Designing Distance Education For Adults. How Might You Design A Distance Education Course For Adult Learners?

Designing Distance Education for Adults. How might you design a Distance Education course for Adult Learners? Ken Desjardine Graduate Student Educational Communications and Technology University of Saskatchewan February 2009 Revision March 2009 Introduction Distance education is becoming a common option for adult learners to gain valuable skills, knowledge and experience. When distance education is designed with the adult learner in mind it can be a rich and valuable learning experience. In this paper, I will describe what distance education is in terms of a definition and terminology. I will look at characteristics of adult learners. Finally, I will discuss distance education for adult learners and what needs to be done to make learning from a distance successful for most adult learners. Distance Education Distance education (DE) can be referred to as open education, online education, online learning or distance learning. Without getting into the specific details of the definitions of each of these terms, we will refer to D.E. as meaning the same as all these terms. D.E. has been defined as, “…institution-based formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructors.” (Simonson et. al., 2006, p. 32). “…distance education is now regarded as an important setting within which a great deal of significant adult learning occurs (Gibson, 1992). Weekend college formats, multi-media experimentations and the educational possibilities unleashed by satellite broadcasting have combined to provide learning opportunities for millions of adults across the world.” (Brookfield, 1995, p.11) “A formal learning activity which occurs when students and instructor are separated by geographic distance or by time, often supported by communications technology such as television, videotape, computers, email, mail, or interactive videoconferencing.” (www.netnet.org/students/student%20glossary.htm, paragraph 7). Distanced Education has evolved from a correspondence format of mailing assignments and papers between the student and the

Designing Distance Education for Adult Learners 2 instructor to an online and email system. The term Distance Education has become interchangeable with the term online learning. An important aspect of Distance Education is that it is presented in a formal environment. DE is orchestrated from a learning institution and is not referring to an online learning community. D.E. has a distinct instructor or teacher and enrolled students. There is a major theme of students being seperate from the instructor. Ultimately there is a geographical or physical space between them. The “space” between the instructor and the student is filled by the use of telecommunications. This technology can be course management systems, email, telephone or another form of communication. In the remainder of this paper we will look at the uses of distance education through the lens of online implementation. The assumption will be that D.E. is done primarily via the Internet. Adult Learners An adult learner is identified by Illinois State University as “Historically, an adult learner/non-traditional student is someone who is pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree, but who does not meet the definition of a “traditional” college student. If you feel that any of the following describe you . . . then you are considered an adult learner/non-traditional student at Illinois State.” (http://www.emas.ilstu.edu/adult_learner_services/who_is.shtml). The former Adult Learner Services Task Force at Illinois State University defined adult learners as, “lifelong learners who generally are 25 years or older, and/or have additional responsibilities such as family, career, military, or community, and are seeking a degree or other educational offering (credit or non-credit) to enhance their professional and/or personal lives.” (http://www.emas.ilstu.edu/adult_learner_services/who_is.shtml). These are rather standard and structured definitions that leave a lot of room for knowing who an adult learner actually is. Apart from that, they serve the purpose of distinguishing “who” we are talking about when using the term Adult Learner (age, life position, purpose). Stephen Brookfield (1995) states, “we are very far from a universal understanding of adult learning.” It is understood that most adult learners have many other responsibilities in their lives that they are trying to balance along with their studies. Brookfield is suggesting that there cannot be a set understanding of how adults learn because there are too many different situations to be able to develop a true model of how adults learn. “Indeed, a strong case can be made that as we examine learning across the lifespan the variables of culture, ethnicity, personality and political ethos assume far greater significance in explaining how learning occurs and is experienced than does the variable of chronological age.” (Brookfield, 1995, p.1)

Designing Distance Education for Adult Learners 3

Adult learners cannot be defined within a specific model or be taught with a specific strategy. This is not very different from “traditional” learners or K-12 learners. There are always different needs that are to be taken into consideration and approached on a student-by-student basis. Adult learners will have different challenges, as Brookfield notes there are many external variables that adult learners will have that “traditional” students generally don’t. When designing a D.E. course for adult learners we must keep in mind the challenges an adult learner will have. An adult learner generally has a career that they are trying to develop and advance. They have family and community responsibilities that continue to exist whether they are studying or not. Their studies will be important to them, but their number one priority may not be the course they are taking. They will work hard and be very motivated to succeed. This will also mean that they will want to accomplish the tasks and not be burdened by extra work that they do not see as relevant. The adult student will have external factors to deal with that traditional students would not have or face.

