Adult Learning: Reflections on Andragogy - 983 social context, demographics and technology, began to seek continuing education or higher education. Numbers. Androgogy, a theory of learning proposed by Malcolm Knowles, "has become a rallying point for those attempting to define the field of adult education as distinct from other fields of education" (Merriam, Caffarala and Baumgartner, 2007, p. Attempting to distinguish adult learning from pre-adult learning, Knowles based his theory on a set of six assumptions that he believed were fundamental to the design of adult educational programs (Merriam et al., 2007, p. 84). These six assumptions are that adults are autonomous, have a reservoir of experience as a resource, are willing to learn according to their social role, need to apply acquired knowledge immediately, are intrinsically motivated, and need a reason to learn new things. (Merriam et al., p. 84). Androgogy is “a set of assumptions about adult learners that learners and educators can use to strengthen the learning transaction” (Merriam, et al., 2007, p. 104). The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how my experience in a traditional learning context did not facilitate learning and would have been different if my teachers, my fellow learners and I had used the six assumptions of the Knowles framework. Traditional Learning Context I worked for a few years as an insurance agent, selling health insurance products as well as life insurance and long-term disability insurance products. As insurance sales are a highly regulated field, mandatory training sessions have been held frequently. Since sale...... middle of paper...... occurs when adults are treated as preadults in a learning environment. Not only is learning suppressed, but so is self-esteem. I left every weekly meeting/training session thinking I didn't have the skills to become an effective salesperson, and eventually left the field. I could not adopt the required methodology, much less tolerate these long meetings during which I felt demeaned and brainwashed. After some time, after reflecting and appreciating other successful efforts, I realize that I could have been an exceptional sales agent if I had been allowed to process information in my own way and develop my practice in benefiting from different ideas and perspectives. Works Cited Merriam, S., Caffarella, R. and Baumgartner, L. (2007). Learning as an Adult: A Complete Guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.

Essay / Adult Learning: Reflections on Andragogy - 983 social context, demographics and technology, began to seek continuing education or higher education. Numbers. Androgogy, a theory of learning proposed by Malcolm Knowles, "has become a rallying point for those attempting to define the field of adult education as distinct from other fields of education" (Merriam, Caffarala and Baumgartner, 2007, p. Attempting to distinguish adult learning from pre-adult learning, Knowles based his theory on a set of six assumptions that he believed were fundamental to the design of adult educational programs (Merriam et al., 2007, p. 84). These six assumptions are that adults are autonomous, have a reservoir of experience as a resource, are willing to learn according to their social role, need to apply acquired knowledge immediately, are intrinsically motivated, and need a reason to learn new things. (Merriam et al., p. 84). Androgogy is “a set of assumptions about adult learners that learners and educators can use to strengthen the learning transaction” (Merriam, et al., 2007, p. 104). The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how my experience in a traditional learning context did not facilitate learning and would have been different if my teachers, my fellow learners and I had used the six assumptions of the Knowles framework. Traditional Learning Context I worked for a few years as an insurance agent, selling health insurance products as well as life insurance and long-term disability insurance products. As insurance sales are a highly regulated field, mandatory training sessions have been held frequently. Since sale...... middle of paper...... occurs when adults are treated as preadults in a learning environment. Not only is learning suppressed, but so is self-esteem. I left every weekly meeting/training session thinking I didn't have the skills to become an effective salesperson, and eventually left the field. I could not adopt the required methodology, much less tolerate these long meetings during which I felt demeaned and brainwashed. After some time, after reflecting and appreciating other successful efforts, I realize that I could have been an exceptional sales agent if I had been allowed to process information in my own way and develop my practice in benefiting from different ideas and perspectives. Works Cited Merriam, S., Caffarella, R. and Baumgartner, L. (2007). Learning as an Adult: A Complete Guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.

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