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Jill Anderson
jander89@depaul.edu
Writing Fellow
DePaul University
Andragogy and the Adult Student:
Tutoring Adult Writers
Today’s Presentation will Cover:
Theory of Andragogy
Characteristics of adult learners
Self-Directed Learning
5 Step Model
Strategies for practical application
Implementation
1950s
In 1956, Dodge vehicles boasted dash-mounted pushbutton automatic transmissions, which were both reliable and easy to use. Why did
Dodge discontinue the use of these devices?
1960s
What is the name of the predecessor to the
Internet, inaugurated in 1969?
1970s
Which Saturday
Night Live character insisted to Candice
Bergen that his line of toys, including
Bag ‘O Glass, Pretty
Peggy Piercing Set,
Mr. Skin Grafter, and
Johnny Switchblade
Adventure Punk, were perfectly safe for children?
1980s
What is a tight roll?
What is Andragogy?
Andragogy is the premise that adults learn differently than children or young people
Malcolm Knowles – Father of Andragogy
5 Characteristics of Adult Learners
Self-Concept
Experience
The move away from dependence on others to being a self-directed being
As a person grows, they accumulate a wealth of experience that they can draw upon for learning
5 Characteristics of Adult Learners
Readiness to Learn
Orientation to Learning
As learners age, their learning preparedness escalates along with increases in the demands of their social roles.
Adult learners understand that their learning is immediate – it is not to be stored for some later use; there is a shift from subjectcenteredness to problemcenteredness
5 Characteristics of Adult Learners
Motivation to
Learn
As learners age, their incentive for learning is increasingly internal
Self-Directed Learning
“[a process]... in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes.”
Malcolm Knowles, 1975
Eric Moberg
The College Writing Center: Best
Practices, Best Technologies
“Programs that teach writing as a competency rather than a set of discrete skills help students grow faster and further as writers and scholars (Smits et al. 496).
The ultimate goal of the tutoring session series should be the overall competency of the student to communicate in a written medium. Learning grammar, spelling, format, or research methods as individual skills are only means to the end. Tutors should interact with students as writers, as opposed to viewing their tutees as grammar students or spelling students or formatting students.”
3 Reasons for Self-Directed Learning
Proactive versus Reactive
“They enter into learning more purposefully and with greater motivation. They also tend to retain and make use of what they learn better and longer than do the reactive learners” (Knowles 1975: 14)
3 Reasons for Self-Directed Learning
A Natural Process
“An essential aspect of maturing is developing the ability to take increasing responsibility for our own lives - to become increasingly selfdirected” (Knowles 1975: 15).
3 Reasons for Self-Directed Learning
Modern Education Models
“Students entering into these programs without having learned the skills of self-directed inquiry will experience anxiety, frustration , and often failure, and so will their teachers” (Knowles
1975: 15).
5 Steps: The Self-Directed Learning
Process
1. diagnosing the needs of learners
2. formulating the needs of learners
3. identifying human material resources for learning.
4. choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies.
5. evaluating outcomes of learning
At DePaul, we recognize adult students generally are:
Anxious
Busy
Motivated
Experienced
Age, Previous Failures
Need flexibility, Clear
Expectations, and
Respect for their Time
Have high standards for themselves, welcome criticism
Can be both an asset and obstacle to new learning
How do we deal with a student who is…
Anxious
Ask student to talk about their past experiences with writing
Talk about your own writing, challenges you face
Encourage student to write multiple drafts
Revision as part of the thinking process, not just the finalization
Stress that writing can be learned by everyone
Show them tools/strategies for revision
Help student reach in to their own experiences – make parallels between writing and things they are already confident doing
How do we deal with a student who is…
Busy
Help student prevent procrastination by scheduling appointments in advance
Establish firm turnaround times for
FBE
Ascertain with student how much can be accomplished in time allotted.
Use time effectively
When asking open-ended questions, be clear about your purpose in asking
How do we deal with a student who is…
Experienced
Help student use his experiences to enhance their writing
Clarity over “academic” sounding words
Talk her through what she wants to say
Narrow her focus to main ideas
Difference between business and academic writing genres
Talk about your own knowledge and experience in writing, your knowledge about their program, your experience working with other adults
What would you do?
Which characteristic(s) of adult students best describes the student in this situation?
Use your knowledge of the principles of andragogy and your own tutoring strategies to address each student’s concerns.
Implementation - Brainstorm
Marketing – How are you going to convince adults to come into the writing center? What materials will you use?
Who are the people you will have to engage with?
Measurement – How do you measure the success of adult students? Is this different than a measurement for traditional undergraduate students?
What are the obstacles your writing center faces in reaching adult learners? How can you overcome these obstacles?