Adults and Distance Education: The Challenges Adult learners taking on the task of learning from a distance or distance education have to be able to make the adjustments needed for success. When looking at Adult Learners in the D.E. lens Simonson, et al. states, “While there are some who would suggest little difference among the distance learners, adults bring a unique characteristic to a distance learning setting. Theirs is a world of experiences related to learning, life, and their profession. To believe that adults bring little to the “classroom” is limiting the contributions that adult learners can make to any learning situation.” (2006, p. 158). Adult learners bring a different kind of learning to a course or program. They have a depth of experiences that are not present in the “traditional” student. The adult learner sees things through a different lens and each student will have a different level of experiences to draw on. An adult learner may be very experienced in the field of study, be starting a new career or just wanting to have a new experience. They have a very wide variety of backgrounds and understanding of how the world works. In the research study Adult learners’ Emotions in Online Learning, Michalinos Zembylas speaking about learners’ own interpretations states, “…first, learners act upon the world on the basis of the meanings that the world has for them. Second, the learners’ meanings are socially constructed through their interactions with their instructor, other learners, the available technology, and the social context in general. Third, the meaning of the world is processed again through interpretation; that is, the learners interpret their emotions through the ways they talk about them.” (2008, p. 75). Adult D.E.

Designing Distance Education for Adult Learners 4 students are bringing a lot more to the table due to their personal experiences, which for most will be more extensive than most “traditional” students. An adult learner will see the course through his or her own worldview. They will be influenced by culture, beliefs, values and family. An adult learner can bring a real cultural perspective to a discussion when they have lived and experienced the situation themselves. Their values and beliefs will be more evident because they will be more defined as they have grown to understand them better. When we take an adult student who has never attempted a D.E. course previously they tend to have some apprehensions before beginning a course or a program. Zembylas documented some of the concerns. In the interviews he did with his students they each expressed some concerns prior to beginning the course. The major concerns the students had were fear and anxiety about the unknown or new method of learning. “alienation and the need for connectedness; and stress/guilt about the inability to balance multiple roles and responsibilities.” (2008, p.77 ). One student stated, “to be honest, I am terribly anxious because of this methodology of distance learning. This is something completely unknown to me. Registration from a distance, distance teaching, distance learning – all these make me question the effectiveness of this methodology. So far, I have to admit that the lack of face-to-face communication with my instructors and my limited inexperience with using technology makes me feel like a lonely traveler… I don’t know where to start…” (2008, p. 79). This appears to be a common theme for adult learners when starting out into something that is new. Adult learners tend to be very concerned about each detail and requirement of the course or program. They are in the course or program as students and students only. As mentioned before adult learners come with a lot of experience and it would be difficult to attempt something that takes them outside their comfort zone. Another concern mentioned was time. Faye Wiesenberger, in The Roller Coaster Life of an Online Learner, writes about adult distance education students, “…having many roles to fulfill at home may have conflicted with their new and very time-consuming role as a graduate student.” (2001, p. 43). This continues in another example from a student who said, “…I never have enough time to do everything…I feel very reluctant to engage in email discussions because I think my ideas would look very stupid if I expressed them via email.” (Zembylas, 2008, p.79). Lack of time is a major issue for an adult student. Having the appropriate amount of time to contribute insightful comments on discussion boards can be very challenging for any student, especially one who is trying to balance many other parts

