In 1999-2000, 7.1 million adults age 24 or older constituted 43% of all undergraduates in U.S. institutions of higher education, compared to 5.73 million adult students enrolled a decade earlier (1989-1990). The growing proportion of adult undergraduates has become a significant source of enrollment and income for numerous institutions for which…

A literature review was used to build a model of college outcomes for adults that depicts six elements: prior experiences; orienting frameworks; declarative, procedural, and self-regulating knowledge; the "connecting classroom" for social engagement and negotiation of meaning; the life-world environment; and types and levels of learning outcomes.…

ACT College Outcomes Survey data were collected from 27,811 students (63% aged 20-22, 37% over 26). Older students were much less involved in campus activities and more in family responsibilities. Adults reported higher levels of academic and intellectual growth in terms of broadening interests, critical thinking, study skills, career development,…

Recruitment and retention strategies in continuing higher education must consider both organizational and programmatic approaches and focus on the subtleties of learners' participation patterns. (Author)

Triangulation of 3 sets of data (176 student nominations of faculty for excellence; interviews with 68 adult graduate students and surveys of 181 adult undergraduates about outstanding teachers) showed that adults considered some teacher-centered and some student-centered attributes as effective. Undergraduate or graduate status was very important…

A study of 13 returning undergraduates over 26 showed that their definition of college success used primarily external standards, but internal criteria defined successful learning. Factors supporting/hindering success included life experience, maturity, motivation, self-monitoring, reinforcement, and the nature and quality of classroom…

This study explored how adult students define success in college and their perceptions of factors that either support or hinder achievement of this success. Thirteen returning adult students at two institutions were interviewed using a grounded theory approach. Data were analyzed inductively and iteratively to identify persistent themes. Students…

The Model of College Outcomes for Adults explains why adults might do as well as traditional students, despite limited participation and involvement in traditional residential learning experiences. The model's six components are prior experience and personal biographies; psychosocial and value orientation; adult cognition; life-world environment;…

Information is presented on a study to explore similarities and differences among adults in their perceptions of attributes associated with exemplary instruction. Three purposes were to: determine how returning adults describe the instructors they find exemplary and compare these findings with the findings of previous research about younger…

This symposium paper reviews the literature on adult students in higher education and offers a model of their collegiate experiences. The review is organized according to the following themes: adults' experiences in higher education, social and psychological concerns, the role of the classroom, adult cognition, the adult-world surroundings, and…