Flexible Learning Options for Adult Students

摘要

In a March 2006 report to the Department of Labor, Adult Learners in Higher Education: Barriers to Success and Strategies to Improve Results, Jobs for the Future, Eduventures, and FutureWorks assessed the obstacles facing adult learners who want to earn postsecondary credentials and pointed toward innovative policies and practices that could improve their postsecondary outcomes. One significant barrier the paper identified is the inflexible nature of traditional program and course design. Adults need a range of flexible design and delivery options that recognize the time constraints facing people who work, have family responsibilities and are trying to upgrade their skills to be more competitive in the labor market and improve their standard of living. Such designs are emerging and maturing across the country, particularly in the community college sector. Yet, the development, expansion, and diffusion of these options, particularly of entire credential programs, have been slow and isolated in particular pockets of creativity. This paper takes a closer look at emerging trends in public postsecondary education that offer adult learners more flexible access to courses and help accelerate their progress through credential programs.