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Learning Scenarios
A learning experience that I have related to andragogy is the training I went through when I first started my job. This training was interesting because it was not the formal learning experience that I expected. Formal learning is a structured form of learning that is controlled by an instructor or organization and typically, but not always, is conducted in a classroom-like setting. Informal learning is a more free-form style of learning that is controlled by the learner (Freifeld, 2014). This was nice because it gave me more control over my learning. I had to go through a series of online modules that were related to front end web development and I was able to progress at my own pace. This worked well especially because autonomy is one of the key principles of andragogy. Another key aspect of andragogy is relevance, meaning that the content being covered should directly relate to the learners job or daily life (Pappas, 2013). Since I was doing this training for my job, the content was definitely relevant to what I would be working on which served as an extra incentive to complete the training. The online modules also allowed me to draw connections to my prior work in the field which was helpful because it really made me feel like I was expanding my knowledge. It was also great to be able to review concepts I maybe had not worked with as often and definitely needed a refresher in. Some of the modules also had elements of fun in them. For example, one of the modules had me recreate the arcade classic Frogger using JavaScript. This was not actually something I would have to do as part of my job, but it was an interesting and interactive way to assess my knowledge of the JavaScript concepts that were covered. This interactivity was important because motivation can be difficult for adult learners (Pappas, 2013). I can attest to this firsthand because, as an adult, I find that I often lose focus in educational situations that I find boring more so than when I was younger.
These same principles hold true in the professional learning experience I mentioned as part of my Personal Learning Experiences. In that case, I had to teach myself about front end testing and start developing tests using Selenium and Jest. My company had no training for this at all, so I was pretty much on my own to learn the content. This was great because I think that we can often be the best teachers for ourselves. In my case, I knew what instructional methods work best for me and how to ensure that I retain content so I was able to cater the learning to myself. This provided for a more effective learning experience than if I were to sit in lecture or have someone else who does not know me as well as I do plan the learning for me.
References
Freifeld, L. (2014, December 22). Training for the New Year: Formal vs. Informal Learning. Retrieved December 09, 2018, from https://trainingmag.com/training-new-year-formal-vs-informal-learning
Pappas, C. (2013, May 09). The Adult Learning Theory – Andragogy – of Malcolm Knowles. Retrieved December 09, 2018, from https://elearningindustry.com/the-adult-learning-theory-andragogy-of-malcolm-knowles