The week of week of Virtual Symposium was a great commencement of the MALAT Program. As a newly joined member of the program, the symposium was a very instructive and mind-blowing space where I can learn from so many professionals, subject matter experts and current students regarding learning and technology. Each of them had an admirable story to share. The openness and the respectfulness of diversity and inclusion was truly recognized.
I found Earl Einarson’s presentation of Designing from a place of Indigenous knowledge systems particularly intriguing. I appreciated his introduction of his family and lands. Dr Childs and Einarson commented: “We are always who we are” (Royal Roads University, 2022) led me to recognize the importance of understanding and respect for each other’s culture and background, and how it can lessen our gaps in learning, living and working together in this community. It also resonates with my workplace in which diversity and inclusion has been one of the top core organizational values. Indigenous Awareness training has been my company’s focus in the past several years. Some of the projects I worked on involved Indigenous relations, and these training courses enabled me to better understand the needs and challenges that some of the Indigenous people are facing in the society. Keeping an open mindset and building positive relationships are crucial for accomplishing the learning and training goals in my organization. I will continue to learn the history of Indigenous people and lands, which I believe will be beneficial in developing training programs that are useful and purposeful in the future.
Einarson stated that “there’s a huge differentiation between pedagogy and andragogy” (Royal Roads University, 2022). I have had the experience in teaching children from the age of three to fifteen in Japan and performing technical training for employees in my current role. According to Usman’s studies (2015), “Children differ from adults especially with regards to learning” (Oduaran, 1996, as cited in Usman, 2015) and “The adult class on the other hand comprises of self-directing and dependent members…The adult learner occupies so many roles; economic and social” (Oduaran, 1996, as cited in Usman, 2015). I agreed that the pedagogy method might not necessarily work best for adult education because the purpose of learning between children and adults is different. I am very excited to explore and research on andragogy over the next two years.
In conclusion, it was a very eventful week full of interesting and engaging synchronized and asynchronized sessions that were all very impressive. I am starting to immerse myself in this learning and technology digital space which is filled with excitement, passion, reflections and opportunities to learn and share.
References
Einarson, E. (2022, April 12). Designing from a place of Indigenous knowledge systems [Video]. Zoom Video Communications. https://royalroads.zoom.us/rec/play/PLhxBQOims_TV2LtkEio-B5hTTav0MCQ5XcIHqI3hzMs-VNyCzKQxisySHwF3JMm9SbpEQbojKZxSag.dSzK190hfrsMLuo8?continueMode=true
Usman, Y. H. (2015). Differences between Pedagogical and Andragogical Methods of Teaching and the Preference of Andragogy for the Teaching of Adults. International Journal of African and Asian Studies: An International Peer-reviewed Journal, 6, 58-62. https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JAAS/article/viewFile/17797/18173
It sounds like you already have a wealth of experience in a variety of teaching settings. I have always wanted to go to Japan! I agree, adults and children are quite different when it comes to how and why they want to (or need to!) learn. In some of my past research, I learned that most adults what to have a voice in what they are learning and need to know that what they are learning will actually be useful to them, that is, applicable in the “real world”. Where do you think the line between pedagogy and andragogy blur? In a couple of the virtual sessions UDL was mentioned which surprised me as I thought only elementary and some high schools worked from the UDL’s principles. What’s been your experience working with adults compared to the younger students you worked with?
Thanks for your comment Marion. Quite honestly, most of my career wasn’t in teaching; however, I’ve had the opportunities to teach in different settings as you said. Teaching children in Japan was a very unique experience. Teacher (sensei in Japanese) is a highly respected occupation in their culture. I found the classroom setting was more teacher-focused or if I may say more traditional and structured. The teacher would decide on the curriculum, learning plans and what exactly the students should learn. The students would expect a ‘download’ of knowledge and skills from the teacher and then a lot of quizzes and examinations for assessment. Working with adults in the corporate training environment is definitely very different. Adults usually come to class with a purpose either voluntarily or mandatory from work. They are more cautious about time being used and mostly want to learn the maximum in the least amount of time. They seem to enjoy discussions, strategic thinking and problem solving that can apply back to their daily work. I haven’t done much research about andragogy and I’m eager to learn more about it. I wonder if it is closely related to adult learning principle. Thoughts?
Megan, I enjoyed reading your blog on the virtual symposium. I also liked watching and listening to Earl Einarson’s presentation. You noted in your blog that in your workplace, you/your company incorporate indigenous awareness training courses. That is amazing; I believe some companies do an excellent job of education on that matter but only in specific business units. My goal would be similar to yours is developing training programs that are not just specific to certain business units but to all, regardless of whether you are in IT, HR, or sites.
Thanks for your comment Michal! Yes, indigenous awareness training is highly recommended in my company. Not only did I learn the history of our lands, it also made me look at training and learning from a different perspective with diversity and inclusion in mind.