Learning Theories and Philosophy of Teaching A relationship between theories of learning and instructional design exists with the focus being on the learning strategies of behaviorism, constructivism and cognitivism (Mergel, 1998). An advocate of adult learning theories, I believe these are important theories, especially for one interested in the online environment. It is often difficult to differentiate between these theories (Mergel, 1998) and often some of the theorist who are said to hold to a specific belief, are found connected to another theory as well (Mergel, 1998). Adult education encompasses andragogy, self-directed learning, and transformational learning. A mosaic of theories, assumptions, models, they describe a set of principles with explanations that compose the knowledge-base that is known as adult learning. The early days of the twentieth century saw the movement toward adult learning coming to life. Knowles, wrote his “five assumptions,” while also populizing andragogy. Andragogy, Knowles (1970) wrote, is the “art and science of teaching adults” (http://teal.ed.gov, 2011). According to Jarvis, Holford, and Griffin (1998), Knowles was forced to reformulate the distinction he had made between andragogy (teaching adults) and pedagogy (p. 61), which he defined as ‘the art and science of teaching children” (http://teal.edu.gov). Knowles (1980) contrast of andragogy and pedagogy was immediately was criticized. Much of the criticism was based on Knowles claim that pedagogy was a content model while andragogy was a process model (Smith, 1996; 1999; 2010). Knowles (1984) altered this position, adding the assumption that as a person matures the motivation to learn is internal (Knowles, 1984, p.12). Kidd (1978) through his study of adult learning puts andragogy into perspective: “What we describe as adult learning is not a different or order from child learning. Indeed our main point is that man must be seen as a whole, in his lifelong
References Cicciarelli, M. (2007). Behavioral, cognitive, and humanistic theories: Which theories do online instructors utilize. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education. 3(4), 3954-. Ertmer, P., & Newby, T. J. (1993). Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 6(4), 50-71. Horil, C. V. (2007). Teaching insights from adult learning theory. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 34(4), 369-. Kidd, J. R. (1978). How adults learn (3rd. ed.). Englewood Cliffs: N.J.: Prentice Hall Regents. Knowles, M. S. (1984). Andragogy in action. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Mergel, B. (1998). Instructional design & learning theory (Master’s thesis, University of Saskatchewan). Retrieved From: http://etad.usask.ca/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm. Mohanna, K., & Waters, M. (2008). Multiple perspectives on learning: But which way for instructional design? Education for Primary Care, 19, 563-568. Shrunk, D. H. (1991). Self-efficacy and academic motivation. Educational Psychologist, 26(1), 207-231. Smith, M. K. (1996; 1999; 2010). ’Andragogy’. Retrieved from: Weibell, C. J. (2011). Principles of learning: A conceptual framework for domain-specific theories of learning (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from: