Twenty-First Century Andragogy: An Analysis of Knowles’ Archetypal Adult Learner in the Digital Learning Age

Abstract

Knowles’ archetype of the adult learning retains prominence in higher education literature. In this paper I consider Knowles’ concept of andragogy and its concomitant assumptions about adult learners. His six assumptions are examined in the context of higher education in the digital age, including how learning technologies can be effectively leveraged to support higher education students as adult learners, both within courses and through self-regulated learning.