Week 5: Andragogy

 What is andragogy, and how might the approach help in teaching FYC?

Andragogy is a term that refers to the processes and theories involved in the education of adult learners.  The concept of andragogy, often referred to as “adult learning practice,” was brought to the attention of the public in the United States by Malcolm Knowles, who approached the idea from a logical standpoint.  Knowles theorized his ideas behind adult learning, which he wanted to blatantly distinguish from pedagogy (the processes and methods of educating children), and asserted that andragogy should revolve around six basic assumptions; these assumptions operate around the concept that adults need motivation in order to learn efficiently.

Knowles argues that adults need to be given the rationale behind completing assignments or readings, otherwise they will not likely complete it, as their time can be better spent. He also suggests that learning should be problem-centered, an idea that gives adults ample opportunity to learn and build from their mistakes or errors. Knowles believes that experience is a tool that is essential for teaching adults.  Additionally, he asserts that, in order for adults to maximize their learning and retention of information, they need to be an active part in the scheduling and methods of evaluation used in the class.  Knowles argues that relevance also plays a big role in motivating adults to learn; it is important, he asserts, that adult students are interested in issues surrounding their immediate lives, making it important to establish a relevance between the students themselves and the topics of study. Lastly, Knowles asserts that it is important to recognize that adults respond best to external stimuli when it comes to becoming motivated, which places a great emphasis upon the teacher and his/her methodology.

I think that considering Knowles’s idea of andragogy could be incredibly useful if applied to First Year Composition.  Within these classes, the student demographic consists majorly freshmen, all of who are recent high school graduates.  These students, having been newly “freed” from the surveilling gaze of their parents, are truly beginning to come into the early stage of adulthood, learning how to take care of certain responsibilities that they’ve often never considered doing before.  By applying the ideas Knowles presents in his theory of andragogy, students might learn skills not only useful within the field of academia, but also practical skills that might aid them in the “real world.”

I believe that allowing students to participate in constructing a schedule might empower them.  By giving students a sense of agency over the material that they must read and over certain aspects of assignments, we, as teachers, would allow them to realize the importance of their roles within the classroom; students would feel as if they have voice within the classroom, which might aid their confidence in group discussion. I think, in order to execute this idea of students playing an active role in the creation of the class (to a degree, of course), it would be useful to design assignments that have several options.  By providing students with a variety of choices to choose from with the same learning outcomes, I believe that they would interact with the material with more depth, which would stimulate much more generative discussions within the classroom.

Additionally, I believe that the relevance of topics plays a paramount role in teaching and instruction. By implementing lessons that can be immediately applied to the students being taught, teachers can transcribe the learning points into the world that presents itself most obviously to the students.  In other words, by utilizing new forms of technology, new fads or fashions, contemporary music, current issues or debates, and many other topics within the classroom, teachers can show students the importance of learning the certain skill, while also teaching it in terms that they understand. 

Finally, I think it is vital to let students know the justification behind assignments, along with the projected learning outcomes. Throughout the majority of their high school careers, students are given tome-sized stacks of assignments, which they are expected to complete even though they do not often understand the purpose of the work.  By telling FYC students what the projected outcomes of the assignments are, students become motivated to achieve those goals, and it dictates to them what is expected of their work, in terms of quality and content.  This strategy would teach students the importance of completing work as the assignment dictates (a very beneficial skill to possess in the corporate and academic spheres), the importance of their role within the classroom, and the importance of communication between student and instructor.

I think that the concepts of andragogy could be directed very well within a FYC classroom, leading to more rounded learning outcomes and better engagement from both teachers and students.