We will learn no matter what! Learning is as natural as rest or play. With or without books, inspiring trainers or classrooms, we will manage to learn. Educators can, however, make a difference in what people learn and how well they learn it.
Malcolm Knowles
Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy (1888-1973)
Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy (1888-1973)
Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy (1888-1973)
Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy was a Berlin-born professor, historian and social philosopher. Active in labor issues during the first World War, he focused his work on improving education to benefit German society's standard of living. He adopted the concept of andragogy after the war as a new way of teaching adults, differently from children. Prior to the onset of WWII, fearing overwhelming Nazi influence, he moved to the USA and began teaching at Harvard.
Dušan Savićević (1926-2015)
Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy (1888-1973)
Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy (1888-1973)
Professor of andragogy at the University of Belgrade, Servia, and originally from Yugoslavia, Dušan Savićević was a significant contributor to the methodologies and teaching of andragogy in eastern Europe after WWII. In fact, it was Dr. Savićević that introduced Malcolm Knowles to the term andragogy when they met in 1966 in Boston. He shared his expertise around the world, as a visiting professor in Venezuela, the United States, and China.
Malcolm Knowles (1913-1997)
Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy (1888-1973)
Malcolm Knowles (1913-1997)
Malcolm Knowles was an American educator and veteran of the US Navy during WWII. During his career he authored over 230 articles and 18 books, most of which are about adult learning and andragogy. The latter was the theory he had develop concerning adult learning and utilized the term "andragogy" after meeting Dušan Savićević in 1966. He is also well known for his influence in the development of the Humanist Learning Theory.
PLN Influence on Prior Learning Experience
Formal vs. Non-Formal Learning Experiences
In an effort to expand upon my professional knowledge in recent years, I have taken many formal courses at UMGC as well as informal learning through YouTube tutorials to improve my skills in certain software applications I use for work. Recently, I followed a short tutorial on how to create interactive graphs and charts in order to develop a visual dashboard for a client. I had searched through several videos before finding one that met my goals. It was brief, less than 9 minutes, with a narrator that explained and demonstrated step by step how to design a speedometer graph to represent data on my Excel spreadsheet. I was pleased with the outcome and so was my client.
The Aspects of Andragogy
The principles of andragogy that applied to my informal learning were :
Need to Know - I had promised a client I would help them with the issue.
Experience - I have a high level of Excel knowledge and was eager to expand upon what I already knew
Self-Concept - I love learning new skills but I like them to be on my time, and in my control - even if it's simply fast-forwarding, pausing or going back in a video to learn at my own pace.
Problem orientation and Readiness - I had an issue to solve for a client immediately, and I knew that this skill could be applied to other clients and even myself.
Intrinsic motivation - I love learning new ways to use software, especially Excel that has so many possiblities, so I was engaged in the process.
Preference of Learning
When it comes to learning new skills, especially in technology, I prefer informal learning as it gives me the greatest control to learn on my own, at my own pace, and is more efficient, both in time and money. My PLN helps in this aspect because not only can I reach out to others in my network of professionals for their advice or links for learning videos, I can also contribute to the network my new skills and expertise. It also helps in expanding my network being able to share these new skills with even more groups and colleagues with my advanced knowledge.