Designing Distance Education for Adult Learners 5 of their lives. It is also a challenge to make the step of shifting the way ideas are expressed. When you are accustomed to face-to-face discussions where there are many other ways of communicating, (e.g., facial expressions, tone of voice) “Electronic learning has been depicted as less emotional and more impersonal” (Zembylas, 2008, p. 71). When an adult decides to return to school or go to school for the first time it is an immense decision. They must realize the consequences and sacrifices that will be required in order to accomplish the task. The adult learner may need to develop new skills, such as using a computer or other technology they haven’t used in the past. They will also need to be aware of the time commitment. Many of these issues are difficult to approach from outside the course or program. Many adult learners also have the challenge of balancing their lives, which can include career, family, culture and many other responsibilities. As we have discussed previously their lives don’t change as a result of enrolling in a course, they just add one more thing into their lives. Adult learners energy is dispersed among many things. They are usually not able to be fulltime students and able to comment 100%, even if they wish they could, to their studies. Adult Learners and Distance Education: The Benefits Adult students have also expressed a number of positives about learning from a distance. The major attraction to distance education is the convenience of it. “The convenience of learning online applies equally well to adult learners, students from educationally underserved areas, those pursuing specialized or advanced degrees, those who want to advance in their degree work through credentialed courses, and any students who simply want to augment the curricular offerings from their local institutions.” (Ko & Rossen, 2004, p. 3). It makes a large difference when an adult learner can have the convenience of deciding when and where they will be learning. D.E. can give any student the variety of options that they may be looking for. It can offer a course that is not available at their present institution or they can take a course at a different time. D.E. can create a much more flexible program compared to a face-to-face program. D.E. can also make balancing all the other parts of life a little easier. This theme of convenience continues into the ideas of the flexibility of D.E. One student stated, “I am happy…[because] I can study in my own private space, at the time I choose, while I can still be with my family when I take a break. I feel empowered that I can cope with both my student life and family life.” (Zembylas, 2008, p. 77). Another student suggests, “Open and distance learning offers me the opportunity that I have always been dreaming; a graduate degree. Up

Designing Distance Education for Adult Learners 6 until now, family responsibilities have prevented me from attending university…I am extremely proud and happy for this opportunity!” (Zembylas, 2008, p. 77). The flexibility of the D.E. program is the key to having success in distance education. The students are then able to work on the courses when they have the time. Along with flexibility, adult learners can develop new skills which is another advantage that students expressed about D.E. “I like this new ‘toy!’ I am excited because I find all these resources from the Internet to do my assignments. And it’s so easy because I can do everything from home (Zembylas, 2008, p. 77). This is also reiterated by O’Lawrence who says, “…distance education appeals to these groups (Adult learners) because of flexibility of time, convenience of working from home, and the ability to take care of family or work from the office while at the same time having cultural diverse group interactions.” (O’Lawrence, 2006, p. 48) Our discussion in this paper is not so much a comparison between distance education and face-to-face or traditional classroom situations. It is more about looking at what factors are involved in developing a distance education program or course for adult learners. However, it is important to mention that distance education is regarded as just as effective as face-to-face or traditional classroom situations. “…distance education can be as effective as any other category of instruction. Learning occurs and knowledge is retained. Students report that they have learned and they feel their distance learning experiences are as successful as more traditional education. The keys to distance education are in the design, development, and delivery of instruction, and are not related to geography or time.” (Simonson, et al., 2006, p. 158) This is another benefit for an adult learner to consider when deciding on how to upgrade their education. If the D.E. program will give you as much meaningful learning as the face-to-face program and it is more convenient for your situation then it is a viable option. What to keep in mind when planning and designing a Distance Education course When we are designing a distance education course educators need to keep several things in mind to create a successful course. All courses need to be adjusted based on the type of learners that are enrolled, but there are a few “standard guidelines” for constructing an effective distance education course: Situation and Support It is important for adult learners that the institution they are studying with understands the external demands they have on their

