Andragogy examines the process by which adults learn, as distinct from pedagogy which is how children learn. Of course, it makes sense that how and why we learn is different at age 50 than it is at age 20. Some of the qualities that differentiate adult learners from their younger counterparts include:

1. Need to know: Adults need to know the reason for learning something.
2. Foundation: Experience can provide the basis for learning activities.
3. Self-concept: Adults need to feel like active participants in an experiential approach to education.
4. Readiness: Adults are most interested in learning subjects having immediate relevance to their work and/or personal lives.
5. Orientation: Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented.
6. Motivation: Adults respond better to internal versus external motivators.

Thanks to Wisdom Well subscriber Kim Hayes for introducing me to this word which is quite simpatico with the white paper we wrote a year ago, “The Emergence of Long Life Learning.”

For those who want to dive deeper on this topic, here’s a recent "New Yorker" article about adult education entitled “Can Master Class Teach You Everything?”