There are significant differences in the way adults study new material in comparison with school students. Andragogy outlines several key characteristics that adult learners often exhibit. I chose to describe the following four characteristics of an adult learner: their goal-oriented approach, how they compare new knowledge with past experience, their intrinsic motivation, and the need for relevant material. Adults must perceive the value of knowledge through its practical application (EducaĆonal Technology and Mobile Learning, 2015). Adult learners use their existing skills as a foundation for acquiring new ones (EducaĆonal Technology and Mobile Learning, 2015). The willingness to gain new knowledge comes from an individual’s wish to improve themselves (EducaĆonal Technology and Mobile Learning, 2015). Only the latest approaches are valued since they must remain relevant in one’s work (EducaĆonal Technology and Mobile Learning, 2015). While there are other factors, these characteristics define the success of a training program.
Organizations often incorporate andragogy principles and theories in their human resource development. An efficient training program often focuses on showing its audience the benefits of the knowledge it provides in an attempt to spark learners’ inner interest (Snell & Morris, 2019). Many courses are created with the purpose of extending an employee’s already existing skillset instead of teaching a new one (Snell & Morris, 2019). Therefore, such programs must be tailored for a specific group within an organization and cannot be unified. In conclusion, a company that aims to ensure that its training courses add the provided value back to the organization must adhere to modern trends in andragogy. Flexibility is the key to such an approach, as a firm has to adapt its teaching methods to the latest prominent methods in adult learning.
References
EducaĆonal Technology and Mobile Learning. (2015). Awesome chart on “Pedagogy vs andragogy”. Web.
Snell, S., & Morris, S. (2019). Managing human resources (18th ed.). Cengage Learning.