The research underlying this dissertation consisted of a mixed-methods approach seeking to observe any changes in an adult learner's leadership behavior scores after participating in an online collaborative leadership exercise in the game Minecraft. After measuring the quantitative differences, it was discovered that participation in the online…

This article shines a light on a little-known cohort of higher education participants, mature-aged students in, and from, regional and remote Australia -- the focus of a National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education mixed-methods study. Notable patterns were found in the quantitative data; for instance, compared to their metropolitan…

The current economic crisis hit Californians with less education hard and brought greater attention to the role public workforce training can play in an equitable recovery. To support workforce needs and the economic success of residents, California invests heavily in access to education beyond high school. The state deployed between $6 and $7…

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore how low socioeconomic status (SES), minority, adult high school graduates describe the influence of their parents, program activities, and possible employment opportunities in pursuing Career and Technical Education/Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (CTE) courses in a…

Adult education is grounded in responding to the needs of others, and the field places emphasis on adult learning theories such as transformative learning and experiential learning. Service learning is an educational approach that balances formal instruction and direction with the opportunity for adult learners to serve in the community as a…

This paper examines the changing adult education landscape in Ireland from the perspective of community education practitioners. It draws on qualitative research which highlights the challenges faced by practitioners in terms of their practice, their relationship with adult learners, and their sense of professional identity. The findings of the…

This review explores Jackson and Seiler's "I am smart enough to study postsecondary science: A critical discourse analysis of latecomers' identity construction in an online forum" by considering the analytic framework for figured worlds guiding this study. We consider the specific affordances of cultural production theory for examining…

Nontraditional students, or adult learners, are the new majority in the classroom in any sector of higher education according to the National Center for Education Statistics. These students are considered nontraditional if they identify with at least one of the following criteria: be at least 25 years old, attend school part-time, work full-time,…

This generic qualitative research study was designed to explain the benefits associated with applying self-regulation skills such as time management, being organized, staying focused, and prioritization, to avoid dropping out of an online college program. The theoretical framework for this study is social cognitive theory and self-regulation…

The purpose of this study was two-fold: a) to investigate the nature of academic entitlement in adult graduate students, and b) to determine if popular culture viewed from a public pedagogical lens influenced adult graduate students in respect to academic entitlement. Academic entitlement, as applied in this research, denotes student expectations…

Prior learning assessment policies allow students to earn college credit for knowledge and experience gained outside of a classroom, which can accelerate their time to graduation. Research shows that students who receive Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credit accumulate more credit and graduate more quickly and at higher rates than their peers who…

The continuous measurement of learning behavior or learning outcome by appropriate sensors is fundamental for the implementation of technology-based adaptive learning courses. An adaptive system needs such learning data to adapt the instruction to the needs of students. Depending on the learning objective, the sensors use information generated…

This is an action research study investigating how one can work systematically in adult learning centres to support adult immigrant learners to increase their intrinsic motivation and develop strategies to take responsibility for their own development and learning. We have applied what we call a five-step motivation method, where the adult…

Online English language teaching can now be facilitated by communication technology, which allows easy access to interaction with native speakers. Nevertheless, this industry subscribes to an assumption that native speaker English teachers (NESTs) are the gold standard of language whereas the non-native speaker English teachers (NNESTs) are…

All incoming students have a first experience with their institution. This article reviews literature on adult education, online learning, and first-year student success to articulate the scope of experiences and programs that ought to be included in institutional efforts aimed at helping adult students be successful in their first year of online…