They declare that dialogue is the methodological heart of the online learning paradigm. They also support the idea that learning a subject well requires intensive discourse in any field or discipline and that the learners’ need for individual dialogue contributes as much to the teaching and learning structure as the teacher offers in the way of course content or design. They further assert that those who teach online need to be trained (helped to learn) to respect the maturity of the adult learners and their motivations for learning. In this process of their being helped to become online faculty, they evolve from being an instructor and content expert to a facilitator and resource person. The new facilitator learns to create a course that emphasizes the primacy of the learner, grants a substantial measure of control to learners, and places learning directly in the context of learners’ own experiences.
Barclay (2001) made it clear that Knowles’ concept of andragogy became infused with humanistic psychology. Although subjected to much debate as to whether it should be considered a theory, method, technique, or simply a set of assumptions, andragogy now occupies an important place in the adult education field. It has engendered awareness of the learning needs of adults and is now emerging as a base of concepts applicable for learning at a distance.
Akande and Jegede (2004) made the case that adults in Nigeria are far behind children in achieving technological literacy. Their perspective to improve adult computer literacy skills in Nigeria holds the view that describes andragogy as one of the new sciences of education that is now gaining ground in many areas. It is democratic in the sense that the learner is seen as an active participant in the whole learning process. Thus, they conclude that andragogical methods are highly appropriate for adult education in computer literacy.
Oduaran et al. (2003) asserted that among other transformations in African university adult and continuing education, andragogy is taught as a mainstream course. Andragogy is also applied as the major principle guiding interactions among Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and diversity.
Simonson et al. (2006) declares that most now consider Malcolm Knowles’ work to be the theory of distance education because many times adults are involved in distance education and andragogy addresses frameworks for programs designed for the adult learner.