Perceptions and preferences of

traditional-age adult learners:Solutions to reduce barriers to success

in a traditional public university in

the U. S.

Presented to SIEC-ISBE, August 2016, Graz, Austria

Dr. Dana Moore Gray and Dr. Mary Millikin

Rogers State University, Oklahoma, USA

Agenda

Recap of prior research

Introduction

Problem statement

Literature review

Research questions

Methodology

Sample

Findings

Conclusions

Adult learners characteristics

Nontraditional learners - adults beginning or continuing their enrollment as college students at a later-than-typical age (NCES, 2002)

Now more broadly defined to include 7 characteristics not typically associated with participation in college . . . 73 percent of students may be viewed as nontraditional (Choy, 2002, 1).

These characteristics include (Ross-Gordon, 2011)

Delaying entry to college by at least one year after high school

Having dependents

Being a single parent

Being employed full time

Being financially independent

Attending school part time

Not having a high school diploma

2015 research identified new category:

traditional-age adult learners

Traditional learners

• Recent high school graduates

• Under age 25

• Few adult responsibilities other than school

• Pedagogy

New category? Traditional-age adult learners

• Under age 25

• Adult responsibilities

Adult learners

• Over age 25

• Multiple adult roles and responsibilities

• Growth driven by social and economic forces and technology advancements

• Resulting growth in online courses, evening schedules, fast-track courses, etc. (Ross-Gordon, 2011)

• Andragogy

2015 findings:

Traditional-age adult learners

Discovery of a third category of higher education

student: the traditional-age adult learner.

These are traditional-age college students who have

adult responsibilities including dependent children,

jobs requiring at least 20 hours of work per week, etc.

Not accurate to only use age to identify learners as

traditional or adult.

Findings: Traditional-age adult

learners

Will prioritize work responsibilities afterfamily and college responsibilities

Are more certain or confident about their choices

Determining to graduate at RSU or transfer out

Understanding whether or not their families are supportive

Manage the number of hours they work and the number of hours in which they enroll

2015 research conclusions

Faculty with traditional-age adult learners may implement more andragogic approaches to teaching and learning, curriculum design, and interaction/engagement.

University may develop more programmatic responses (Ross-Gordon, 2011)

Degree and certificate programs flexible in time and location

Broader access to key student services

Distance education

Prior learning assessment including advanced placement, CLEP tests, and portfolio evaluation (Klein-Collins & Hein, 2009)

Accelerated course formats

More research, including subpopulations of adult learners

2016 Research Questions

1. Is there a relationship between number

of adult learner responsibilities and

college success?

2. What do traditional-age adult learners

need in terms of innovative scheduling

to better support their unique learning

needs?

2016 Research Questions

3. What programmatic responses can one

regional university develop to better

support the needs of traditional-age

adult learners?

About RSU

Small regional university in northeastern Oklahoma

in the U. S.

Open enrollment – no admission requirements

Main campus is located in small community

surrounded by large rural areas

75% commuter at main campus

Two satellite campuses in very small communities

100% commuter at branch campuses

About RSU

Regional public university in northeastern

Oklahoma in the U. S.

Largely rural and small town population, low

to medium economic status

Total enrollment

4,091 in fall 2015

3,697 spring 2016

Methodology

Mixed methods

Convergent parallel design

Participants

Power Analysis

N = 3,697

95% confidence level

5% margin of error

50% response distribution

n = 349

n = 360 voluntary respondents

Participants

Population

60% female and 40% male

71.9% 25 years and younger

75% first-generation college student

60% Euro-American (Caucasian); 30% Native American

Sample of Traditional-Age Adult Learners (T-AAL) only

N = 208

72.5% female and 25.6% male

61.1% 25 years and younger

47% first-generation college student

72% Caucasian (Euro-American); 21% Native American

Results

How many adult responsibilities do

our traditional-age adult learners

have?

Number of Adult Responsibilities for

Traditional-Age Adult Learners (T-AAL)

None9%

One35%

Two31%

Three or More25%

T-AAL: Marital Status

Married; 13%

Single; 87%

T-AAL: Veteran Status

Veteran; 1%

Non-Veteran;

99%

T-AAL: Employment

Employed; 76%

Not Employed;

24%

T-AAL: Parents Claim as Dependent

Parents Claim as Dependent;

65%

Parents Do Not Claim as

Dependent; 35%

T-AAL: Student Has Dependents

Have Dependents;

9%

Do Not Have Dependents;

91%

T-AAL: Single Parent

Single Parent;

2%

Not Single Parent;

98%

T-AAL: Enrolled Part-time (<12 hours)

Part-time; 14%

Full-time; 86%

T-AAL Comparison: All T-AAL and

T-AAL with > 4 Adult Responsibilities

76%

13% 9% 14%2% 1%

85%

69% 69%

8%15%

8%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

All T-AAL > 4 Adult Responsibilities

T-AAL Comparison: All T-AAL and

T-AAL with > 4 Adult Responsibilities

78%

47%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

First Generation College

All T-AAL > 4 Adult Responsibilities

Traditional-age adult learners with four or more adult responsibilities

are significantly more likely to have a parent who earned a college

degree. Consequently, it can be assumed that this affects their motivation to seek a bachelor’s

degree despite greater life challenges.

