| Chapter 1: | Overview of the Study |
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The findings of this study will also be important to adult learners who specifically use the Internet to intentionally learn. As end-users, they may benefit directly from Internet learning experiences that incorporate the principles of andragogy.
Other stakeholders interested in the results of this study will be persons or organizations (commercial or non-profit) that are interested in helping adults learn and change on the computer such as colleges and universities, corporations, librarians, social workers, counselors, community health organizations, politicians, parent educators, and medical patient educators.
Definition of Terms
Andragogy —Andragogy is the art and science of helping adults learn (Knowles, 1980, p. 40). Alexander Kapp, a German educator, coined the term andragogy in 1833. Smith (1982) defines the term adult as follows: “The person who regards himself or herself as an adult and has assumed the responsibilities associated with adulthood (worker, spouse, parent) is considered to be an adult and, therefore, is fair game for adult educators and likely to learn best under conditions that take into account the characteristics of adults as learners” (p. 38). Smith further says, “… then, adult education refers to a purposeful effort to foster learning by persons who have become largely responsible for their own comings and goings …” (p. 38).
Change —Learning and changing are used synonymously in this study. Making a change requires learning something new. Tough (1982) said, “Learning is a fundamental concept and is always involved in some kind of change” (p. 10). Change consultant and author, Richard Beckhard (1997) said, “all learning is transactional and all learning is change” (pp. 159–161).
Learning —Smith (1982), defines learning as “a transformation that occurs in the brain; problem solving; an internal process that leads to behavioral change; the construction and exchange of personally relevant and viable meanings; a retained change in disposition or capability that is not simply ascribable to growth; and a process of changing insights, outlooks, expectations, or thought patterns” (p. 34).