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Adult Learners

Decent Essays

Utilizing this information and comparing it to the programming in place, educators will be able to better meet the needs of adult students and hold their interest. Engaging an adult learner with programming modifications isn’t the only challenge faced.
The time involved in acquiring a degree plays heavily on how long an adult stays engaged. Multiple demands on an adult learner make it difficult to juggle everything and stay motivated. Jovita Ross-Gordon states that “courses, certificates & degrees should be designed to be completed in a time frame [which are] more responsive to adult learners lives “(Ross-Gordon). Utilizing courses designed to be completed in less time would be a motivating factor for adults to seek out degrees and finish …show more content…

In the article, “Multiple Roles Of Adult Learners”, Ellen Fairchild states, “finances play a significant role in the ability of adults to complete their academic goals”(Fairchild). She also states that, in addition to tuition and related fees, adult learners, who are more often single parents with dependents, need their degree to be affordable so they are still able to pay for child care while at work and in class (Fairchild). They may be forced to acquire degrees to move into more lucrative jobs, but the cost of ongoing tuition is a burden they soon choose to forgo. So how can universities address this issue? The competency-based degree program at Western Governors University “charges a flat-rate tuition for every six months of enrollment, and students’ advancement is based on what they can prove they know. Because the students are paying for the time to prove their competence… it’s an incentive to work faster to complete their degree and save money” (Button). This is a great incentive for adult students to stay focused and achieve that degree, especially if it allows them to learn as much as they can for a set fee. Universities should consider mimicking this program as an enticement for reentry adults to enroll as well as using this as a tool for retention. But what about the Universities financial needs if they start making changes in how they charge for degrees? Reentry adults aren’t the only ones who have financial …show more content…

According to the “Fact Sheet on the President’s Plan to Make College More Affordable”, a rating system to be developed by the 2015 school year, would be based on “access”, “affordability”, and “outcomes” (White House). According to this White House report, “President Obama’s plan will connect student aid to outcomes, which will in turn drive a better, more affordable education for all students” (White House). The President’s report shows that retention rates will continue to play a factor in weighing how much funding is given to schools so it’s vital to address the retention issue. Educating society so they can in turn better support themselves is a large part of the President’s initiative. The US Department of Education will give its blessing and grant “federal aid” eligibility with innovative programs using “competency-based education and prior learning assessment”, which will also address the time related issue for adult learners (White House). The President obviously sees the importance of bringing reform to adult education and has started an initiative to bring change. The President is paying attention to retention rates, but why aren’t the Universities looking at this as well? Universities are in the business of education and haven’t paid attention to the largest

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