Adult learner reentry to college and pathways to credentials may be less visible in enrollment management plans that are dependent on conventional, linear, and continuous college pathways. Drawing from learning and findings of six institutions within a large public university system as well as the academic literature, this article will consider…

Aristotle serves as a valuable, and practical, model for mentors of adult learners. His writings give insight into mentoring even as we practice it today. Although he lived in ancient Greece (c. 384 BCE to 322 BCE) and his audience was aristocratic males, the tenets of his philosophy for adult learning hold true in the present age for learners of…

This paper explores the impact of technological advances and digital transformations, with a particular focus on the "future of work" and its implications for lifelong learning and adult working learners. We emphasize the pressing need for human-centric solutions to address complex human challenges that technology alone cannot resolve,…

In this paper, I explore the ways that educators can nurture transformative learning for adult students by engaging emotions, particularly shame. I discuss how shame mitigates adult student experiences, successes, and failures in higher education, and how a relational pedagogy of vulnerability can support adult learners. This approach not only…

Some adult learners are self-directed, but most benefit from ongoing guidance and support from educators--even more so in technology-rich environments. The purpose of this column is to explore ways to leverage digital tools to enhance collaborative learning experiences among adult educators and learners. Rather than aim for mastery of a digital…

This short article gives an account of introducing the tradition of communal singing to Fircroft College of Adult Education in Birmingham, UK. Fircroft is an adult residential college and has its roots in the Danish folk high school movement. Communal singing is a strong tradition of this movement, but the practice has not been used in Fircroft…

In the era of digital transformation, the intersection of adult learning, digital competence, global progress, and sustainable development emerges as a pivotal focus. This article dives into the complex interaction of these factors centering on the pivotal role of digital competence in advancing sustainable development goals through adult…

It is generally agreed upon that most individuals who acquire a college degree do so in their early 20s. Despite this consensus, we show that in the US from the 1930 birth cohort onwards a large fraction -- around 20% -- of college graduates obtained their degree after age 30. We explore the implications of this phenomenon. First, we show that…

Andragogy was the first adult learning model to identify adult learners' characteristics and provide a pragmatic framework for responding to them. It is still considered a foundational and significant contribution to understanding adult learners despite substantial critique over the last 50 years. Current research supports the notion that…

The purposes and implementation of adults' lifelong education (LLE) has been shaped by two imperatives: i) neoliberal reforms and ii) focuses on employability and economic outcomes. This has led to LLE taking similar pathways across many countries, i.e., away from a focus on personal and cultural betterment, to one associated with promoting…

Traditional engineering education (Eng. Ed) has received criticism for restricting student learning and experiences to practical skills development while ignoring the significance of fostering cognitive skills that encourage higher order thinking, criticality, and self-reflexivity. Imaginative education (IE) has emerged as a consideration for…

Drawing from Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant evaluations and interviews with the field, this chapter includes examples of three cases that integrated advising and prior learning assessment for adults returning to education, and discusses the benefits and drawbacks of each approach.

This article discusses the interwoven disruptions caused by the multiple crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, violent incidents against persons of color, social justice concerns, and political and civil unrest. Discussion will center on how these crises impacted and continue to affect careers, schools, workplaces, and personal lives. The chapter will…

We examined an outdoor, experiential learning approach within a science methods course for nontraditional adult learners who are often career changers or individuals transitioning into teaching later in life. Through immersive, nature-based experiences, the course connected adult learners to science via direct engagement with the natural world. We…

This paper contributes to debates that shaped a special issue of "Discourse" in 2017 by taking the debate about "responsibilisation" in education into the realm of Foundations Skills in Australia. The difficulties that many Australian adults experience with low levels of language, literacy and numeracy skills (Foundation…