• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
(888) 312-1744
APL Logo

APL nextED Academic Operations Platform

Bringing Academic Teams Together

  • Features
    • Features Overview
    • Faculty
    • Courses
    • Contracts and Compensation
    • Reporting
    • Professional Development
    • Recruiting
    • Implementation and Integration
  • Who We Help
    • Faculty
    • Academic Leadership
    • Executive Leadership
    • Staff and Administrators
    • Academic Data and Reporting
    • Teaching Support Resources
    • IT
  • Company
    • About Us
    • Testimonials
    • Value
  • Resources
    • Podcast
    • Blog
    • Accreditors Standards
    • Assessments And Grades
    • Best Practices For Teaching
    • Education Technology And Products
    • Higher Education Terms
    • Managing A Class
    • Preparing For The Return to Campus
    • Teaching Online Courses
    • Today’s Students
    • Trends In Higher Education
    • Understanding Your Faculty
  • Contact
  • Login
    • Faculty Users
    • Institution Users
  • Book a Meeting
  • Show Search
Hide Search

How to Effectively Teach Adult Students

APL nextED Marketing Team · March 24, 2020 ·

How to effectively Teach Adult Students

With the recent influx of adult students, the “traditional” student body makeup has shifted; no longer are students the typical twenty-somethings, fresh out of high school, plucking away at a college degree. The “nontraditional student,” or the adult student, has much more challenging needs and considerations, starting with their variety. “They may be 25-or 75. They may work full-time or part-time, or be between jobs. They may have children or other dependents. They may be striving for their first professional career foothold. or perhaps even coming off active duty in the deserts of Afghanistan” (“Success for Adult Students, 3). No one adult student is going to be the same; however, there are some commonalities in the makeup of adult students that can help professors effectively gear the classroom to accommodate their varied needs.

The adult student tends to face challenges that his or her traditional collegiate peers do not: Multiple life roles, such as being both a student, parent, spouse, or any other functional role of adulthood; more life experience, which can both help or hinder the learning of new ideas and information; and further development in their life path, thus making their learning goals much more targeted and demanding (Polson, 1993, 1-2). All of these challenges have implications on how professors can gear educational conversations in more conducive ways.

Cheryl Polson’s “Teaching Adult Students,” a publication of Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development, posits the considerations that a professor must make in regard to their adult students.

. Course work must meet their needs. Because most adult learners are seeking higher education as a way to meet very specific needs, it is necessary for the instructor to gather information on their students and their level of experience with the course material-whether that be through direct interview or written response (1993, 2). From there, the course can be adapted to fit what the adult learners need from their course.

. Course work must be applicable to everyday tasks. As many adult learners feel that “time is running out,” it is necessary to integrate everyday uses of new material so that they may immediately be applied. (2) For example, assigned case studies of relatable life situations, or direct interaction with the professional field, such as interviews or panels, would engage learners in their field of interest (2).

. Larger amounts of experiences have different impacts on learning. Adult learners have had much more opportunity to develop preconceptions and may have very personal responses if new material directly contradicts their lifelong viewpoints (2-3). Taking time to allow students to compare and contrast their own experiences with new course material while paying attention to patterns of reaction, professors can create an environment in which adult learners will have valid methods of input and room to adapt to new material (3).

. Aging impacts the process of learning. The further along in the aging process a student is, there is a potential for “decline in vision, a decline in reaction time, or a decline in short-term memory” (3). Providing various forms of learning, steadily paced progression of course material, and emphasizing the direct application of course material provides adult learners a chance to grasp new or complex material (3).

With careful consideration of the dynamics that adult learners bring to the classroom, a professor can easily mitigate any challenges that may otherwise cause anxiety for “nontraditional” students. Adult learners bring interesting perspectives and relevant experience to their coursework that-in a respectful environment driven on application-will benefit adult learners and traditional learners alike.

< Previous
Next >

Best Practices For Teaching

Primary Sidebar

Search

Categories

  • Podcast
  • Press Releases
  • Resources
    • Accreditors Standards
    • Assessments And Grades
    • Best Practices For Operations
    • Best Practices For Teaching
    • Education Technology And Products
    • Events
    • Higher Education Terms
    • Interviewing and Hiring
    • Leadership in Higher Education
    • Managing A Class
    • Teaching Evaluations
    • Teaching Online Courses
    • Today's Students
    • Trends In Higher Education
    • Understanding Your Faculty
    • Videos
APL Logo

APL nextED, the leading academic operations platform, brings all your academic leadership together in one centralized hub to connect, collaborate and demonstrate outcomes.Get Your Demo Today!

ACE Womens Network Logo

Links

  • Home
  • About
  • Resources
  • Podcast
  • FAQs
  • Press Releases
  • Careers
  • Contact

Contact Us

[email protected]
(888) 312-1744
15 N. Franklin Street
Suite 100 Valparaiso, IN 46383

Connect

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Map

Copyright © 2023 – APL nextED, Inc |Privacy Policy|Terms & Conditions

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our website, to show you personalized content and targeted ads, to analyze our website traffic, and to understand where our visitors are coming from. By browsing our website, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.
ACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT