How to ensure adult learning success

Financial pressures, work demands, family responsibilities, and motivational factors can all contribute to higher dropout rates for adult learners. Balancing educational and personal commitments becomes even more challenging when institutions lack the tools needed to encourage degree completion. 

As an administrator at a higher education institution, you play a vital role in your student’s success. Integrating adult learning theory into your institutional improvement efforts can help you better support the unique needs of adult learners. Below, we’ll explore the principles behind adult learning theory and best practices for improving adult learner engagement and retention.  

What is adult learning theory, and why is it important?

There’s plenty of research about how children learn and absorb information — but what about adults? Returning students have unique motivations, experiences, and responsibilities that require nuanced adult learning strategies. A one-size-fits-all approach may not be relevant and engaging for these individuals. 

Pedagogy, the principles and methods used to teach children, differs widely from andragogy, the science of teaching adults and helping them learn. These distinct terms highlight that adults don’t necessarily process and retain information in the same manner as children. 

Here are the six andragogical principles developed by Malcolm Knowles that can help your institution develop an effective framework for adult learning success:

  1. Adults want to know the “why” behind their learning. 
  2. Adults are self-directed learners.
  3. Adults draw on their experiences and apply them to learning.
  4. Adults have a readiness to learn and want to know how it helps them achieve their goals.
  5. Adults learn best with problem-oriented concepts they can apply to real-life issues.
  6. Adults draw motivation internally and through self-determined incentives.

Adult learning theory plays a key role in educational and professional development. It’s an essential resource for educators and academic organizations that want to understand and accommodate the learning needs of adults.

Higher education institutions may also support adult learner success by tapping into real world contexts. By understanding how adults think and learn, your institution can equip learners with the skills they need to transfer their knowledge into their careers and everyday lives.

16 best practices for ensuring adult learning success

A commitment to continuous improvement strengthens your position as a steward of adult student success. We believe these tips and strategies can help you apply adult learning theory and guide your students to achieving their goals. 

1. Consider the experience and background of adult learners

While some adult learners may go through the traditional recruitment process, many already have some college credits or experience. Regardless, if they didn’t complete their degree, they had a reason — which is important to keep in mind. Going the extra mile to understand adult learners and recognize the barriers they face to graduating can make all the difference. 

Every student has unique concerns, accomplishments and experiences. Institutions would do well to interact with them on this front and develop deliberate efforts to understand their needs. 

2. Offer financial support for adults

Adult learners are at greater risk of dropping out of school due to a lack of financial and academic support. Given that adult learners often have more financial responsibilities, communicating your institution’s financial assistance can ultimately lead to greater retention rates. Whether or not your institution can offer major financial incentives to adult learners, it’s important to advertise how your organization alleviates financial burdens for adults, such as:

  • Scholarships specifically for returning students.
  • Programs for part-time learners.
  • Completion grants or end-of-program assistance.
  • Basic needs assistance (BNA).
  • Community resources.
  • Financial literacy and wellness programs.

3. Provide career and academic advising

Many adult learners likely have previous work experience or are balancing their education while working simultaneously. This means institutions must tailor career and academic advising to specific career paths. High-quality advising services can help adult learners make informed decisions about their future and better understand the specific skills they will gain from their program. Your institution can make adult students feel more committed to their degree with services like:

  • Career exploration. 
  • Counseling.
  • Course planning.
  • Group tutoring.
  • Job placement assistance.

4. Emphasize end goals in all student interactions

The path to degree completion is a rewarding yet challenging experience for many learners. You can guide adult students to success by helping them focus on the end from the very beginning. From the moment they enroll, every student should receive support in identifying specific end goals for their education. 

Communicate with students, show them the progress they’ve made, and address their concerns. For instance, an adult student who feels discouraged may feel supported by working with their advisor to maximize their schedule’s efficiency and build achievable goals. 

