Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
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Adult Learner or Non-Traditional Student
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Non-Traditional Student?
Article Discussion
How might the term make a student feel?
What does the term conjure up in your
mind?
Other discussion questions (attachment)
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Demographics & Statistics
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Profile of the Adult Learner
Retirees Homeless
Veterans
Career
Changers Etc.
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What They Bring to the Table
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In 2016, 40% of the 20.5 Table 303.40. NCES.edu
[In thousands]
Attendance status, sex, Projected
million post secondary and age
1
2000
5
2013
16
2014
17
2015
18
2019
19
2024
20
All students ................
15,312 20,376 20,255 20,234 21,630 23,135
students were 25+. 14 to 17 years old ...................
131
18 and 19 years old .............
270 254 259 278
3,258 3,710 3,879 3,850 4,132 4,313
311
Full-time .......................
9,010 12,597 12,664 12,615 13,467 14,352
25+ may become the civilian noninstitutional population from the U.S. Census Bureau's
Current Population Survey.
majority.
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Goals of the Adult Learner
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Adult Learners Goals
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Adult Learner Challenges
Financial
Child Care
Fear
Confidence
Time Poverty
Sense of Belonging
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Life Impacts Goals
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Adult Learners Perspectives
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Family
Life
Education Work
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Adult Learner Needs
Ease of Transfer/Admission
Innovative Assessment Programs
Work/Life Credit
Flexibility of Programs
Scheduling options
Convenient locations
On-line options
Services
Financial counseling and assistance
On-site child care
Language support
Emotional & psychological support
Help with coping skills
Job placement
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Show student the image of personal
success in their future.
Ascribe to intentional advocacy.
Make connections with students.
Perform proactive outreach.
Engage them early and often.
Help them to stay connected.
Set up affinity groups &/or support
networks.
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Institutional Success Factors
High percentage of adult learners drop out and never
finish their program of study (Gary et al., 2004).
Build a dedicated advisory & support staff
focused on collaboratively working and
advocating for adult learners and building
relationships.
Implement services to help students cope.
Create support groups.
Provide on-site day care.
Create a warm & welcoming campus center.
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An Advising Approach
Appreciative Advising the Six D's
Social-constructivist philosophy providing framework
for advisor interactions with students.
DISARM- Advisors intentionally use positive, active, and
attentive listening and questioning strategies to build trust
and rapport.
DISCOVER- Uncover student strengths and skills based on
their past successes.
DREAM- Encourage and be inspired by students' stories and
dreams.
DESIGN- Co-construct action plans with students to make
their goals a reality.
DELIVER- Support students as they carry out their plans.
DONT SETTLE- Challenge yourself and your student to do
and become even better.
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Origins of Appreciative Advising
Positive Psychology- based on a wellness model and emphasizes
inquiry into human goodness and excellence, affirming developmental
and situational stops between birth and death.
Appreciative Inquiry- means to engage people across a system in
renewal, change and focused performance.
Reality Therapy a counseling technique based on choice theory
through which people are taught ways to direct their own lives, make
effective choices, and develop strengths to handle life stresses and
problems.
Self-Worth Theory- students strive for academic achievement out of
a need to protect their sense of worth or personal value.
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Appreciative Advising Mindset
Caring about & believing in the potential of each student.
Appreciating the good fortune to positively impact other
peoples lives and the future of society.
Acknowledging that one can always become better.
Remembering the amount of power students perceive
advisors to possess and reflecting on how best to use that
power.
Being truly interested in students and enjoying learning
from them.
Being culturally aware and responsive in interactions with
students.
Slides 20-22 adapted from Bloom, J. et al. (20xx) The Appreciative Advising Revolution
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Case Study
Review Student Inventory.
What internal assets does the student bring
with them?
What external assets?
What questions might you ask the student to
understand their story?
Can you surmise what types of support this
student may require?
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Questions?
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References/Sources
Bloom, J.L., Hutson, B.L. & He, Y. (2008). The Appreciative Advising Revolution. Stipes Publishing L.L.C., Champaign, IL.
Bohonos, J. (2014). Understanding Career Context as a Key to Best Serving Adult Students. Adult Learning, 25(1), 28-30.
doi:10.1177/1045159513510144
Gary, J. M., Kling, B., & Dodd, B. N. (2004). A Program for Counseling and Campus Support Services for African American and
Latino Adult Learners. Journal of College Counseling, 7(1), 18-23.
Glastris, P. (2016). America's Best Colleges for Adult Learners. Washington Monthly, 1.
Gulley, N.Y. (2016, August 5). Defining students as nontraditional is inaccurate and damaging. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from
https://www.insidehighered.com/print/views/2016/08/05/defining-students-nontraditional-inaccurate-and-damaging-
essay?width+775&height=500&iframe=true
McKnight, C.P., & Martin, B.N. (2015). Creating an effective educational environment for adult learners: A qualitative, multi-case
study of off-campus center administrators use of invitational leadership. Journal of Invitational Theory & Practice, 21, 48-67.
Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2011). Research on Adult Learners: Supporting the Needs of a Student Population that Is No Longer
Nontraditional. Peer Review, 13(1), 26-29.
Rothes, A., Lemos, M. S., & Gonalves, T. (2017). Motivational Profiles of Adult Learners. Adult Education Quarterly, 67(1), 3-29.
doi:10.1177/0741713616669588
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics. (2016). Digest of education statistics (Table 303.40).
Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d15/tables/dt15_303.40.asp?current=yes
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQq1-0eveuc
Images
https://www.google.com/search?q=images+non+traditional+students&oq=images+non+traditional+students&aqs=chrome..69i57.10
384j0j7&sourceid=chrome
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