Andragogy vs. Pedagogy and online education
Most of us have heard of pedagogy and think we know what it is. However, what is Andragogy? First, let us consider the origin of the word pedagogy. Almost everyone connected in any way with education uses the term, but it is often misused. The root is Greek. It combines “ped (paid)” or boy and “ago” or guide and initially indicated that a slave took children to school. It has evolved to mean the teaching of children, which many think it indicates the study of teaching. Many educators take issue with this generalization, which leads to the term andragogy. The origin of andragogy is also Greek, combining “andras” meaning man and “ago” or guide. It is currently understood to refer to the study of how adults learn. Adults do learn differently from children; therefore, there is a distinction between pedagogy and andragogy. Children depend on teachers to direct their learning, evaluate their learning, and decide the content of their learning. Adults are self-directed and want to contro...