Much of the effort to increase postsecondary attainment in the US has focused on increasing the number of students who are college ready, bolstering support for students who successfully access college, and equipping adults who seek new skills with pathways to quality degrees and credentials with labor market value. In this context, it is…

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process of evaluating an adult learners previous experience, skills, knowledge and informal learning and articulating it towards a formal qualification. Whilst RPL is enshrined in a number of international qualifications frameworks, there are certain barriers which have prevented its application and…

This study provides empirical evidence that an information-age mindset exists; it is not necessarily age-specific; and it appears to be related to both the student's interaction with a digital environment over time, and the success or failure while online. Eight of ten identified information-age mindset attributes are significant, and represent…

Innovative methods in teaching should be used in every college classroom to enhance student engagement, support any teaching environment and encourage inquiry among learners. Adults learn best by participation in relevant experiences and utilization of practical information. When adult students are active in their learning they are able to develop…

In spring 2010, institution-wide budget cuts resulted in several layoffs at Framingham State University (FSU), including the position of Associate Dean of the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education (DGCE). In his position as the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of DGCE, Scott Greenberg asked their Vice President for…

This annual report describes self-reported attitudes and motivations of today's first-year college students throughout the nation, based on survey responses from a sizable sample of freshmen attending college during the current academic year, 2011-2012. Among the highlights: (1) Compared to their female counterparts, many more incoming first-year…

From 2008 to 2011, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) worked with six states (Arkansas, Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, and South Dakota) to improve policies and practices to increase adult degree completion as a way to raise overall state educational attainment levels. With funding from Lumina Foundation,…

This article begins with a scenario that reflects a growing concern for both teacher and adult learner in today's college history classroom. A student in his sixties remembers his experience as a young man growing up during this time period in American history, while the professor knows only what others have told him plus the scholarly works he…

The nature of the changing economic climate has resulted in drastic changes in the postsecondary education landscape. With record numbers of adult learners seeking to further their education, they are faced with numerous outlets, including traditional liberal universities and a variety of for-profit colleges and vocational schools that have…

Significant stigma exists to marginalize persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Research has demonstrated it is possible to reduce stigma and prejudice through the development of meaningful and innovative education. The purpose of this article is to explore the ways in which the creative and purposeful use of AIDS Artwork as an educational tool may…

The author became aware that there are hundreds of retired teachers in the community who want to continue to learn, or at least to have their intellect stimulated. Some join clubs or read books or do crosswords or even surf the net when they retire, but these folks wanted to be stimulated with some mathematics. The author was initially surprised…

Postsecondary programs offering vocational training and college credit to eligible inmates have had difficulty finding a place in the U.S. correctional system. Politically motivated restrictions preventing inmates from receiving federal funds for college resulted in drastic program closures. Although new laws restored funding to select inmates,…

Who are the adult students in career and technical education (CTE) today? There is not one simple answer to that question. Some are young with little life experience, while others are returning to the workforce and learning new skills to reinvent themselves. Whatever the case, educating adult students is an integral part of ACTE's mission, and the…

Programs awarding academic credit and programs awarding continuing education credit coexist on university campuses but often do not communicate or collaborate. This article explores the components of a successful program that reaches across the credit-noncredit divide to engage and serve the community. While most theoretical models are based on a…

This Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) 2015 monitoring report presents governing board outcomes and metrics. The following sections are included: (1) 2020 Completion Agenda Goal; (2) Outcome 1: University Transfer Education and General Education; (3) Outcome 2: Workforce and Economic Development; (4) Outcome 3: Developmental…