Designing Distance Education for Adult Learners 7 lives. (Wiesenberg, 2001) Sometimes the institution is the major support the adult learner is getting. “Significant negative correlations between the Situation Scale and Martial Status and between the Support Scale and Martial Status seemed to indicate that being married/partnered did not necessarily translate into having a support system at home.” (Wiesenberg, 2001, p. 46) The adult learner may not be getting much support from their spouse and/or family while attending the program. They will need the institution to be available to help out when they are needed. The instructor and the student need to be able to communicate freely with each other in order to create a supportive and trusting environment. Technology and Support Support can also include technical support. It is important that each student is encouraged to ask questions about the technology and be able to get answers in a timely manner. Alessi and Trollip suggest, “Most programs require the use of external materials, such as operating manuals, forms to be filled out or reference books. The development phase includes creating and providing these materials,… [These can include}: Learner manuals, Instructor manuals, Technical manuals and Adjunct instructional material.” (2001, p. 542). Pallof and Pratt also state, “Technology should not drive the course --- instead, the desired outcomes of the course and needs of the participants should be the deciding factors.” (1999, p. 2). This is a principal reason students are hesitant to enter a D.E. program. If the technology is not familiar, easy to use or functioning properly it will be very difficult for someone new to it to have success. There must be a user friendly interface, manual, and support available via email, telephone or another form of communication. Time & Motivation Adult learners tend be motivated by career advancement, more money or self-improvement. “…most adult learners are self-starters and thus require little to get them interested in a course of study. However, because of their focus on getting what they need from the learning situation, they have little patience for irrelevant information or activities that do not lead them to intended outcomes.” (Simonson et al., 2006, p. 158) This is also important to keep in mind when developing an online course. The student is in the program for a purpose and will want to accomplish that purpose. They will not want to be wasting, in their opinion, time on assignments or activities they cannot see the relevance in. The developer and instructor must be clear on the reason behind why they are doing each requirement of the course. It is important to remember to keep your focus on the task and purpose of the course.

Designing Distance Education for Adult Learners 8 Feedback The response of the D.E. teacher is very important to the learners and must be prompt and clear. Simonson et al. describes feedback as, “Feedback allows the sender and receiver, teacher and learner, to determine if the message was understood correctly.” (2006, p. 89) They also state, “A well run-online course should provide regular feed back to students.” (2006, p. 174) “Teaching online courses can be very challenging and time consuming and requires extensive preparation to ensure that things are done well and that students get feedback within 24 hours of posting their responses.” (O’Lawrence, 2006, p. 49) When planning a D.E. course feedback must be an integral part and focus of the overall design. If the designer and instructor are the same person this will be easier to implement, but if the designer and instructor are different then they must be communicating with each other as to how they will provide the feedback to the students. The feedback will primarily fall on the instructor and will need to be available for quick and reliable feedback for each student. Preparation, Organization & Self discipline When Adult Learners plan to take a D.E. course they must be prepared for what is to come. They need to be aware of the different learning methods they will be involved in. Ko and Rossen suggest, “ the most successful online programs offer students orientations as well as continuing technical support and resources.” (2004, p. 183) One student makes this statement, “Let me tell you this. The whole idea of online learning is about good and efficient organization of your time and lots of self-discipline! This form of learning may not fit for everyone, but it certainly suits me well! I complete one assignment, I get feedback from you, I make revisions, I move to the next one … I feel I am constantly aware of what’s going on and this gives me a tremendous feeling of control … I am pleased because online learning ‘forces’ me (in a good sense) to be constantly on top of things, to be disciplined and organized.” (Zembylas, 2008, p. 78) Preparation, organization, and self-discipline are a combination of design, instructor and the learner. If one of these three isn’t doing their part in the D.E. course then it will be difficult to succeed. The designer of the course needs to implement a method or number of methods into the course for students to be able to have those skills needed to succeed in the course. There must be clear timelines on when assignments, discussions or activities need to be completed. These components will help the student, however, the student will ultimately be responsible for completing each task. Connecting to others One of the prevalent concerns when it comes to D.E. is making meaningful and important connections to classmates and the

