Andragogy by Trask, Walker & Wiebe

 

Project 1, Week 2: EDAC 634, Fall 2023

Teaching Adults to Teach a Dog to Sit

 

Tanner Trask: Design and 2 external sources

Ian Walker: Goal and Learning Objectives utilizing examples and templates

Eric Wiebe: Rationale and 2 external sources

 

All 3 Participants, 2 Zoom Calls to discuss, plan and execute project one for submission on both Canvas and Blog.

 

Goal:

Teach adults how to teach a dog how to sit

 

Learning objectives: Upon Completion participants will have learned the following

● Importance of dog obedience

● Different styles of obedience training

● Finding what motivates a dog

● Steps to achieve obedience

 

Rationale: 

We will focus on three of the four primary assumptions of Agrology to reach our goal and objectives tied to teaching an adult to teach a dog how to sit.  Below please find the central ideas of andragogy as it relates to our design/project:

 

Self-Concept:  Capitalize on the “autonomous, independent, and self-reliant” (Chang, Andragogy in the Virtual World 2014) nature of the self-directed learner and help them achieve their goal.  Learners can self-select the most effective strategy from video demonstrations to take advantage of easily available resources on-line.  

https://youtu.be/AxK8S-u-KEY

 

Prior Experience:  As andragogy assumes that adults value discussions and active interaction that supports and connects with prior experience, we will ensure that participants share their prior experiences, good or bad, with dogs or dog training. 

 

Orientation to Learning:  An immediate problem-solving learning approach, our program design provides implicit instructions through the completion of tasks that provide an opportunity for learners to demonstrate competency against our goals and objectives. 

Teach Your Dog to Sit: Help Your Dog Learn This Important Skill (akc.org)

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/how-to-teach-your-dog-to-sit/

 

 

Design:

·       Self-Concept: Start with the understanding that the learning for both the dog handler (adult learner) and the dog is going to be done by the handler. Because the handler is autonomous, they will have chosen the instructor and class setting that feels best for them. The educator’s role is to “facilitate a students’ movement toward more self-directed and responsible learning…” (Watson, Adult learning theory and the six principles of Adult Learning 2015).

o   The handlers should have discussed the goals, grade/assessment criteria, timeline and meeting times with the dog trainer to best accomplish the needs of the handler and dog, while also allowing autonomy to have a schedule outside of dog training.

·       Prior Experience: Understand that the educational setting must “Allows experts and novices to have dialogues in the same space…” and that “practitioners should share their experience to help learners better understand the practical applications…” (Chang, Andragogy in the Virtual World 2014)

o   This expands further as Adults “like to be given opportunity to use their existing foundation of knowledge and experience gained from life experience, and apply it to their new learning experiences…” (Watson, Adult learning theory and the six principles of Adult Learning 2015)

o   Specific to this setting, adults may have had a prior dog training experience and would like to both learn from the new educator on tactics and theories, while implementing some of the prior learned verbiage or theory to create their own unique learning experience.

·       Orientation to Learning: The adult learner should engage in their learning in the manner that is understandable to themselves as learners. According to “Self-Directed Learning: A Four-Step Process,” there are three questions the learner should reflect upon, while also understanding their approach to study (Self-directed learning: A four-step process 2023).

o   In our scenario, the handler should reflect on what they need from the dog training education, who did they learn/favor learning from and why, and what did that educator do that was different from prior/other educators?

o   Our handler should also reflect on which method of study best applies to them.

§  Deep approach, allowing the handler to apply the education to new scenarios (i.e. new strategies on prior trained dogs, or training techniques on a different new dog).

§  Surface approach, where the education from the dog trainer is replicated/regurgitated and just enough practice is done to get by.

§  Strategic approach, where the goal is the best outcome, not the process of getting there and the learning to do so. 

References:

Academy, U. C. (2022, May 19). Teach any dog to sit perfectly with this trick! #shorts. YouTube. https://youtu.be/AxK8S-u-KEY

Chang, B. (2014). Andragogy in the Virtual World. Bo Chang, Ball State University, Department of Educational Studies.

Gibeault, S. (2021, February 3). How to teach your dog to sit - american kennel club. American Kennel Club. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/how-to-teach-your-dog-to-sit/

Self-directed learning: A four-step process. Centre for Teaching Excellence. (2023, August 21). https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/catalogs/tip-sheets/self-directed-learning-four-step-process

Watson, B. D. (2015, May 5). Adult learning theory and the six principles of Adult Learning. Improving Vocational Education and Training. https://brucedwatson.wordpress.com/2015/05/05/adult-learning-theory-and-the-six-principles-of-adult-learning/