Limitations Of Adult Online Education

In an effort to determine how adults learn, experts examine and evaluate studies that have been done that involve the adult learner. The more that experts understand how the learner processes information, the better the understanding will be on how to structure their learning environment. Research is continually changing in this area, and educators know there are differences in how each adult learner attains information. In the two articles, “Adult Learning Theory for the Twenty-First Century” by Sharan B. Merriam, and “Adult Learning Theory: Applications to Non-Traditional College Students” by Kenner and Weinerman, different theories are discussed.

Adults return to school for a number of reasons. Universities are seeing an increase in the number of adults who are returning to school in the pursuit of knowledge, go gain necessary skills to remain current, to advance in the fields, or to enter in to new careers. While universities try to accomodate all of their students, the adult learners are often lost among those more traditional (undergraduate) students. The needs of the adult learners must be addressed directly. Adult learners face challenges such as how they are taught, emotional challenges, and time management skills. The services designed for the traditonal student body does not adequately address the needs of adult learners.

Have you ever wondered what the best college learning method for a working adult is online or campus? If working adults took online courses they can do their work anywhere there is an internet connection however they have to ask themselves; would I get the same or better education I could if I was sitting in a classroom? In a classroom setting they would get the interaction with fellow classmates and the professor who all come from different places in their lives. If the working adult had a question or did not understand they would get the results right away, on the other hand, if the student is learning online they have to wait for their professor. The response time for their email to be read and returned will not be there when it’s fresh in the student’s mind. If one is planning on going to college as a working adult, he or she should consider the value of taking the time and attend classes on campus.

Over the last decade there has been a steady rise in college and university enrollments. The vast majority of the enrollees are from the 25 to 40 age bracket, and this trend is only expected to continue into the foreseeable future. The trend has been recognized and embraced by colleges and universities all of the country, and as a result the traditional educational methodologies have been adapted to accommodate the adult learners of today.

Today's workers need to prepare with continuous job training, growth and development. Given the increased age, experiences and diverse lifestyles of the working population, it is understandable that adult education practices must move beyond the traditional model of teachers and learners, while new skills, working with local companies to match their needs and sending staff into factories and other workplaces to spread the word about state and federal retraining assistance. While trying to decide how to rebuild your life after loss of employment and lack of job opportunities following the current recession, or devastated from a divorce? Adult students faced with other struggles; studies have shown that older adult students face different hurdles, family problems, and poor self-image. These along with poor time management, weaker academic preparation and a need for remediation an increased focus on adult learners and their needs can help. (armour)

The adult learners in our communities are increasingly living longer these days and taking on the after school care for the grand-children in the family (e.g. homework assignments via computers and social media). Not too long ago there are signs of non-traditional adult learners on college campuses seeking undergraduate degrees, filling some of the seats formerly occupied by the traditional, 18-22 year old students according to (Apps, 1981; Cross, 1981; Leckie, 1988). Cross (1981) noted that part-time students make up the greater part of this increase. In other words, the number of full-time adult learners are still quite small, particularly at four-year colleges and universities. While universities are noticing the presence of mature adults

In today’s world and society there are many ways to be educated. Education has become very popular to people who want to succeed and become something better in life. Sometimes life gets in the way and people decide to hold off on school and when they do decide to start they have the advantage to decide whether taking online classes or traditional classes on campus is best for them. High school graduates are immediately going out getting jobs and adult students are returning to school to earn a degree to better their current job prospects or make a complete career change. ( (2017). Online college vs. Traditional college. My college guide. http://mycollegeguide.org/blog/2016/07/online-college-vs-traditional-college/). Although the education may be the same there are a few differences and similarities between time management, self-discipline and participations while attending online and traditional school.

For one reason or another, many older adults find themselves having to go back to school either to boost their chances of getting a better position, become competitive to land a new job or even enter a new career. When deciding to go back to school there are two clear choices; attend classes on a campus, or attend online classes. Raising a family, working full-time or other everyday commitments leaves precious little time for attending a traditional classroom. Adults, who need to boost their education, may find attending an online class more beneficial. While there is no face-to-face interaction with the professor or other students, an online class is less stressful for older returning adults because they do not have to agonize about their

Most offer both online and classroom courses. Many adult students choose online courses because they are flexible and easier to complete than attending an actual campus. For someone who is not working full time classroom courses may fit their needs. Some students prefer an instructor teaching the classes as opposed to participating in discussion board postings online.

By estimate, more than 47% of enrollees in U.S. higher education institutions can be classified as adult learners (Creighton & Hudson, 2002). Adults pursue higher education for various reasons including personal enrichment, change of career, or a requirement for promotion. The majority of adult students enroll in community colleges to fulfill educational and training needs. Adult students may face barriers when attempting to enroll in college. Program planners must understand characteristics of adult students, recognize social issues, and identify with cultural issues to effectively develop training and degree programs that not only attract students, but also encourage student retention. Community colleges have the ability to reduce or eliminate student barriers and subsequently prepare adults for the workforce.

This literature review investigates and outlines issues concerning adult students today. Institutions of higher education need to design and adapt their programs to attract and engage this growing population of students to meet their needs and insure their success. This paper will defines who adult students are, discusses and outline the specific needs they have in higher education programs and discusses the barriers they currently encounter. In addition, there will be discussion about best practices to consider, those currently in operation and future concerns for both students and universities. For clarification going forward, I will use the terms non-traditional student, adult student, adult learner, non-residential student and nontraditional learner interchangeably. The growth of the adult student population in higher education requires programs that address and support their specific needs.

Many adult learners are returning to college online or with hybrid classes. With the new age of technology and learning adults have to be more technology savvy. “Educational quality is insured to a great extent through educational strategies and strategies related to the development of social relationships through dialogue among teachers and their adult students.” (Harlow) Teachers must adapt their teaching style to cater to their students of all ages. Students must also adapt to the new technological age. For example, now sometimes students must type their research papers on the computer and submit them via email to the professor rather than using a type writer and handing it in face to face. There are some resources to assist the student on their

Learning is more than just receiving information. Traditionally learning was to be in campus, where students would interact with one a another, there were no other ways for learners to get educated beside going to the classroom and listening to the instructor. Nowadays the Internet has brought different ways for people to receive information, such as getting education and degrees online. A few years ago online education was never thinkable, and yet it has become to reality and it is widely expanding with popularity. Online education is a type of educational instruction that delivers learning to individuals to their own homes, and it is getting very popular among nontraditional student and others. Individuals prefer online education

With the rise in technology and internet access, there has been an increase in schools and universities that offer courses online that make education accessible to people all around the world. This has allowed many options for students that may not have otherwise had access to the education that they wanted and an increase in a number of options to best suit them. This includes those with disabilities. Students with disabilities can access their classes in the ease and comfort from their own home and on their own time. However, even with the variety of resources used in distance courses, such as videos, audio lectures, PowerPoints, and forums, these classes may not give the disabled learner all of the support that they need (Banerjee & Brickerhoff, 2002).

Education has undergone significant changes because of the development of information and communication technology over the 21st century (Lin & Jou, 2012:2). As a convenient and inexpensive way to gain knowledge while pursuing higher education, online learning, a form of training or teaching that takes place over the Internet, has been considered as an alternative to traditional classroom learning (Zhang et al, 2004). This essay will argue that even though online learning has benefit such as flexibility which could outweigh traditional learning, traditional classroom learning might still not be entirely replaced. This essay will discuss positive and negative aspects of online and traditional learning in terms of four criteria: