How much are you really learning from a blog? Confucian philosopher Xun Kuang phrased it best: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
Reading this blog about andragogy, or the method and practice of adult learning, has the potential to shape your growth for the rest of your life. Today, by retaining even a little bit of andragogy’s principles, studies, and industry application, you’ll set yourself up for a lifetime of involved learning.
Assumptions and Principles of Andragogy
American educator Malcolm Knowles established that the theory of andragogy has six main assumptions at its foundation:
- Self-concept. Adults are autonomous, self-reliant, and self-directed.
- Experiential learning. Adults rely on experience as a source of learning.
- Learning readiness. Adults prioritize learning that impacts their social roles.
- Immediate applications. Adults prioritize learning with immediate applications.
- Internal Motivations. Adults are more motivated by internal factors than external.
- Need to know. Adults need to know the value of what they’re learning.
From here, Knowles highlights five main principles:
- Adult education must focus on solving specific problems.
- Adult education must rely on the lived experience of teachers.
- Teachers should gain significant knowledge and experience from training.
- Teachers should receive feedback about their progress.
- Teachers should analyze and check teaching material.
Today, by retaining even a little bit of andragogy’s principles, studies, and industry application, you’ll set yourself up for a lifetime of involved learning.
Using Andragogy to Address Learning Problems
Andragogical principles give new language to describe our own learning buffers. For example, global economics institute OECD reports that when adults don’t participate in educational training, more than 40% of the time, it’s because they’re busy with work or family commitments.
According to the principles of andragogy, the training isn’t as effective as it could be. If the training featured more immediate applications and explained why adults need to know it, the adults surveyed would be much more likely to prioritize learning.
Using Andragogy to Increase Learning Rates
Data shows how an understanding of Malcolm Knowles’ principles can be used to bolster both external training and self-directed study. Note in the graph below the high adult learning rates of Sweden when compared to other rates in Canada, the US, and various European countries:
Further research found that learning readiness in Sweden was also highest, as its residents participated in the highest levels of civic involvement. See the graph below.
By shifting adult education outside of the classroom to focus on hands-on, community involved activities as seen in Sweden, adults will benefit from principles of experiential learning, learning readiness, immediate application and more.
Andragogy in a Call Center Setting
Within the call center industry, lifelong learners can use andragogy principles to transform training, research, and even sales. We can solve specific problems, analyze internal material, and gather external feedback.
La ventaja de AnswerNet
AnswerNet has used andragogy principles to grow to 10,000+ clients and 125 million+ annual interactions. We’ve read the reports, established the infrastructure, and optimized the technology to deliver the most useful learning techniques available today.
If you want to train your business brain through a call center service you can trust, reach out here or click the button below to get in contact.
