VOLUME 18
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ISSUE 3
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DECEMBER 2019
THE TOOLBOX
A Teaching and Learning Resource for Instructors
ACKNOWLEDGING THE NEEDS AND PRIORITIES OF ADULT LEARNERS I
n recent years, there has been a remarkable Brad Garner Director of Faculty Enrichment, increase in the number of adult learners enrolled National & Global Campus in higher education. Comprising roughly 35% of Indiana Wesleyan University brad.garner@indwes.edu the total student body, this percentage is expected to rise in the coming years (Hussar & Bailey, 2016). Choy (2002) says adult learners are often classified as being “nontraditional students” who are typically over the age of 24 and meet one or more of the following criteria: » Delay enrollment (i.e., do not enter postsecondary education in the same calendar year that they finished high school); » Attend part time (i.e., less than 75% of a full-time course load) for at least part of the academic year; » Work full time (i.e., 35 hours or more per week) while enrolled; » Considered financially independent for purposes of determining financial aid eligibility; » Have dependents other than a spouse (i.e., usually children, but sometimes others); » Single parent (i.e., either unmarried or married but separated and with dependents); » Do not have a high school diploma (i.e., earned a GED certificate or equivalent, or did not finish high school). As this list illustrates, adults who enroll in higher education often have a unique set of circumstances that distinguish them from many of their classmates. It is important for faculty to remember these differences and respond to the needs of their adult students in a proactive fashion.
Pedagogy vs. Andragogy
Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.
— Henry Ford, American industrialist
Teaching and learning strategies are often categorized under a general rubric of pedagogy and andragogy. Pedagogy literally refers to the general practice of instructing children, whereas andragogy refers to specific strategies and techniques for teaching adults. German educator Alexander Kapp first coined the term andragogy in 1833, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience® and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina
www.sc.edu/fye/toolbox
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