Impact of blended and online teaching modalities on Andragogy

With technological advancements, new teaching modalities have been adopted – Online and Blended, which has resulted in an increase in the number of people taking online courses. Thus, online courses have become a critical and attractive component of the bouquet of courses any academic institution offers.

A big segment of the online education is the adult learners, who have returned to either complete their education or to attain higher education to climb the ladder in their existing jobs. Blended and Online modalities offer the Working Adult Students immense flexibility and accessibility, making it the preferred way of continuing their education. Today, not only are specific marketing strategies being designed targeting andragogic learners, but programs are being created specifically for them.

This paper conducts an exploratory study of the impact of Blended and Online Modalities on the market of Andragogy, the education of working adults. It aims to understand in detail the concepts of Andragogy, characteristics of the adult learners, how they are different from traditional students as well as their economic significance. Thismulti-disciplinary study gathers insights to help education marketers frame strategies targeting working adult students,guide academicians plan suitable courses and curricula and instruction designers and e-learning interface developers.