5. Help students improve time management skills

Adult learners juggle many obligations and responsibilities in addition to classes. Childcare, eldercare, work, and social commitments can take up significant time in their week, making it challenging to stay focused. Institutions can actively help students learn time management skills by acknowledging the demands they face and offering assistance. Your administration can go a long way by sharing resources that help them learn how to develop a balanced schedule and manage their time effectively. 

6. Highlight flexible learning options

Flexible scheduling options can make all the difference for adult learners with busy schedules. It’s not always realistic for adult students to fit their lives into a traditional academic calendar. When class schedules conflict with family priorities and work responsibilities, students may feel discouraged to continue on their adult learning path. Institutions make students feel understood and supported when they provide flexible and blended learning options that help them navigate their education and their lives, including:

  • Online or hybrid classes.
  • Virtual orientation.
  • Compressed courses.
  • Flexible course schedules.
  • Virtual workshops and training resources.
  • Evening and weekend classes.
  • Part-time programs.
  • Accelerated learning programs.
  • Multiple reentry terms.

7. Enhance student support staff

Advisors, professors, and administrators need to be in the loop when students face obstacles. Using assistive tools designed for student success, your institution can implement alerts and notifications that help staff prioritize adult learners who need immediate assistance. 

When your staff is better equipped to monitor student attendance and academic progress, they can proactively support the success and retention of all adult learners. Additionally, streamlining administrative tasks saves staff members valuable time throughout the day, allowing them to focus on connecting students with the right institutional resources. 

8. Remove barriers to readmissions

The decision to go back to school or complete a degree can be intimidating for some adult learners. It’s imperative that your higher education institution makes adult students feel welcome by easing the transition. Adult learners already have a lot on their plate — the last thing they need is to attempt to navigate an overwhelming admissions process. When adult learners are thinking about reenrolling in classes and land on your website, your messaging will quickly signify whether your institution is a good fit. 

For instance, does your institution have a readmission page? Do you use messaging to specifically welcome adult and nontraditional learners? Will potential returning students feel guided through the admission process?

Easing the readmissions process is a great first step — but don’t stop there! Establishing flexible admission policies creates the perfect opportunity to reevaluate your enrollment, registration, and onboarding processes. Adult learners want to choose an institution that empowers them to finish their degrees. 

Credits for prior learning (CPL), gathering transcripts, and recognized industry-validated certifications can encourage learners to retain college completion. Make your first impression count by lifting these barriers to entry and setting the stage for long-term success!

9. Implement a career-oriented curriculum

Adult learners expect some degree of balance between academic standards and career practicality, even those who have no specific career goals. As noted in the six andragogical principles above, adult learners want to know how they can apply their curriculum to the labor market after graduation. Institutions can implement these changes by:

  • Aligning programs with career goals.
  • Integrating practical skills.
  • Providing students with the knowledge they can share on resumes and applications.
  • Creating professional networks of mentors and potential employers.
  • Designing work-relevant courses and credentials.
  • Highlighting career support initiatives.
  • Embedding career guidance within academic programs.
  • Adapting existing career services to the lives of adult learners.

10. Promptly address student warning signs

Offering supportive services to adult students can yield little results when it’s too late. Early intervention is critical to keeping adult students motivated and encouraged to complete their academic path. With student success tools, your institution can collect and analyze student data and make informed intervention decisions. 

Identifying struggling students early makes it easier for your administration to provide the targeted support they need, such as tutoring, peer mentoring, or mental health services. Whether adult learners face financial, academic, or personal obstacles, your administration can prevent students from falling behind and dropping out by addressing their unique needs.

11. Empower advisors and team members 

Student engagement and retention is a collaborative effort. All faculty, staff members, administrators and adjunct instructors play a unique role in supporting each student on the path to success. While individual responsibilities can vary, a “whole-school” effort can support engaged learning and more effectively address student concerns. A team approach can also make adult learners feel understood and valued by your institution. 

To improve institutional-wide collaboration, consider giving faculty and staff access to professional development opportunities. A commitment to ongoing learning and improvement on a staff and faculty level can contribute to a culture of learning and collaboration. For example, you might cross-train professional advisors, faculty advisors, and student service staff. Having your professionals train each other in strategies specifically designed to help adult learners expands your institution’s ability to create solutions to their obstacles.

12. Individualize student experiences

A one-size-fits-all approach to higher education leaves little room for nuance. You can help set your institution apart by recognizing adult and nontraditional learners are more than a number in your program. Prioritize building genuine professional connections with adult learners by making every interaction personal. 

For instance, an adult learner is much more likely to feel connected to faculty that remember unique aspects of their lives, goals, and professional achievements. An individualized student experience emphasizes one-on-one support that meets the unique needs of adult learners.

13. Engage adult learners in campus life

Your institution can foster a supportive community by encouraging adult learners to participate in campus life. Regardless of their educational or professional experience, all learners deserve to build connections and get involved with peers. This sentiment is particularly important for combatting the assumptions that adult learners are too old or too busy to engage in campus activities. Adult learners can receive the same benefits of social involvement after readmission as traditional learners straight out of high school.

Consider establishing opportunities unique to working adults and nontraditional learners that help them feel connected to your institution:

  • Athletic events
  • Civic and service opportunities
  • Employer-sponsored career development workshops
  • Mental health services
  • Job fairs
  • Adult housing
  • Fitness centers 
  • Institutional facilities 
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Concerts and plays

14. Prioritize communication and transparency

Poor communication can significantly impact student motivation. Institutions cannot effectively meet each adult learner’s needs if students struggle to get in touch with teachers, advisors, and other staff. All learners deserve transparency about their academic journey. However, keeping students informed is an obligation many institutions fail to meet. Your institution is responsible for empowering and engaging students by communicating with them and addressing their questions and concerns. 

Administrators, instructors, advisors, and professors should check in with their students at scheduled points throughout the term to ensure they’re adjusting properly and feel supported in the courses. Establishing effective communication creates an atmosphere of transparency, making it easier for adult learners to get the critical information they need to succeed. 

15. Collect and implement feedback

Feedback is an incredibly valuable tool that benefits your students, faculty, and the entire administration. If your institution wants to bolster student success and retention rates, it can be helpful to go right to the source. Collect feedback directly from students and staff to learn exactly what your institution can do to support engagement and degree completion. This feedback will offer explicit insights into the services and programs that are working well and the ones that need improvement. 

Entice students to fill out surveys, send in comments, or respond to an open forum tailored to their unique experiences and needs as adult learners. This strategy will enable your administration to properly allocate resources and retention efforts where they’re needed most. 

16. Leverage the power of automation

You can streamline your efforts to improve the adult learner experience with student success software. Technology-based retention solutions, including predictive analytics tools, enable your institution to:

  • Collect, manage, and measure student data.
  • Identify areas of improvement.
  • Communicate with students.
  • Gather information about attendance and academic performance.
  • Provide targeted support.
  • Automate repetitive tasks.
  • Enhance accessibility and flexibility for adult learners.
  • Create personalized learning experiences.
  • improve institutional research and planning.
  • Identify at-risk students. 

By leveraging a student support system with these capabilities, you can cultivate actionable steps to improving student retention.

Support adult learner success with Watermark

The challenges of adult learner engagement and retention continue to evolve. With these best practices, your higher education institution can welcome this unique population of students and facilitate their transitions. Consider leveraging the power of data to better support student success.

At Watermark, it’s our mission to help higher education institutions enhance student outcomes by flagging disengagement and employing data-driven insights. Watermark Student Success & Engagement solution is a unified platform that enables a holistic view of each student’s journey. Guided student pathways allow you to monitor student progress and implement proactive support for adult learners. Request a demo today to learn how we can help you fuel continuous improvement. 

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Why flexibility is important for student success

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We are the champions: Building a case for new tech

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Unlocking your potential: Could you benefit from a certification?

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How to Find Success Coaches for Your College

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How to improve student success with community-based learning

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How to Develop Key Performance Indicators for Community Colleges

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Why community colleges are our best hope for closing the equity gap

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Making a Difference in Student Wellness

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How to keep faculty data reliable and up-to-date

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Making technology implementation a success

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Ways community colleges can define, measure, and improve student success

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How to identify and manage valuable course improvements with Planning & Self-Study software

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How to know when it’s time for new higher ed technology

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Maximizing the Impact of Course Evaluations During COVID

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Microcredentials and How ePortfolios Can Highlight Them

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How to use SIS data at your school

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Minority Male Success Initiative (MMSI): A Catalyst for Change

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What Year Is Most Critical for College Student Success?

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How to use LMS data to support curriculum development

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MSCHE Accreditation: 7 Things Peer Reviewers Wish You Knew

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Use ePortfolios to give students a leg up in job searches

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The Power of Non-Academic Outcomes

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Where Are They Now? An Update on our 2020 Watermark Scholars

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The “who” and “what” of university administration

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Understanding the Support Needs of Community College Students

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Faculty Search Committees: What Are They and What Do They Do?

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How to make assessment simpler

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Turning Process Into Progress: Using Technology to Drive Institutional Improvement

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Keeping up with 2024 higher ed trends?

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How to Prepare for a Virtual Assessment Site Visit

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Transforming the Student Co-Curricular Experience of Community Colleges

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Tracking Progress With Student Learning & Licensure

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Online Course Feedback 101: From the Physical to the Digital Classroom

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How to prepare for an accreditation peer review visit

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Overcoming financial obstacles with help from higher education institutions

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Preparing for Life on Sabbatical

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Partnering With NCCCS to Help Students Succeed

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How to reduce faculty workload using technology

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Positive Change During Challenging Times: How Six Leaders Transformed Higher Education During the Pandemic

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How to Support Grad Students

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Best Practices to Reengage Community College Dropouts

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How to support students struggling with time management

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How to switch accreditors as a higher ed institution

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How Your College Can Support Veterans

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Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics’ Role in Fighting College Attrition

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How to prepare for a successful CAEP accreditation

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Top Course Evaluation Questions

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Top Things to Consider When Hiring a Student Success Coach

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Continuing education evaluation guide

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Identifying at-risk students through the course registration process

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Creating equity solutions

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5 Creative ways to use end-of-semester assessment data

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11 community college trends for 2023

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The importance of data transparency for higher ed success

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Higher education institutional outcomes – defining a proficiency scale

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How to democratize data at your institution to improve student outcomes

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Demonstrating faculty influence on student success with Radford University

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Developing proactive advising techniques

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The differences between direct and indirect measurement

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Discover the secrets of faculty “buy-in”

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Does the classroom environment matter?

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Collecting Feedback With Watermark Course Evaluations & Surveys

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Barriers to using assessment results and how to overcome them

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Engaging faculty in the new school year

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How to use institutional data to spot students likely to transfer

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Top reasons why students transfer and what your institution can do

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Supporting working-class students: 7 ways to show support

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How to support incoming transfer student success

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Why cloud-based video feedback software is helpful for higher ed

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How to track the results of culturally responsive education

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Watermark vs. Civitas
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Watermark vs. Civitas

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How to attract and retain top faculty at your institution

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How to be an effective program dean

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Building soft skills for future careers: Integrating professional development into your curriculum
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Building soft skills for future careers: Integrating professional development into your curriculum

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15 common challenges that first-year students face
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15 common challenges that first-year students face

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How to spot struggling first-year students and intervene
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How to spot struggling first-year students and intervene

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12 tips to improve first-year college student performance
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12 tips to improve first-year college student performance

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Weighing legacy admissions: What to consider at your institution

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Key metrics for mid-semester program reviews: What to measure and why

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