The Higher Order Learning Domain of the Adult Learner

Teaching the adult learner has dramatically changed over the years mostly in response to research and investigations that have come to define the term “andragogy.” Although he was not the first to use the term, Malcolm Knowles popularized the term andragogy that first appeared in the writing of Alexander Kapp. Since then, many citations have compared and contrasted andragogy with pedagogy in an attempt to distinguish what makes the teaching of adults different than teaching children. Much of the research focuses on several crucial assumptions about the characteristics of adult learners. Adults are considered autonomous and self-directed learners. Active involvement by adult learners in the instructional process calls for them to serve as their own principal facilitators for learning. Instructors are advised to solicit participant perspectives about the topics presented and the strategies to be employed in teaching concepts; assessments that will ultimately evaluate their progress and performance and the responsibility for learning that will dictate the conduct of lesson delivery. Group participation and leadership are keys to successful learning.