Designing Distance Education for Adult Learners 9 instructor. This is a major struggle for designers of D.E. courses. How to create a course that will involve meaningful communication and relationship? The designer must include opportunities for the students to have the situations where they can make connections with their classmates. This can be even more challenging when there are students who are not as comfortable or familiar with joining into discussions. If possible a face-to-face meeting at the beginning of the course is ideal so everyone can visually see each other and have a chance to dialogue. This is not always possible and it may take a student a course or two to get comfortable in online communication. A designer can create those opportunities and students will again ultimately decide how they will approach and respond. Here are some examples of students’ responses about communication and making connections with classmates and students: “The close relationships I have managed to form with some of my classmates, perhaps due to the nature of this program, help me tremendously to deal with my feelings of stress. If I had been told at the beginning of this course I would have formed such strong relationships with some of my classmates, I would never have believed it! It’s paradoxical, but I feel that I have managed to create stronger relationships in the context of this online program than I ever did in my face-to-face classes.” (Zembylas, 2008, p. 78). “Online communication may not be so bad after all; especially when you receive ongoing encouragement – via emails, phone calls, face-to-face meetings. …creates a feeling of not being alone in this journey. This feeling of ‘being with others’ is very important to me.” (Zembylas, 2008, p. 78) “The emotional support you can receive from online communication is unbelievable! Frankly, it surpassed all my expectations. I can’t tell you how important it was for me to open my email account and find an email message from my instructor or my classmates. Every single day! It meant something, you know? … Online learning does have an emotional character, whether we ‘see’ this or not.” (Zembylas, 2008, p. 79) These examples come from the same course and each student is expressing how they saw the communication. This course must have been well designed and delivered. Simonson et al. suggests, “Effective instructional messages are designed according to the situation, experiences, and competencies of learners. In order to communicate, instructional ideas are encoded into some transmittable form, such as spoken words, pictures, or writing… When the distance learner receives the message it must be decoded. This means the spoken must be heard and defined, or the pictures shown must be seen and understood. If the communication is successful, the receiver – the learner – will have the same idea or understanding as the sender – the teacher…Effective communication requires an active audience.” (2006,

Designing Distance Education for Adult Learners 10 p. 89). Meaningful communication and relationship can be developed in a D.E. course when the course is designed with opportunities for developing relationships in mind. Conclusion Designing a distance education course for adult learners can be a challenging and rewarding task. From the literature, it is possible to identify a number key issues to keep in mind while designing a distance education course. • Situation and Support • Technology and Support • Time & Motivation • Feedback • Preparation, Organization & Self discipline • Connecting to others Distance education is a key to allowing adult learners to have an opportunity to learn when external constraints of location (too far from a learning institution), family and community responsibilities have made it difficult or impossible to attend a traditional classroom situation. Many factors intervene in the lives of adults that make it difficult for them to attend conventional courses; it is critical to take that into consideration when designing adult learning programs. One avenue is to provide programming via distance education

Designing Distance Education for Adult Learners 11 References Alessi, S. M., & Trollip, S. R. (2001). Multimedia for learning: Methods and development (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Brookfield, S. (1995). Adult learning: An overview. In A. Tuinjman (Ed.), International encyclopedia of education (16). Oxford: Pergamon Press. Distance Learning. Retrieved February 17, 2009 www.netnet.org/students/student%20glossary.htm Ko, S., & Rossen, S. (2004). Teaching online A practical guide (2nd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. O'Lawrence, H. (2006). The influences of distance learning on adult learners. Techniques, 81(5), 47. Palloff, R. M., & Keith Pratt (1999). Building learning communities in cyberspace: Effective strategies for the online classroom. Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education Series. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2006). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (3rd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson. Who is an adult learner? (2008). Retrieved February 17, 2009, from http://www.emas.ilstu.edu/adult_learner_services/who_is.shtml Wiesenberg, F. (2001). The roller coaster life of the online learner: How distance educators can help students cope. Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education, 27(2), 33. Zembylas, M. (2008). Adult learners' emotions in online learning. Distance Education, 29(1), 71.