adult learner is self-directed and self-motivated with more responsibilities, and b) the adult learner has a much larger experience pool to draw from and a more immediate need for the knowledge. (Merriam & Bierma, 2014)
From my own personal experience, I can say that these two points have had a significant impact on my learning style. From the first was my decision to return to school after a long absence. Choosing to complete my degree online meant that I had to be more directly responsible for my own education. I also had to consider my need to maintain a full-time job and provide support for my aging parents.
I also had to had to decide exactly what I needed to gain from the degree in order to structure my major accordingly. In my case, I decided that I wanted to qualify to teach computer courses to adults. To accomplish this goal, I chose to pursue undergrad work in IT before beginning the Master’s in Adult Education.
As I began to pursue my undergrad degree, I found that my prior experience in the field helped me assimilate the new knowledge. It became much easier for me to grasp new concepts if I could find parallels in my own experience, and I could provide concrete examples to my classmates of how the subject matter could apply to a real-world scenario.
References
Merriam, S., & Bierma, L. (2014). Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice. Retrieved from Phoenix Vitalsource Bookshelf: https://phoenix.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781119031260/cfi/6/2!/4/2@0:0.131
Mallory Jones 