The Adult Learner and Online Competency Essay

Many advocates of distance education are ardent about their venue and very critical of traditional education. These online education devotees view traditional classes as being unchangeable, inflexible, teacher-centered, and static (Angiello, 2010). However, proponents argue that many simply would not be able to get a degree without distance education—the full-time police officer, the mother of four, or the individual living in a rural area approximately 100-200 miles away from any educational institution. Many individuals desperately need distance education courses because they "have jobs, families, civic responsibilities. They are thirsting. But some want us to say, 'Sorry you don’t want to drink the water there, but we can’t bottle our fresh spring water, so you’ll have to come here or drink nothing" (Baker, 1986). Proponents contend that distance education is "as good as" traditional education. In other words, learning occurs as much in distance education as it does in traditional education. However, is this really so? Does distance education work better for some students

There is a dispute among experts that traditional learning is the best way of preserving learning process, but other models are beginning to gain attention and respect, with distance learning leading the way. When comparing learning an equal course in a traditional framework to a online learning framework, students often express higher satisfaction from the online learning, and rate the learning as more successful than the traditional framework. It has also been argued that on line learning is more efficient and interactive. Findings of research done in the seventies and eighties, comparing the use of computers in the learning environment, also indicated improvement in the student's achievements (Rashty, n.d.)

Online courses have started within the past 30 years as a means of learning. With increases in Internet use, many U.S. schools offer online classes. Because of the main disparities amid online course and face to face instruction, numerous questions have been brought forth in regard to the quality of online courses. This research will help American college students to understand the difference between online classes and face-to-face courses, and give them an idea that how effective that online classes are. Therefore, the leading research question of this study is what advantages and disadvantages of

Adult learners have a higher internal motivation to learn, and they find an internal reward value for learning (Woods & Frogge, 2017). Adult learners want to achieve the learning objectives and to learn new skills, and traditional students are more focused on the grade that is earned (Woods & Frogge, 2017). Since adult learners work full-time and raise a family, they want a flexible schedule with their education courses (Woods & Frogge, 2017). Adult learners have a higher commitment to their studies compared to traditional students (Woods & Frogge, 2017). Adult learners have a real-life work experience that they want to relate to their education (Woods & Frogge, 2017). Adult learners have better time-management skills compared to traditional students (Woods & Frogge, 2017) and are more self-directed learners (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Adult learners want to know

Higher education is undergoing a radical shift from localized, teacher-centered, face-to-face courses to student-centered online and hybrid courses offered by global universities. The traditional delivery of education is being supplemented and replaced by digital education models. The proliferation of information on the Web, the proliferation of instructional systems vendors, and the burden on faculty to design hybrid courses threaten the quality of digital learning. The literature on instructional quality and pedagogy as applied to e-learning and distance education is growing by leaps and bounds as teachers explore the burgeoning array of options. The hybrid education lexicon remains complex, with educators and students alike working to sort it all out, debating about and utilizing the established taxonomies of digitally-based educational models. A dominant concern is how to refine faculty training in course redesign and institutional support in order to foster the development of quality contemporary education.

The role of the instructor in online education has been the subject of copious literature and research studies since online education alters the widely accepted traditional role of the instructor in traditional face-to-face educational settings. Berge (1995) in his article, “The Role of the Online Instructor/Facilitator” discusses the presence of the instructor in courses offered primarily at a distance and identifies a framework that consists of four categories that must be fulfilled by the online instructor/facilitator to successfully support learners in distance education. Berge (1995) discusses the pedagogical, social, managerial, and technical roles of the instructor and provides suggestions on the tasks each role entails.

Writer Bill Maxwell, in his essay “No Short Cuts in Long-distance Learning,” explains the pros and cons of online learning. Maxwell stands heavily on traditional classroom settings rather than the new technological way of earning a degree. As the demand for education in the work field, America has been pushing online classes, even though the dropout rate is extremely higher. In this article, Maxwell uses quite a few statistics in order to inform the reader why he is not a big fan of online classes. One of his argumentative statements was that research shows that many students taking online classes do not graduate, or further their education to a university as often as community college students. This essay was an easy read, but if he had used

This article focuses on how students understand online learning. According to Kumar, Yufeng, and Chun Yen “ 69% of the population access their smartphone daily” (1). Approximately 59.1% of participants use the internet more than five hours daily” (4). This source talks about how the authors of this article will clarify how online students evaluate their learning experience.

Distance learning (education) has become an integral part of the education process over the past few decades and is growing in popularity as technology advances.(Willis 1992) describes distance education (as) "the organizational framework andprocess of providing instruction at a distance. Distance education takes place when ateacher and student(s) are physically separated, and technology…(is) used to bridge theinstruction gap." (Coutts 1996). Furthermore, "distance learning activities are designedto fit the specific context for learning, the nature of the subject matter; intended learningoutcomes, needs and goals of the learner, the learner's environment and the instructional echnologies and methods." (American

Online instruction is referred to as teaching and learning that is mediated by a computer (Jones, 1997). Although the motivation for enrollment and retention in an online program for adult students is discussed in the literature review, the types of instruction may vary from simple correspondence or asynchronous communication through electronic mail, chat rooms for classroom discussion, and video-taped classes.

After completing the chapter reading at Bethel University, the adult student has learned that there are many benefits and advantages of distance learning programs. In this modern day society, many students, employees, organizations and companies are utilizing the new innovated technology of distance learning while, also enhancing their educations goals, job skills and cognitive skills. The Bethel student also learned that distance learning also reduces many costs that would normally be associated with classroom, training, learning materials and expenses. As a college student, one is able to take advantage of taking under graduate courses no matter where I’m at. According to Bethel, (2017), Distance learning fits around existing professional and personal responsibilities by offering both home and work sites that are convenient for training skills, educational and workforce development (p. 296). The purpose of the paper is to discuss and demonstrate the advantages of distance learning, training methods and learning principles, while enhancing the student educational goals, job skills and intellectual skills.

Adults in ever increasing numbers have returned to school. Reasons for returning vary but regardless, adult students are an increasing presence in the classroom. While adults have the experience and wisdom over the younger students, adults are at a disadvantage due to real-life issues from employment to families. Adults once again have to learn how to manage their time to make the learning process easier. It is widely known that adults experiences during the first year of school has

Non-traditional students are finding it easier and easier to maintain a job, a family, and pursuing a college career at the same time. This is possible because more and more non-traditional students are receiving an education using distance learning, as opposed to traditional, in-the-classroom teaching. Distance learning is basically taking college level, credit-bearing courses via the Internet. One of the most obvious advantages of distance learning is that it puts the classroom in your home, office, or wherever you can find a computer and log on to the Internet. However, there is much controversy regarding the quality of the courses being offered on the Internet versus the quality of

On the other hand, an online course permits students the option and availability to enroll in a vast array of course choices regardless of their location. In so doing, it allows a student a unique opportunity to further their education anywhere in the world. After all, if one is in the United States or on a military base in Japan students can still attain an education from their home country and in their mother tongue via the Internet. However, lessons that take place in a physical classroom are confined to that location. Thus, students situated within the nearby vicinity of the school building typically can access the instructor’s lessons. Consequently, this creates a clear disadvantage to any student residing outside of the classroom’s surrounding area.

Education is an important part of people’s lives; it will either make them or break them in the future depending on the careers they choose. Education is greatly diverse today in comparison to the 1950s because of advancements in teaching and other great inventions that provide easier techniques of teaching. One major issue that has been raised is distant learning courses and online education.