PART 1: Tips on andragogy and digital education Adult learning theories trace their roots back to Malcolm Knowles (1980), an adult educator who developed the concept of andragogy. He popularized the concept of andragogy (“the art and science of helping adults learn”), contrasting it with pedagogy (“the art and science of teaching children”). Pedagogical approach in adult education is a broad topic that covers different theories and methods of teaching and learning for adults, it refers to the art and science of adult education. Some of the key principles of andragogy according to Knowles´ theory are that adults: • prefer self-directed learning and autonomous learners as they mature and can direct his/her own learning; • have an ability to draw on life experiences to assist with learning; • are ready to learn when he/she is transitioning to new social or life role; • are goal-oriented and problem-centred and want to apply new learning immediately and to real-life situations; • focus on immediately applying new knowledge to real-life situations and problems • are motivated to learn by internal, rather than external, factors; • have different learning styles and preferences that need to be accommodated by various instructional methods and media. This implies that adult education needs to stress a learner centred pedagogy aimed at fostering learners' activity and capacity for independent action and social interaction. Knowles (1984) suggests that adult educators should: • Set a cooperative climate for learning in the classroom; • Assess the learner’s specific needs and interests; • Develop learning objectives based on the learner’s needs, interests, and skill levels; • Design sequential activities to achieve the objectives; • Work collaboratively with the learner to select methods, materials, and resources for instruction; • Evaluate the quality of the learning experience and make the adjustments, as needed, while assessing needs for further learning. Digital technologies are essential for continuing education, adult learning and developing humans in many organisations. How do learners and trainers experience and work with digital technologies in the field of adult education? This question is the focus of a special issue of the International Journal of Training and Development (Gegenfurtner, Andreas & Schmidt-Hertha, Bernhard & Lewis, Paul, 2020). here are the most important findings:
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