Increasing Adult Learner Completion and Persistence Rates - An Introduction

This module includes introductory information and some self-assessment exercises to give you more information about how supportive and prepared you and your campus are to ensure the success of adult learners. For more information, please look into registering for the short course, Increasing Adult Learner Completion and Persistence Rates.

Learners 25 to 64 years old are getting a lot of attention these days. Educators search for a comprehensive term to describe this population: Are they adult learners, lifelong learners, or post-traditional learners? Foundations compete to fund projects whose goal is to increase the number of adults with postsecondary credentials. States race to establish initiatives that encourage adults who left college before completing a degree to return and earn that credential. Colleges and universities struggle to better understand 25- to 64-year-old undergraduates and to create adult-friendly policies, procedures, and campuses. Researchers and theorists question whether instructional approaches, institutional processes, and nonclassroom support services that work for recent high school graduates also work for adults. This module assists readers in understanding why adult learners matter and assessing their own knowledge and skill sets in a variety of areas related to adult learners. The module also discusses the role that student affairs must play in supporting 25- to 64-year-old undergraduates and offers an introduction to the other modules in the tutorial.