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Lauren Long, MSC 331

Dr. Crosby
CAE 323
24 March 2017
Out of Class Teaching Assignment: Assumptions of Andragogy Paper
For my out of class teaching assignment, I chose to prepare a lesson for a womens

brunch and Bible study that I host once a month with Mary OBryant and Julia Raymer, two of

the other TFC Resident Assistants in the Womens Terraces. In months past, the terrace ladies

that come to the Bible study have greatly enjoyed the time spent together, and we have

experienced a good bit of growth in our community together. There is a basic structure to our

get-togethers, but that structure does not have detailed instructional design. Typically, everyone

has brunch together starting at 10AM. When most everyone is done, we casually move into a

time a sharing, and then we close in prayer.

I have created an instructional plan for this months Bible study that gives more

intentional structure to the elements of the event that our community is used to, and I have also

prepared a devotional to share at the Bible study that I believe will be a beneficial learning

experience for everyone involved. I have intentionally incorporated elements into my

instructional design that support the six assumptions of andragogy. In the following paragraphs, I

will describe how each principle is utilized in my lesson plan.

The need to know:
The first principle of andragogy is the learners need to know. This principle operates

under the assumption that adults need to know why they must learn something before they begin

the learning process. When I teach my lesson, as I transition from the opening stage of sharing to

the devotional that I prepared, I am going share a few personal things about how the Lord has

been teaching me about living out godly love daily. Through this explanation, I hope to

communicate why this lesson is one that everyone needs to learn. The ladies that have been
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coming to our Bible study brunches have previously expressed a desire to live for the Lord, so I

believe that they will not have a hard time grasping why they need to know about godly love.
The learners self-concept:
The second principle of andragogy is the learners self-concept. Adults desire to be given

the opportunity to make their own decisions and to direct themselves. When this is denied, adults

can feel as though they are not considered capable, and they begin to resent being under others

direction. Throughout my lesson plan, I have tried to make options available for the ladies as we

move through the Bible study. For example, I plan to let them choose whether they would like to

read the verses themselves or whether they would like for me to read them. In any discussion that

we have, each individual will have the choice of whether or not she would like to share. When

we divide up for prayer, I want the ladies to choose what kind of groups they would like to form.

If two people want to pray together, that is great. It will be equally acceptable if four or five want

to pray together, or we can even all pray together, if that is the preferred option.
The role of the learners experience:
The third principle of andragogy is the role of the learners experiences. Adults have

accumulated much of their knowledge through experiences they have gained over the years.

These experiences give adults background information to build on during the learning process. I

believe that this principle will be demonstrated throughout the times of sharing and discussion in

each part of my lesson plan. In opening, the ladies will be sharing how they have experienced

God working in their lives recently. I will then share my experience with the Lord over the past

few weeks. The ladies experiences will allow them to relate to the devotional at the schematic

level, and I think that the reflection and discussion will allow this correlation to make itself

known.
Readiness to learn:
The fourth principle of andragogy is the learners readiness to learn. Adults use learning

to address real-life situations. They become ready to learn when they realize that they need the
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knowledge to help them effectively solve a problem that they are facing. I hope to communicate

the importance of living out godly love in a way that gives depth to the problem of failing to live

out the love of Christ. If this is communicated effectively, those listening will become ready to

learn because they will realize that there is a potential problem in their lives that needs to be

resolved.
Orientation to learning:
The fifth principle of andragogy is the learners orientation to learning. This principle

involves the practicality of the subject being taught. Adults want to learn things that help them

with what they encounter in the real world. I have added a section to my lesson plan that is

intended for discussing ideas together that involve making the concept of living out godly love

something that we can practically do throughout our lives. This addresses this principle because

it makes the topic relatable to practical, real-life situations and actions.

Motivation:
The final principle of andragogy is motivation. Internal pressures that adults possess are

the main source of their motivation. These forces drive them to complete their long-term goals.

However, external motivators can be helpful in encouraging adults to complete short-term goals.

The brunch and coffee before the bible study address external motivation because the ladies that

attend enjoy having food and coffee together. It makes them want to get up early on a Saturday. I

hope to address internal motivators by the long-term building of our terrace community in Christ.

The students who are attending these Bible studies desire to grow in Christ, and one of the goals

of us meeting together is to help each other as we are seeking after the Lord. I think that it would

be helpful for me to open future Bible studies with this group by saying something that reminds

everyone that the reason we are up early on a Saturday morning is so that we can grow in Christ

together. This little statement of reminder could be a big help in increasing intrinsic motivation.