I teach adults in four different graduate programs, and each adult brings to each course a plethora of experience and knowledge. Best practices in teaching adult learners suggest the content must be meaningful, and they must be able to connect to their jobs (Knowles, 1984).
After all, most graduate students are balancing jobs, families, relationships, school, and other commitments...and who has time to complete a task that they don't see as being useful?
That what Andragogy is all - about - making learning relevant to adult learners!
Unfortunately, most courses for adults are developed using pedagogy rather than andragogy. The graphic below helps visually explain the difference:
Pedagogy (the method used when we were all in public school....and in most undergrad courses) is all about the "sage-on-the-stage" approach...one person providing knowledge to all...the SAME knowledge to all. In Andragogy the instructor serves more as a facilitator with all learning being much more student centered. and problem-centered, rather than content-centered. All learning needs to be relevant immediately (not as in, yes, you will one day use algebra :-) and should take into consideration what the learner already knows (The Principles of Adult Learning: How to Apply Them to E-Learning, N. D.)
My conundrum
One course I love to teach is EDU 604, a type of introduction to the community college where students learn about all facets of the community college, helping them move out of their tunnel vision of seeing the organization just from the lens of their job within the community college.
After working in a community college setting for 18 I have learned the value of knowing more about the CC than just my area....and wanted to pass that knowledge on to my students. This issue, however, is that some students come to EDU 604 with at least 10 years of experience. Others are in their first year. Some have worked in multiple parts of a community college campus. Others have been in their one location only.
How then, do I adjust a course to respect the needs of all learners while making sure everyone meets the same learning outcomes, whether they have working in a community college for 1 year or for 10? How do I make a course relevant to all learners enrolled?
How do I personalize a course for all students on all topics?
I created a survey!
Pappas (2014) suggests using a survey to analyze audience knowledge in a specific area..... I then used those results to guide content presented and activities. In this particular case, I am using survey results to personalize a course to individual students.
The survey
I call this XPs for Experience. All students MUST complete it as part of their Onboarding module, and I use the results to tailor readings and tasks. To make it easier for students to complete, I embed the survey directly into Canvas so they do not have to leave the site to go to this google form.
Take a look:
Notice that these are open-ended questions, not yes/no questions. This encourages the students to provie as much information as they can demonstrate their experience and knowledge of each of 14 different topics.Responses are scored with either a 3,2, or 1, with the 3 for those who demonstrate a great deal of knowledge and experience in that area, a 2 for those who know something, and a 1 for those who report knowing nothing about the topic.
Course topics include the following...and every student is assessed on every topic:
Using the survey results
My thought process was to assess content and experience in each topic the class covers and adjust readings and activities accordingly.
Let's take closer look at one of the topics in EDU 604: Community College Students. The following video explains my process:
Keep in mind that I individualize EDU 604 for every student based on my knowledge of best practices inn online instruction for adult learners.
Does this take a lot of time? Yes, but it is worth it for the students. I usually spend approximately 3o minutes reviewing and scoring the pre-assessment. Then I have to go into Canvas and add specific students to specific pages. I used to have everyone complete the same readings and other tasks, but now this individualized approach has been very effective.
Will this work in all courses or trainings? It depends.
If you are teaching skills, you can pre-assess students to determine their skills. You can pre-assess to identify content knowledge as well. If you are dealing with 40 learners in a training or course, you might have to break the pre-assessment down into chunks, or group learners another way.
Knowing your audience will allow you to create the best online learning experience possible!
References
Knowles, M. (1984). Andragogy in Action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Pappas, C. (2014). Six key questions to effectively analyze your e-learning course audiences. Retrieved from: https://elearningindustry.com/6-key-questions-to-effectively-analyze-your-elearning-course-audiences
The Principles of Adult Learning: How to Apply Them to E-Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved http://articulate-heroes-authoring.s3.amazonaws.com/Nicole/Demos/Rise/principles-adult-learning/principles-2/content/index.html#/list/uIlebJ49Ii6bXjORgrIJGiHFTWnBHkCR?_k=ww98vk
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