Who is the Adult Learner?

Adult learners are a very diverse group typically age 25 and older with a wide range of abilities, educational and cultural backgrounds, responsibilities and job experiences. The Nebraska Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy summarizes assumptions about the adult learner based on the research of John Dirkx and Ruth Lavin and Sol Pelavin's The Adult Learner Model.

Adult learners typically:

Do not follow the traditional education pattern - leaving high school and enrolling immediately in some type of postsecondary education;

Enroll in certificate programs and non-degree programs such as literacy, basic skills, work-skills training and degree programs at colleges and universities;

Pursue studies on a part-time basis, taking one or two courses a term while maintaining work and family responsibilities; and

Seek alternative delivery systems, in particular online learning, which “frees” them from challenges of time and location-based classroom activity.

Adult learners may have the following circumstances:

Started on a more traditional path and “stopped out” with intentions to return, but work, family, financial need or lack of previous success did not permit them to return;

Performed poorly in high school;

Be anxious about returning to school because of a long gap in education; or

Need refresher or remedial courses to prepare them for college level work.

Many adult learners often return to school to:

Develop skills to stay competitive;

Improve their employability;

Prepare them for a career change; and

Increase their earning power.

A recent issue brief based on a survey of adults by the National Center for Education Statistics reports on adults' reasons for participating in formal work-related courses¹:

92 percent of the adults surveyed indicated they participated in courses to maintain or improve skills and knowledge they already had

77 percent indicated they participated to learn new skills or knowledge

19 percent wanted to acquire skills and knowledge to help change jobs or career fields

33 percent participated to get or keep a certificate or license.

Barriers that adult learners face include:

Career, family and financial responsibilities;

Rigid schedules - limited time;

Tight budgets (debt) - lack of money;

Not academically prepared - lack of self confidence; and

Lack of information and services;

Services adult learners need to be successful:

Flexible class schedules;

Financial aid packages;

Child care services;

Transportation options;

Distance learning options;

Credit for life experiences - many adults have rich experiences and knowledge;

Accelerated class options;

Academic and career services; and

Education awareness campaigns that promote available educational services.

¹U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Brief, Reasons for Adults' Participation in Work-Related Courses, 2002-03, May 2005, Internet release

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