Week 2, Part 2 (September 2, 2010)

In reflecting on how to incorporate, one of these new theories in the reading when I teach computer basics (Intro class) to adult students and students who are learning disabled I would probably use Heutagogy. Heutagogy has roots in the literature on self-directed learning and renounces the teacher dependency associated with both pedagogy (child learning) and andragogy (adult learning). Heutagogy extends control to the learner and sees the learner as the major development and control agent in his or her own learning (Hase & Kenyon and Anderson, (33) 2007). These adult students that want to learn computers will be probably self directed and want to learn at their own pace. The learning disabled students that I teach would self directed but would need my help as guide so that they understand what is going on with the way a computer works and functions. As the reading said I have to look at the problems, they are having with their computers and to and guide as students use a very wide set of resources (both online and traditional) to resolve problems and to gain personal understanding and capacity (Anderson 33). This is especially true of the adult students who are learning disabled and use assistive/adaptive technology. They have to be comfortable with not only with the computer basics I have to teach them but with their specially designed software. Heutagogy is a theory to my understanding that makes the learner try to be as independent as possible when it comes to learning a new skill. This is extremely important and fits with the scope of teaching computers in that the learning-disabled students would feel much pride in learning and doing computer skills on their own.