Serving Adult Learners in the 21st Century

The National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2012

Judy Wertheim

Vice President, Higher Education Services

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Review the document “Focusing on Adult Learners in Postsecondary Education: Responding to the Challenge of a New Age”

Suggest additional recommendations, with a particular focus on PLA

Brainstorm about how to influence policy and practice at all levels to integrate PLA in postsecondary education and help ensure success for adults.

Today’s Session will:

ALFI = Adult Learning-Focused Institution

Identifies 9 principles that are essential for effectively serving adult learners

Relation of Today’s Session to Some of the ALFI Principles

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ALFI Principle #2

ALFI Principle #2

Life and Career Planning The institution addresses adult

learners’ life and career goals before or at the onset of enrollment in order to assess and align its capacities to help learners reach their goals.

Opportunity for credit for work-related credentials

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One Best Practice: Life/Career Planning

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ALFI Principle #4

ALFI Principle #4

Assessment of Learning Outcomes The institution defines and

assesses the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired by adult learners both from the curriculum and from life/work experience in order to assign credit and confer degrees with rigor.

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ALFI Principle #5

ALFI Principle #5

Teaching/Learning Process The institution’s faculty use

multiple methods of instruction (including experiential and problem-based methods) for adult learners in order to connect curricular concepts to useful knowledge and skills.

Collaboration and group work

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One Best Practice: The Teaching/Learning Process

Priorities for Transforming Institutions to Serve Adult

Learners*

1.Provide help for adults in navigating education and career information

 2.Launch a national marketing and

communications campaign

*From Lumina/CAEL convening and CAEL conference, 2011

To Serve Adult Learners in the 21st Century

3. Recognize learning outcomes (vs. seat time), as well as the assessment and validation of all types of learning

4. Conduct more research – and establish a better understanding of what we know already

5. Focus on financial aid and institutional financing

Priorities (cont’d.)

 6.Integrate learning and work

7.Recognize the importance of local and regional drivers

8. Develop a credit bank for students

9. Focus on technology as an integral part of adult learning

Priorities (cont’d.)

A National Learning Recognition Agenda for

Adults

Establish a National Education and Career Navigation Service

Launch a campaign to educate students and faculty about PLA

Action Plan

Advocate for institutional, government, and accrediting policies focused on learning outcomes and recognition of prior learning

Carry out research to support adult learner success and institutional transformation

Action Plan (cont’d.)

Link with metro and urban strategies focused on Talent Dividend and postsecondary education attainment

Develop new strategies to reach rural adults

Action Plan (cont’d.)

◆Explore the creation of a National Leadership Commission on the Adult Learning Recognition Agenda to oversee and publicize the work

Next Steps

Additional Recommendations Reactions to the

Recommendations Reaction to Action Plan How to Implement Next Step(s)

National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2012

Session Participants Suggest: