Supporting Non-Traditional Students: Innovative Practices For Adult Learner Outcomes

The webinar introduces and expands understanding of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) in higher education institutions. It addresses the challenge of developing PLA programs due to varying knowledge about PLA practices. The session emphasizes the importance of ensuring all stakeholders have foundational knowledge to adopt PLA practices effectively. This cost-effective webinar aims to level the playing field in PLA understanding before starting program development.

The session covers the essentials of PLA, including definitions, data, program designs, benefits for students and colleges, and best practices from across the country. Attendees will gain a basic understanding of PLA, setting the stage for further exploration of these practices.

PLA has long been a tool for fast-tracking degree attainment, and its relevance is growing in today's diverse learning landscape and the numerous ways colleges can assess external learning. PLA can be a valuable tool for adult learners seeking to advance or change careers. These learners often seek efficient and cost-effective ways to earn credentials. Colleges offering credit for existing knowledge in a student's field of study are more likely to attract and retain these students. This presentation introduces PLA basics, focusing on acquiring a broad introductory understanding of the subject.

• Examine the definitions associated with PLA and PLA best practices
  
• Explore the research and data supporting PLA as a best practice for enrollment and retention of adult students
  
• Study examples of the various PLA programs across the country
  Discuss some of the best practices emerging in the field

Over 40 million adults have enrolled in some college courses but have not received a corresponding degree or credential. How can institutions attract this growing population of learners while supporting students who are juggling responsibilities such as classes, work, child and/or eldercare? Online success resources can establish a firm foundation upon which adult learners can finish their academic journeys. Join us for this important discussion about four strategies institutions can deploy for adult learner success. 

Research tells us that orientation is an essential component of successfully transitioning students to our institutions, and the support of orientation is particularly important for students from historically marginalized populations (Hoffman, et al). We will examine how we can equitably and accessibly onboard adult learners through innovative learning modalities. Examining case studies and data from two institutions, this presentation will demonstrate that when online orientation is paired with online student success workshops, institutions see increased persistence and improved grades among adult learners and minoritized students thereby closing equity gaps. During our webinar, we will share models for holistic online orientation and support resources. In addition, attendees will leave with curated open educational content.

• Identify four strategies for supporting adult learners.
  
• Examine the unique needs of adult learners.
  
• Learn models for online resources designed to support adult learners

The age of your learner makes a difference in the strategies you employ in your online courses. Recognizing your learner's unique circumstances, responsibilities, and goals can contribute to adult success design. This workshop will explore effective learning design components for the age and experience of your students to optimize engagement, motivation, and student success.

Adult students have perspectives that can bring content to life in a world that has changed to include technology, multimodal learning, and personalization. This workshop will introduce you to design opportunities engaging content for adult learners. Learn to enrich the online learning experience through personalization in assessment feedback, content choice, networked content evolution, and authentic collaboration. Incorporate tools easily available to students that will help them extend their learning, ask critical questions and transform the learning into applicable skills.

• Build community and cohesive adult learning communities for adult learners
  
• Improve current strategies for designing practical content for adult learners
  
• Designing for multiple access mediums
  
• Design a framework that encourages content evolution
  
• Introduce project-based assessment types and personalized feedback
  
• Create a collaborative online environment for adult learners
  
• Evaluate outcomes based on practical applications
  
• Make a plan for innovation

Advanced technologies continually move instruction into the virtual world, where students can access the support they need anytime and anywhere. The evidence is clear: when done appropriately, online instruction can benefit colleges and universities significantly in several key areas relevant to nontraditional students. As financial resources have become more scarce at many institutions and demands, have become more acute, online learning has become more pervasive. Online learning offers faculty, staff, and other professionals a way to do more with less while increasing retention and enhancing completion rates within the nontraditional student population.

At the same time, non-traditional students may not be as comfortable with online learning as their more-traditional counterparts. This webinar will cover the essential components of a successful online learning strategy designed to meet the needs of non-traditional students, including the pros and cons of the various platforms that are available, how to use them effectively to develop and maintain supportive educational environments that have all the feature of face-to-face instruction, and concrete solutions to the problems that inevitably arise in an online environment. The focus will be on ensuring that non-traditional students know how to effectively navigate an online learning system in a relaxed and productive manner. Also included will be opportunities for participant involvement through case studies and real-time feedback via chat.

• Review the essential components of successful instruction at the collegiate level.
  
• Learn how to adapt those components and best practices to an online environment.
  
• Improve the ability to connect in a virtual educational environment.
  
• Learn the benefits and challenges unique to online learning strategies aimed at non-traditional students.
  
• Explore evidence-based best practices in online learning with non-traditional students.
  
• Assess and anticipate the needs of nontraditional students for online learning.
  
• Investigate the available platforms and applications for facilitating online learning with non-traditional students.
  
• Discover strategies for engaging non-traditional students in a meaningful, productive way online.
  
• Critique real-life examples of effective and ineffective online interactions with non-traditional students.

Join your colleagues from across the country as we explore evidence-based best practices in promoting the recruitment, retention-to-graduation, and job placement for non-traditional college students -- and learn how strategies that work can be customized and adapted to your campus. We'll explore successful programs and initiatives in working with non-traditional students, as well as how to coordinate those services across campus. Equal emphasis will be placed on helping both non-traditional college students, as well as institutions, achieve their mutually-complementary objectives. It is important that everyone on campus (faculty, staff, administrators, support personnel, etc.) understand how non-traditional college students differ from their more traditional counterparts and that they use this information to be more responsive and effective when serving this population. This will be an interactive webinar where you will learn current, proven strategies associated with recruiting non-traditional college students, enhancing their persistence to graduation, and then facilitating their employment after graduation.

• Review the general characteristics of non-traditional college students from various subpopulations including veteran, minority, LGBTQIA, rural, urban and suburban, lower socioeconomic, transfer, international, and immigrant backgrounds
  
• Conduct a needs analysis to determine how well their institution is doing at identifying and responding to the comprehensive needs of non-traditional college students
  
• Explore the role of leadership in identifying and responding to the needs of non-traditional college students
  
• Investigate strategies for recruiting non-traditional college students from a variety of environments
  
• Discuss what can be done before non-traditional college students arrive on campus to help achieve the best possible outcomes
  
• Assess and anticipate the evolving advising needs of non-traditional college students with respect to academic preparation, social integration, mental and emotional health considerations, and financial support
  
• Explore evidence-based best practices in coordinating comprehensive retention initiatives related to academic advising for non-traditional college students
  
• Investigate the available platforms and applications that can be used to facilitate the process of recruiting and advising non-traditional college students from various populations
  
• Examine mechanisms for keeping everyone at the institution on the same page with respect to meeting the needs of non-traditional college students.
  
• Critique real-life examples of effective and ineffective ways of responding to the needs of non-traditional college students