1. Is there a relationship

between number of adult

learner responsibilities and

college success (GPA)?

Correlation between # adult

responsibilities and GPA

# Adult

Responsibilities

GPA -0.025

Not significant at the 95% confidence level

2. What do traditional-age adult

learners need in terms of

innovative scheduling to better

support their unique learning

needs?

T-AAL: Class Scheduling

32%

53%

14%

43%

31%

27%

13%

29%

14%

13%

10%

13%

14%

4%

12%

12%

10%

3%

51%

3%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

8-week On-ground Courses

16-week On-ground Courses

Weekend On-ground Courses

Once a Week On-ground Courses

Definitely Interested Probably Interested

No Opinion Probably Not Interested

Definitely Not Interested

Note: May not total to exactly100% due to rounding.

T-AAL: Class Scheduling

48%

44%

61%

23%

25%

18%

12%

12%

8%

10%

6%

8%

7%

7%

5%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

8-week Online Courses

16-week Online Courses

Online Courses Self-Paced (Workingentirely at own pace, fall, spring, or

summer)

Definitely Interested Probably Interested

No Opinion Probably Not Interested

Definitely Not Interested

Note: May not total to exactly 100% due to rounding.

T-AAL: Class Scheduling

27%

29%

29%

32%

17%

17%

14%

10%

13%

13%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Blended 8-week Courses

Blended 16-week Courses

Definitely Interested Probably Interested

No Opinion Probably Not Interested

Definitely Not Interested

Note: May not total to 100% due to rounding.

T-AAL: Learning Activities

34%

15%

23%

52%

34%

21%

35%

26%

12%

25%

19%

10%

12%

19%

14%

6%

7%

20%

8%

5%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Online with Live Webinar atConvenience

Working in Teams

Service Learning Projects

Internships

Definitely Interested Probably Interested

No Opinion Probably Not Interested

Definitely Not Interested

Note: May not total to exactly 100% due to rounding.

3. What programmatic responses

can one regional university

develop to better support the

needs of traditional-age adult

learners?

T-AAL Self-Reported Goals Education Goals

Better career opportunities

College has always been a personal goal

Less likely to attend college for idealistic desires

College “for the sake of college” is secondary to enhanced career opportunities

Most common majors

Bachelor degree in Business Administration

Management option

Accounting option

Human Resources option

Marketing option

Bachelor degree in Biology

Medical-Molecular option

Advising/Registration

Would like targeted advising as first-time freshmen or first-semester transfer student

To help determine major at college-entry

To optimize course scheduling

Required orientation course

Financial planning

More advisors in degree program

One advisor for a program area is not enough

Development of trust with advisor is essential

Course Formats and Schedules

Strongly prefer 4-day class schedule over 5-day

Allows for more work time/employment while in college

Desire more options for specific courses each semester

To accommodate work schedule

To minimize time to graduation

Desire more variety of courses each semester

To minimize time to graduation

Course Formats and Schedules

More online courses

More Computer Science courses

More program-specific courses in summer term

Dissatisfaction with back-to-back final exams

during finals week

Difficulty with compressed final exam schedule due to new

university 4-day class schedule

Other Preferences

Guaranteed internship

To enhance employability at graduation

Enhanced career fairs

Evening in addition to day time fairs

More employers at fairs

Better communication about career fairs

Curriculum

More real-world applications

There is much more that we

need to learn about this new

category of non-traditional adult

learners

References Choy, S. (2002). Findings from the condition of education 2002: Nontraditional undergraduates. Washington, DC: National Center for

Education Statistics.

Klein-Collins, B., & Hein, P. (2009). “Prior learning assessment: How institutions use portfolio assessments.” The Journal of Continuing Higher Education 57: 187–189.

Knowles, M. (1984). Andragogy in action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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Merriam Webster (2015). Definition of pedagogy. Retrieved June 21, 2015 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedagogy.

National Center for Education Statistics (2002). Digest of Educational Statistics 2009. Table 192. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting institutions by control and type of institution, age, and attendance status of student: 2007).http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d09/tables/dt09_192.asp?referrer=list

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