Adult Learners in the Academy

Adult learners comprise almost 50 percent of all students enrolled. Some argue they are pioneering change in today€s higher educational landscape. This book is designed to assist faculty members and administrators who want to understand how the impact of adult learning programs has and is helping to transform the academy and how newer initiatives are likely to change their own campuses in the coming decades.

Through the use of case studies, and by blending the theoretical aspects of adult learning with practical application and personal experience, Lee Bash depicts each facet of adult learners and the requirements higher education must fulfill to meet their needs. The author explores

• The context of adult learning from four perspectives: adult programs, adult learners, demographics and projections, and programmatic best practices
• The distinguishing characteristics of adult learners, the special challenges they face, their motivations to continue their education, and why they seek and what they bring to college-level learning
• The institutional responses to the adult learner, such as programmatic perspectives and the fundamental needs required to sustain adult learning programs
• Meaningful applications of the term €œlifelong learning€ as well as some projections on how the 21st-century academy is likely to change

This book is a helpful guide to all interested in understanding adult learning€s place in academia today and implementing and sustaining successful adult learning programs for tomorrow.