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Becoming an Adult Learning Focused
Institution: Why and How
Susan Kelly PhD FAPSActing Vice President
Council for Adult & Experiential Learning (CAEL)
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Enrollment Management Conference
February 2, 2006
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Today’s Presentation
Adult Learning & Economic Development
Adult Learner Characteristics
CAEL’s Adult Learner Focused Institution (ALFI) initiative and Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
The ALFI Toolkit
Recommendations
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The Need for Lifelong Learning in the U.S.
Skills gap
42% of occupational categories with projected new job growth in the next decade will require a college degree or other post secondary award, compared to 29% in 2000.Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (2001). Employment Outlook 2000-2010: Occupational Employment Projections to 2010. Online at, http://stats.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2001/11/art4full.pdf
85% of jobs are classified as “skilled” or require education beyond high school.Source: National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century (2000). Before It’s Too Late. Online at, http://www.ed.gov/inits/Math/glenn/index.html
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The Need for Lifelong Learning
At the same time, a slowing in the growth of educational attainment.
A 2003 Aspen Institute Study estimates that there was a 19 percent increase in the share of workers with post-high school education over the last 20 years. That will drop to 4 percent in the next 20 years.Source: The Aspen Institute (2003) Grow Faster Together Or Grow Slowly Apart: How Will America Work in the 21st Century? Online at, http://www.aspeninst.org/AspenInstitute/files/CCLIBRARYFILES/FILENAME/0000000225/DSGBrochure_final.pdf
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Education Has a Clear and Compelling Impact on Salary Levels and Job Stability
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (2004). Education and Training Pays. Online at, http://www.bls.gov/emp/emped00.pdf.
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How Oklahoma Measures Up
Only 3.4% of working adults (aged 25 to 49) in OK were enrolled postsecondary education as of 2004 –a decline from 4.4% in 1994
Top States in U.S. enrolled 5.4% of population in postsecondary ed.
OK’s investment in postsecondary ed. is below U.S. average
OK ranks low in offering affordable higher education (state’s investment in need-based financial aid is very low coupled with lack of low-priced college opportunities)
Source: National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education (2004). Measuring Up: State Report Card. Online at, http://measuringup.highereducation.org/stateProfileNet.cfm?myYear=2004&statename=Oklahoma&cat=10yr
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How Oklahoma Measures Up
OK awards fewer undergraduate credentials at all levels than U.S. average
OK is a net importer of residents with associate degrees and a net exporter of residents with bachelor’s degrees or higher
OK has large net in-migration of less educated residents (high school diploma or less)
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The Adult Learner
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Who is the ‘Adult Learner’ ?
Generally, 25 years or older
Working FT; with kids; with other identities/roles
45% of U.S. undergrads are over 25 years old
75% have at least one ‘non-traditional’ attribute
Increasing numbers of younger students (18-24) have the characteristics of adult learners—working, family responsibilities, etc.
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Barriers for Adult Learners
Situational
Dispositional
Institutional
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Main Factors in Decision to Enroll for Adult Learners
Convenient time and place for classes
Flexible pacing for completing program
Ability to transfer credits
Reputation of institution
Requirement for current or future job
Credit for learning gained from life/work experiences
Availability of online courses
Availability of financial assistance
Tuition Assistance for employer
Availability of child care
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CAEL’s Mission
To advance lifelong learning in partnership with educational institutions, employers, labor organizations, government, and communities
To remove barriers and expand lifelong learning opportunities for adults, regardless of age
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CAEL Connects:
AdultLearners
Employers and
Unions
Governmentand
Community
Colleges and
Universities
CAEL’s Workforce Development Work
CAEL’s Public Policy Work
CAEL’s Lifelong Learning Work
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ALFI (Adult Learning Focused Institution)
Project Origins
CAEL’s 1999 Benchmarking Study of six high-performing, adult-serving colleges and universities
Best Practices in Adult Learning, a CAEL book released in 1999
Study findings distilled into eight Principles of Effectiveness
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The ALFI Principles
1. Outreach: The institution conducts outreach to adult learners by overcoming barriers of time, place, and tradition in order to create lifelong access to educational opportunities
2. Life & Career Planning: The institution addresses adult learners’ life and career goals before or at the onset of enrollment in order to assess and align its capacities to help learners reach their goals
3. Financing: The institution promotes choice using an array of payment options for adult learners in order to expand equity and financial flexibility
4. Assessment of Learning Outcomes: The institution defines and assesses the knowledge, skills and competencies acquired by adult learners both from the curriculum and from life/work experience in order to assign credit and confer degrees with rigor
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The ALFI Principles (cont.)
5. Teaching-Learning Process: The institution’s faculty uses multiple methods of instruction (including experiential and problem-based methods) for adult learners in order to connect curricular concepts to useful knowledge and skills
6. Student Support Systems: The institution assists adult learners using comprehensive academic and student support systems in order to enhance students’ capacities to become self-directed, lifelong learners
7. Technology: The institution uses information technology to provide relevant and timely information and to enhance the learning experience
8. Strategic Partnerships: The institution engages in strategic relationships, partnerships, and collaborations with employers and other organizations in order to develop and improve educational opportunities for adult learners
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An Example of One ALFI Principle in
Action#4: Assessment of Learning
Outcomes
Multiple techniques used Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) for
course credit is one
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PLA Helps With Retention
and SuccessPLA & Performance:
2001 Simpson College study: 75% retention for those with PLA vs. 38% for those without PLA
Portfolio PLA students tend to show higher cumulative GPAs (Studies in 1992 @ University of Maryland University College, and in 2003 among 1600 students in 4 Illinois public colleges)
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PLA is Important to Adult Learners
2000 College Board study of 1500 adults rated ‘credit for prior learning policy’ as more important than ‘small class size’ or ‘availability of financial aid’
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The ALFI Assessment Tools
Adult Learner Inventory (Noel-Levitz & CAEL) adult student survey based on ALFI
Institutional Self-Assessment Survey (CAEL) is for adult degree program administrators
Both tools piloted in 2002-2003 and released in 2004
To date, nearly 50 institutions have used the ALFI Toolkit; 29 community colleges currently participating in new pilot of tools created specifically for them
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Institutional Self-Assessment Survey
Available both in institutional and unit-level versions to accommodate free-standing colleges, or colleges/divisions within universities, with adult missions
Completed by an institutional team across the broad range of functions: marketing, admission, financing, instruction, to name a few
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Adult Learner Inventory
Web based
40 items rating importance and satisfaction
10 customized items for institution
Demographic items with 2 open items
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ALI Scores
Importance scores How important is it for your program
to meet this expectation?
Satisfaction scores How satisfied are you that your
program is meeting this expectation?
Performance gap scores The discrepancy between the
expectation (importance score) and the reality (satisfaction score).
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ALI Scores
Scores are entered into CAEL’s national ALI database
Institutions can compare their scores to others
All data is confidential and used only by the institution
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How Institutions have used
the Tools:Facilitated rich discussion & debateTargeted areas that need attentionFocused attention on adult learner
needs and issuesHelped with accreditation, market
niche reporting, planning, & evaluation
Significant correlation between colleges doing well on ALFI assessments and retention of adult students
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CAEL’s Recommendations:
Policy Level—State & Federal
1. Redesign Student Aid to Support Adult and Lifelong Learners
2. Make Education Tax Credits More Accessible to Working Adults
3. Promote and Support Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLAs)
4. Develop a New State-Federal Partnership in Higher Education for Working Adults
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5. Encourage a Change in Reimbursement Formulas for Public Institutions
6. Encourage Colleges to Develop Better Transfer & Articulation Processes
7. Highlight Needs of Adult Learners Through State-by-State Comparisons
CAEL’s Recommendations:
Policy Level—State & Federal
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CAEL’s Recommendations for Institutional Change
1. Use an Array of Payment Options for Adult Learners e.g. Deferred balances/payments for
tuition reimbursement students
2. Provide More Flexible Delivery of Student Support e.g. Educational Advising, Career
Planning
3. Focus on Making the Teaching-Learning Process Relevant to Working Adults
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CAEL’s Recommendations for Institutional Change
(cont.)4. Measure Institutional
Responsiveness to Adults e.g. CAEL’s Adult Learning Focused
Institution (ALFI) Self Assessment and Adult Student Inventory
5. Develop Strategic Partnerships Between Higher Education and Business e.g. Work with business to establish
learning goals and make resources available to employees
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CAEL’s Recommendations for Institutional Change
(cont.)6. Assess the knowledge, skills
& competencies of adult learners and assign credit e.g. Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) for
learning from life/work experiences
7. Help adult learners overcome barriers in time, place, and tradition e.g. accelerated programs, worksite
programs
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CAEL’s Recommendations for Institutional Change
(cont.)8. Make use of technology to
provide relevant and timely learning experiences e.g. Online courses and degree
programs
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For More Information…
Susan Kelly PhD FAPSActing Vice President
Higher Education and Business Partnerships
CAEL55 E. Monroe St., Suite 1930
Chicago, IL 60603(312) [email protected]