Many students who enroll in online universities will never graduate. Attrition in higher education is accepted and expected; however, in exclusively online programs, it is prolific, with more than 80% of those students who begin an online program leaving before graduating. It is well known in the academic literature that isolation is related to…

As the adult learner population in higher education continues to increase, there has been a renewed focus on how to best serve this student population in recent years. While adult learners are more likely to take online classes and to enroll part-time, engagement and retention efforts have not heavily focused on part-time online adult learners,…

At 30 sites across the United States and Puerto Rico, the Bard College Clemente Course in the Humanities provides economically and socially marginalized adults with a free college course in the humanities. The experience of non-traditional adult students, particularly adults of color, is often missing from academic literature, exacerbating past…

This qualitative research is a narrative research study of the experiences of eight post traditional students enrolled in the case study community college. The student participants were invited to be part of this research based on their demographic. Male students over the age of 24, matriculated in a program of study with a minimum of 12 credits…

To truly provide inclusive learning spaces for all students, inclusive education must be provided for people with disabilities during the transitional period from compulsory school to employment. México's 2011 law of inclusion provides rights to people with disabilities for access to education and professional training. In the interest of…

The MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) providers promote their courses as education that builds marketable skills. However, little research examines the role of relevance in the success of MOOCs or how this relevance influences learner behaviors. This study highlights the importance of MOOC relevance by decomposing it into personal relevance and…

Continuing professional education (CPE) is viewed as the main strategy to tackle unemployment and to improve the weak position of jobseekers with few qualifications on the labour market. However, the mandatory nature of these programmes raises questions regarding jobseekers' motivation to enrol for and engage in training and -- by extension -- the…

This study examines the role of nature in relation to emotional highs in adult learning. Hermeneutic phenomenology was used as an overarching methodology and contained both descriptive and interpretive elements. The methodology enabled access to an exploration of the phenomenon with further interpretation of the experiences of the 21 adults who…

Volunteer-based organizations are dependent on volunteers to meet the goals of the organization. Identifying and training volunteers as leaders of the organization is one way to increase positive social change in their community. However, there is limited literature investigating the outcomes of providing leadership training to volunteers. This…

In the authors' conference presentation, they sought to emphasize that in his well-known book, "Democracy and Education" (1916), John Dewey's goal was to describe an education appropriate to a democracy. They point out that he also believed that his approach was a more humane way of teaching and, as many have argued since (e.g., Paley,…

Using authentic materials in the English as a second language (ESL) classroom can develop students' critical thinking (CT) skills, expose them to more realistic English, and support their motivation. Carrying out text analyses of authentic materials in the ESL classroom can also help students become more critical in their approach to reading.…

The 2019 novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has increased the mental health challenges and decreased the quality of life among students and the general adult population. However, adult learners and non-traditional students who are currently at their quarter and midlife during the pandemic, remain underrepresented in well-being research.…

Adult student persistence in online programs is lower than in traditional college classrooms, but more adult learners are enrolling in online programs. Little research is available on students' needs and expectations for their success in online courses. A quantitative correlational study was conducted on student expectations of online learning…

Although the grit narrative--the idea that individual success is as much a product of passion and perseverance as it is a result of intelligence and talent--has captured the public's imagination, much of the empirical literature has focused almost exclusively on traditional-age college students attending more selective residential universities.…

By leveraging research-backed strategies from the learning sciences, adult educators can help learners develop effective study habits that lead to deeper learning. This paper will discuss the harm in perpetuating neuromyths and how doing so can lead to negative outcomes for learners. Then, six strategies will be shared to help adult educators…