Defining the Online Learner
Greetings Colleagues,
Most adult online undergraduate students are working adults balancing both careers and distance education.
Demographic Characteristics of the adult learner are:
1. They work full time.
2. They have dependents
3. They are often single parents
4. They usually have a GED instead of a high school diploma
5. Most are first generation college students
6. Median age of 38, 45% of them are over 40.
7. Family median income of $50,000.
Flexibility is a primary factor for the online learner because of the many obligations that the adult learner may already have. In addition, these students are likely to need more assistance with regard to problem-solving because of their unique situations.
What's interesting is that many of the traditional college age students are showing an increased interest in seeking online education. For this reason, the fine line between the adult online learner and traditional college age students is becoming blurred. An excellent example of this would be the traditional colleges' choice to offer online courses. In fact, most traditional colleges are offering or are in the process of offering online courses.
Hi Avril,
Online teaching and learning is still new even though it has been around for a number of years. We are still finding and refining ways of engaging students in the online learning process. MaxKnowledge has several courses that help instructors with teaching online courses with another one coming online after the first of the year. You might want to check these courses out and see if they will be of help to you as you develop your expertise in this area.
Gary
I just taught my first online class this past quarter and it was quite a bit more challenging than I thought it would be. I would also be interested in knowing how to adapt these in-person strategies to an online environment.
YouTube helped me out tremendously, as I used several clips to help break things up, but it still proved to be a challenge. I know many online instructors do group projects, but I would like to learn more about that because I just can't understand how it all works.
25 years?!? I'd better get started! Thanks for being available.
Hi Karen,
In my research over the past 25 years in multiple intelligences I used the seven that Dr. Gardner had used for many years. By three dominant ones I am referring to those that the individuals score highest in after taking the assessment I developed. It is called Talent Key. The three dominant areas may be math/logic, musical, spatial. This lets the person know that he/she processes information best within these three areas and it lets the instructor know the same. That way activities can be planned around the three areas. This is done for all of the students in the class. It can be done because the students start to group up in their dominant areas.
What I am trying to develop at this point in my research are the pathways you mention for both on-site and online learners. Have made much progress but a long way to still go.
Any additional questions let me know. I will be glad to talk with you about MIs and the exciting ways they can help learners.
Gary
Thank you. I did look at Howard Gardner's work on MI. He defines eight categories of intelligence, but I assume the three general ones would be verbal, nonverbal and quantitative.
What I would like to do in my class is develop "pathways" for students to learn, each one addressing one of these styles. Theoretically students would pick the pathway that best fits their style and it would be the easiest way for each to learn.
It seems a daunting task however and I don't believe current software platforms can adapt to such a use. Are you familiar with any software/research/programs that take this approach?
Hi Karen,
You are right about how helpful it would be to know the learning preferences of online learners as well. There is some research being conducted at this time that is developing such an online assessment. It is not there yet but is coming. There is a multiple intelligence assessment online that identifies the three dominant intelligences through which and individual processes information. This has been proven to be very successful and is being used by colleges throughout North America. With this information online instructors are integrating a variety of delivery methods and formats that help the students to process information quickly and accurately.
Gary
I agree with the profile of adult online learners. However it can be modified depending on the location of the online college. If it is in a metro area where there is a four year state university that accepts online transfer credits, there is also a substantial number of students who are attending the local university. These students do not fit the profile.
In defining an online learner, I'm interested in defining their learning style and how the traditional in-person methods used to teach a variety of learning styles can be adapted to reach the online learners. Presently, online education is very biased toward students who learn by reading a text. Many students find out only after the course begins and it is too late to drop, that they are not good online learners. Obviously an argument could be made for screening the students, but shouldn't we be able to adapt in-person strategies online as well?
Hi Kay,
Thank you for the profile of the adult learner. What is interesting for a long time the traditional colleges said they were not going to go to online instruction because they wanted the students to be on campus for their learning. Now that has changed completely and all forms of post secondary education institutions are using different forms of technology to reach students.
Gary
