Multidisciplinary Learning Approach of Constructivism in Adult Learning

Andragogy means leading an adult. 

Knowles has based Andragogy (Adult Learning) on five assumptions:

1.       Adults have self concept.

2.       Adults need to be responsible for their learning. Since, they have experience of passive learning in school and college.

3.       Show readiness to learn based on their development tasks and social roles and they assess themselves: Adult learners assess their own learning.

4.        Orientation to learn: to apply their knowledge to solve problems using the skills learnt. They have life experience with presumptions and biases based on it. So, learning also involves removal of some presumptions and biases that are based on life experiences.

5.       Internal motivation to learn.  To coincide learning with transition and development of the learner.

Characteristics of Andragogy:

ü  Learning is task oriented and not subject oriented.

ü  Learning is measureable, task centered outcomes

ü  Interactive instructions with opportunity to apply the learnt skills to do a task and apply learning in real life

Constructivist Learning Approach in Adult Learning

People construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through their experience and on reflection of their experience.

Learning is an active process: a personal interpretation of the world

Emphasis is on problem solving and understanding through:

1.       Authentic tasks, experience, settings and assessments

2.       Content presented holistically

In Constructivist Learning Process:

v  Assumption is: knowledge is dynamic and changes with experience

v  Multidisciplinary learning process

v  The learning process involves posing problems of emerging relevance to students. 

v  The problem or the issue is in social context and is presented to the learner in multiple modes of representation, perspective and learner is encouraged to arrive at a solution based on moderation and suggestions. 

v  Assessment of learner’s learning is integrated in the learning task and how the learner arrives at a solution to perform the task.

v  Learners use the errors made in performing the task to consolidate his or her learning to change their idea and approach to effectively perform the task to achieve desired learning objective.

v  Therefore, learning process is controlled through reflection

v  Predominantly is collaborative learning process which encourages learners to share different perspectives, on what they already know and draw their learning based on them

An Example:

Using this approach, the field sales persons of a telecom company can learn oral hygiene as well as selling skills in terms of the unique selling points of a product they are to sell:

The facilitator can display the slide displayed above the write up and have the learners perform the following collaborative learning activities that help the learners to learn about:

1.        Oral hygiene

2.        Learning the selling skill called FAB

By drawing analogy between the concepts of Oral Hygiene based on a product the learner has knowledge and experience of and  of FAB selling skill to sell telecom product that the learner has to gain focused knowledge of:

The facilitator  ask the participants to discuss the following in the group and then in the teams to discuss it further in the class guided by the facilitator:

• 1   What toothpaste you use?
• 2       Why do you use it?
• 3       How often do you use it?
• 4    What are the Features of the toothpaste? (What do you like about the toothpaste viz. taste, packaging, etc)
• 5    What are the Advantages of the toothpaste? (Example: is the toothpaste cost effective, etc)
• 6     What are the Benefits of the toothpaste? (Example: is the toothpaste beneficial in taking care of bad breath, prevent tooth decay, etc)

Once the learners have discussed about oral hygiene, the facilitator then can introduce them to the next activity:

The facilitator can ask the learners to form teams and discuss the following based on the information they are given about the Telecom industry, Net Telecom:

• 1      What do you know about Net Telecom?
• 2      Which service or product do you use of Net Telecom?
•         Why do you use it?
• 4      How often do you use it?
• 5      F: Mention five features of the product or service
• 6     A: Mention five advantages of the product or service
• 7     B: Mention five benefits of the product or service

The facilitator then discusses the questions and the response of the learners in the class and explains the method of FAB (Features, Advantages and Benefits) in presenting a product or service to a seller.