Adult Learning Theory in Online Education Developments in technology have changed the way adult students can choose to earn a college degree. Through the use of their own computer, they can choose to attend an online-only college or university. While it may not be apparent to the student, there has been a lot of research into the most effective way to teach adults and children based on how they learn. An awareness of different teaching theories could make an adult student a better consumer when it comes to purchasing the best value in education. This article will explore the theories of andragogy and pedagogy, along with their implications for adult online education. Society's view of the adult student before World War II was that people past college age could not learn new concepts (Crawford 2004). Crawford noted that one reason for this was that a college education was a luxury that only the wealthy could afford. Crawford suggests that a change in societal attitudes regarding adult education occurred when the GI Bill of Rights was enacted after World War II, which prompted millions of adult veterans to pursue a college education. Such a huge shift in student demographics ultimately led society, educators, and scientists to change their opinion about the ability of adults to learn in a college environment. Before the influx of adult students, and for many years afterward, the primary method of teaching was a style that is now called pedagogy (Crawford, 2004). Pedagogy is defined as “the art or science of teaching children” (Knowles, p. 60). Knowles argues that the set of beliefs defining pedagogy were used by churches in England between the seventh and twelfth centuries... middle of paper... The choice that best suits the student could mean the difference between dropping out and get a degree. References Blondy, L. C. (2007). Evaluating and applying andragogical assumptions to the adult online learning environment. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 6(2), 116–130.Crawford, D. L. (n.d.). School of Education at Johns Hopkins University: The role of aging in adult learning: Implications for higher education teachers. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/lifelonglearning/higher-education/implications/index.htmlKnowles, Malcolm S; Holton III, Elwood F; Swanson, Richard A (2012). The adult student. Retrieved from http://www.eblib.comWang, V.X. (2011). Pedagogical and andragogical teaching and learning with information and communication technologies. Hershey PA: Information Science Reference.