Open universities can improve learning outcomes and overall satisfaction among adult learners by addressing and enhancing online learning motivation. By applying latent profile analysis (N = 494) and adult learner interviews (n = 16), this mixed methods study aimed to better understand adult learners' motivation profiles in online learning…

In this study, effects of instant messages that are sent on a regular basis to the distant education students on how they perceive transactional distance were investigated. These text messages are designed to have either an informative or a remindful nature. Participants were undergraduate students that were randomly assigned to four groups…

Adult learners are a significant proportion of distance learners and many of these students are working mothers. Several instructional design models center the learner, and this requires understanding the learner needs, strengths, and context. There is a gap in the literature describing the experience of modern working mother students in distance…

Background: This case reports on a teacher education course that aimed to support adult learners with a vocational education background to accomplish open-ended tasks. Conjecture mapping was used to identify the most salient design features, and to test if, how, and why these course features supported learners. Methods: Inspired by ethnographic…

COVID-19 has accelerated changes that were already underway in the American economy, such as the increasing displacement of workers by automation, the exponential evolution of industries due to technical advancements (the Fourth Industrial Revolution), and a widening skills gap and attainment deficit in the American workforce. As a result, adult…

With an increasing number of courses taught asynchronously online, it is important to explore how to implement high-impact practices in this modality. Service-learning--a high impact practice--is a course-based, credit-bearing type of experiential learning. It is important to understand instructional strategies and course design for…

In line with Singapore's nationwide digital journey, the Training and Adult Education (TAE) sector of Singapore has launched the Innovation Learning 2020 initiative to catalyse the adoption of technology in the TAE sector. This paper presents findings from three projects we have conducted on innovative learning and discusses how learning and…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe how lean management principles can be used in teaching and learning processes while preparing classes for non-traditional adult learners (NALs). Careful planning and the application of lean methods can result in NALs' enhanced engagement and success at academic institutions.…

Stimulating thinking related to mathematical content is the focus of many tasks in the mathematics classroom. Beyond such content-related thinking, promoting forms of higher order thinking is among the goals of mathematics instruction as well. So-called hybrid tasks focus on combining both goals: they aim at fostering mathematical thinking and…

Competency-based higher education focuses on workplace competencies and often enables students to progress at their own pace. The university in this case study decided to pursue competency-based education (CBE) to offer working adults a convenient, self-paced way to earn a bachelor's degree. The mission of the university--to provide open access to…

Recent research on the relationship between reading and writing in foreign language (FL) context is limited. However, an examination of the issue is critical for FL literacy curriculum design. The present study, contextualized in an English as a foreign language (EFL) test preparation program in China, explores the reading-writing relationship by…

Faith-based programs for adult learners have environmental factors that differentiate them from non-faith based programs, but explicit empirical studies evaluating the impact of the psychosocial factors have been lacking in the literature. This study comparatively examines the achievement level of expressive communication skills as measured…

The present paper addresses the practice of a new English classroom on the model of a free e-learning programme in the context of adult education in Armenia, a country where English is taught as a second foreign language. The research reviews the results and impact of an online English language learning programme initiated for those vulnerable…

How can we better engage adult learners during information literacy sessions? How do we increase students' perception of the relevance and importance of information literacy skills for academic work and life in the real world? To explore these questions, the ARCS Model of Motivational Design and Problem-Based Learning were used to develop…

Today's sociopolitical and economic conditions require adults to engage in informed, culturally sensitive coexistence. Correspondingly, adult educators need to design experiences that help prepare learners for cross-cultural collaboration and socially responsible careers in a global age. Framed through cosmopolitanism and situated learning…