Learning and Teaching in Practice/Andragogy

''What is andragogy and why is it different to pedagogy? Andragogy involves learning strategies focused on adults. Adults are a diverse group. They bring a range of knowledge, experience and skills to learning. They may have already formed a concept of themselves as learners and may have a number of competing demands on their time. For a quick overview, look at this short video Andragogy (Adult learning). ''

Malcolm Knowles pioneered the field of adult learning and identified characteristics of adult learners. He believes adults are autonomous and self-directed, have accumulated life experiences and knowledge, are goal oriented and relevancy-oriented, are practical and need to be shown respect. Therefore, instructors must acknowledge the wealth of experiences that adult participants bring to the classroom.

To gain an understanding of how andragogy evolved, it is worth reading this chapter - What is andragogy? from The modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy to andragogy by Malcolm Knowles' (1980).

=References=
 * Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy to andragogy. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall/Cambridge. Retrieved from http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/medicine/hospitalists/downloads/cc4_articles/Education%20Theory/Andragogy.pdf
 * Smith, M. K. (2002). Malcolm Knowles, informal adult education, self-direction and andragogy. The encyclopedia of informal education. Infed. Retrieved from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm