Introduction
In this day in age, the need for older workers to enter the education realm is increasing. More adults are starting to participate in training and education programs in order to increase their skills and employability. The twenty-first century learners are now given endless options when it comes to obtaining educational resources. This has exposed these individuals to several different learning opportunities, such as online learning in higher education. Online learning gives these individuals the skills they need in order to retain their current positions through the comfort of their own home. This paper addresses the advantages and disadvantages to adults in online classrooms as well as recommendations to improve learning for adult students.
Discussion
Exposure is generally how people learn and gather information. Exposure through online learning is considered to be self-directed. Self-directed learning is defined as “a learning’s autonomous ability to manage his or her own learning process, by perceiving oneself as the source of one’s own actions and decisions as a responsibility towards one’s own lifelong learning” (Bonk, Lee & Kou, 2015, p. 350). In other words, online learners must take initiative when it comes to their own learning without an instructor present.
Self-directed online learning is essential when it comes to most professional jobs today. This is especially true in the healthcare industry. Also, the availability to online learning has completely changed society. In today’s world, adults can know participate in self-direct online learning from virtually anywhere. People are completing their online assignments in cafes, cars and even subway trains (Bonk, Lee & Kou, 2015, p. 361).
Advantages to adult online learning
There are several advantages to adult online learning. With the demands of work and monetary input, online learning gives adults the ability to learn skills and knowledge that is needed for them to work up in the workplace. It offers great flexibility when it comes to scheduling. Individuals who both work and have families can rearrange their school requirements around their work and family needs. Also, online learning gives individuals the ability to go to school from virtually any location in the world (Bonk, Lee & Kou, 2015, p. 361).
There have been several studies conducted to discover the advantages of online learning. In one study that assessed the impact that online learning had on adult learning, nearly every participant admitted that they had learned something new during the course of the study. Approximately 6 out of every 10 participants reported that their learning was enhanced through the use of online learning. Furthermore, approximately forty percent of participant’s perception of online learning changed. These individuals had negative views on online learning before entering the study and their opinions changed once they actually participated in learning through online classrooms. The most important statistic that was produced from this study is that one in every five participants actually found new positions or jobs as a result of their online learning process. Clearly, online learning had a positive impact on the participants throughout this study (Bonk, Lee & Kou, 2015, p. 356).
Another study was conducted in order to find the impact online learning had on adults when it came to memory. “As in most prior studies, adult participants demonstrated strong and robust online learning during training. In contrast, offline memory evolution appears to vary across studies, with some studies showing improvements in performance, namely memory consolidation, across gaps in training” (Storkle, Bontempo & Pak, 2014, p. 1718).
The studies that have been conducted on comparing on-campus and distance learning have found that there are no differences between the two when it comes to academic and learning achievement. There was also no differences between on-campus and online learning when it came to instructor evaluation and student satisfaction. However, there have been studies that have found that learning preferences and computer skills do have an effect when it comes to learning through online learning (Rakap, 2010, p. 108).
One last study investigated the influences of learning preferences/styles and prior computer skills on online courses for adult learners. Learning styles is the typical cognitive, psychological and affective behaviors that indicates how an individual response to and perceives their interaction with the learning environment. The results of the study “showed that (a) learning styles/preferences had significant effects on adult student’s knowledge acquisition, and (b) there is a moderate positive correlation between computer skills and students’ success” (Rakap, 2010, p. 108). Furthermore, the study should that there was no relationship when it came to prior experience with online courses and the success of an online course. These studies highlighted the benefits and advantages an adult can experiences through online learning.
Disadvantages to adult online learning
There are several disadvantages that can become present when dealing with adults and online learning. First, the time required can invoke frustration when it comes to learning online. There are also disadvantages when it comes to input and feedback. There may be time lapse of a couple of days for learners to get the support they need in order to find a resolution to their problem. One of the biggest disadvantages to adult online learning is the dependency it requires on the Internet. There can be several occasions when the internet provider is in downtime. Furthermore, students must be active learners when it comes to the self-directed learning environment. An individual’s success is based on their motivation and initiative. An individual’s success is also dependent on their prior knowledge of computers and technology. Lastly, different learning types may not be suitable when it comes to self-directed online learning (Bonk, Lee & Kou, 2015, p. 360).
There can be several difficulties when it comes to older individuals and online learning. “Difficulties can arise for those older workers who have little experience of, or are novice in, using computers or hypermedia as a major tools of online learning” (Meyers & Bagnall, 2015, p. 208). Older workers, categorized as workers over the age of forty-five, are unlikely to have computers or other educational technology during their formative years. In other words, these individuals did not have access to the technology during their school years making it more difficult for them to participate in online learning. For younger individuals, computer skills are generated through primary education. Thus, these individuals already know how to operate different platforms throughout the computer. For individuals who did not grow up learning how to operate a computer, they are not only learning the course work but they are also learning the basic skills other individuals learned years before. In other words, older students who did not learn computer skills in primary education may be at a disadvantage to those who did. They are not only required to learn the information throughout the course, they also have to learn how to access the information required throughout the course.
Another disadvantage can be presented when it comes to the computer skills of the adult learner. Computer skills are considered a necessary when it comes to online learning. One must know and understand how to use different technological application that are important when it comes to online learning. In one study, it was found that a student’s computer skills were positively correlated with knowledge gain. In other words, a student’s learning through online resources is dictated by how well they know how to access those resources. Students who have a higher knowledge of computers and technology generally score higher on quizzes and exams than people with no prior experience with web-based courses (Rakap, 2010, p. 113).
Another disadvantage that has been shown through online learning is the lack of time to fully use all of the proper resources. The time restraint can be contrasted to on campus learning. Instructors generally have already gone through all of the resources in on campus learning and pull apart these resources in order to teach the students the most important aspects from those resources. In online learning, on the other hand, students are given the resources and must navigate through them in order to find adequate and applicable information regarding the topics at hand (Bonk, Lee & Kou, 2015, p. 358).
Lack of social interaction is another disadvantage when it comes to online education. With online education, students miss the natural interaction that occurs between different students throughout the classroom. Without this interaction, an adult learner misses the opportunity to network or learn other things from the environment that the online environment does not offer. This can be limiting the adult learner because of the number or experiences they can offer through conversation. Other learners can also be limited by adults participating in online learning. Adult learners bring previous knowledge and experience that others can learn from. While online students do participate in weekly discussion boards or online chat rooms, online students do not have the opportunity to verbally speak to their classmates or instructors. Online learners also miss some of the real world stories that are discusses during on campus classrooms. While there are these types of interactions in the online learning realm, these interactions are more dominate and more thoroughly discussed in on campus classes (James, 2016).
One of the main criticisms of online learning is that it lacks the ability of teamwork. Teamwork is considered important when it comes to further education. It teaches individuals skills that are needed in the professional world. However, “Many adult students do not like working on projects in academic teams and do not think working in teams enhances their learning” (p. 158). Furthermore, only forty three percent of online learners like working in teams and believes teamwork enhances their learning (Favor & Kulp, 2015, p. 157). There are pros and cons when it comes to teamwork. Teamwork helps some individuals learn, however, teamwork is used for younger students to help them prepare for the professional work. Adult learners who are already participating in the professional world do not necessarily need this type of preparation. Thus, teamwork may not be beneficial for adult learners either through campus learning or online learning.
Motivation is also a problem when dealing with adults in online learning. Online learning is self-directed and self-motivated. The individual must be able to motivate themselves in order to be successful in the online classroom. This can be a big disadvantage for several people. Those who are not properly motivated tend to fall behind their classmates or even drop out altogether. In other words, individuals who lack personal motivation may not be able to succeed through online learning (Tracey, 2010, p. 36). In other words, not all personality types are equal when it comes to the ability to achieve through online learning.
However, studies have suggested that adult learners typically tend to be highly motivated individuals. This is due to the fact that there is generally a reason why they are participating in higher education. These reasons generally have monetary influences which tend to motivate the individual to fulfill course requirements. On the other hand, even the most motivated individual can go through phases where they lack the motivation needed in order to succeed. This is why it is important for instructors to monitor all student’s participation throughout the online course. Everyone has the ability to fall behind due to lack of motivation. It is important for an instructor to realize this in order to assess what needs to be done in order to encourage active learning (Kelly, 2012).
One study analyzed the disadvantages that come along with adults in online classrooms. For example, seventeen percent of participants through one online learning study were found to have a lack of access to the required sites or services. Furthermore, fourteen percent had inappropriate or outdate technology. Lastly, thirteen percent experienced issues when it came to firewall barriers. All of these are issues that can become present when dealing with individuals who do not use technology on a day to day basis. Even individuals who do use technology on a day to day basis come across problems when dealing with technology and online learning. Some of the platforms and websites that are used through online learning can be difficult for even the technological savvy individuals (Bonk, Lee & Kou, 2015, p. 358).
Not using proper resources is another issue when it comes to adults in the online classroom. It was found that most online learners depend on online references like Wikipedia and YouTube. While these can be valuable resources, they are not considered scholarly or dependable in the academic world. Given the fact these resources are edited by users, their statistic information is not valuable to the academic world unless it is properly cited from scholarly research. Several online students are given the access to these resources, however, it was discovered that not all online students are properly trained on how to use these resources. Thus, using sites such as Wikipedia tend to be easier for the average online learner (Bonk, Lee & Kou, 2015, p. 360).
Recommendations for adult online learning
Proper resources should be given to the students to use throughout the class. One study discovered that the resources that were given to the students throughout online learning lacked quality material for the classroom. Also, it is important for all online students to have access to quality free resources. This can decrease the amount of individuals who use sources such as Wikipedia to conduct scholarly research. Also, online learners should be properly trained on how to use and implement scholarly research tools and search engines.
Furthermore, practitioners and educators need to understand how adult’s learners view teamwork and whether or not teamwork enhances their learning or aggravates it. It is also important to find ways to motivate naturally unmotivated people. In order to be successful in an online classroom, an individual must be able to personally motivate themselves to do their work. If they are not motivated then that person is more likely to fall behind or drop out of school all together. It is important to find ways to motivate this type of adult learner so they can get the most out of their distance learning experience.
Training and orientation is also important when it comes to online learning. It is important for educators to properly train their students on how to use the resources and website that are part of the online class. Adult learners will not fully gain all the information needed if they do not know how to adequate navigate through the online classroom. As mentioned above, almost one quarter of online learners have some kind of difficultly when it comes to the technological aspects of the online classroom. It was also mentioned above that students commonly do not utilize adequate sources. It is important to educate these individuals on what adequate sources consist of and where to find them.
Encouraging students to discover their own learning style can also be a valuable tool for distance learners. There are several different websites that allow users to utilize quizzes in order for that individual to determine the best ways they learn. The success of an adult online learner is dependent on the individual’s knowledge of learning styles. When an individual knows and understand what type of learner they are, that individual is better able to assess what they can do in order to better educate themselves. This is particularly important when it comes to online learning (Russell, 2006, p. 349).
Conclusion
Online learning is changing the face of education. Learners are now able to access higher education through online learning. Online learning is self-directed learning. The individual must be able to manage his or her learning process. They must be motivated and take initiative when it comes to their own learning without the presence of an instructor. Self-directed learning is essential for most professional jobs today.
There are several advantages or disadvantages when it comes to online learning. With the higher demand of work and family on an individual’s life, online learning gives that individual the ability to further their education from virtually anywhere at any time. Online learning allows a person to arrange their school schedule around their life. There have been no indication that online learning is worse than on campus learning. Individuals who participate in online learning have reported that they are just as satisfied with their studies as individuals who go on campus to learn. However, there are disadvantages when it comes to adult online learning as well. Online learning is dependent on computer skills, making it more difficult for individuals who did not learn basic computer skills in their formative years. Today, young adults learned basic computer skills during primary education. For those who did not, they must learn basic computer skills on top of keeping up with the course material. This makes the learning process twice as difficult for the individuals who did not grow up learning how to utilize a computer and all of its applications.
Furthermore, individuals may have problems with online learning if they lack the ability to motivate themselves. Due to lack of supervision, individuals must find motivation into the reasoning to completing their assignments and furthering their education. In other words, motivation is necessary when it comes to completing and succeeding in online learning. People who lack motivation may find it difficult to succeed through online learning. It has been shown that these individuals are more likely to fall behind in class and are more likely to discontinue their studies altogether. Lastly, not using proper resources is seen to be an issue with online learning. Sources such as Wikipedia are not quality sources when it comes to academic writing and research.
Training students on how to operate the online classroom is key when it comes to increasing the number of people successful through the online classroom. Also, it is important for instructors to monitor all of their students’ progress throughout the course. Even the best students can get behind and it is important to keep up with the needs and demands of the students. While due dates should be meant, it is important for instructors to remember that adult learners generally elect to take online classes due to other more pressing responsibilities in either their personal or professional life. An orientation should be conducted in order to teach students how to adequately find scholar resources as well as how they can manage and operate the online classroom. Overall, online learning has positive effects for different types of people and learning styles. Educators, however, need to take more time to make sure their students can adequately navigate through their online classroom.
References
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