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Higher Education Conference
The Adult Learning Focused Institution:Is Yours One?
Judith Wertheim, Ed.D.
Vice President for Higher Education Services
CAEL
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Serving Adult Learners
CAEL is the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
Non-profit, international organization; 33 years of experience
Headquartered in Chicago, IL with offices in Philadelphia, PA; Denver, CO; New York, NY; and Norwalk, CT
Nearly 700 college & university members; corporate membership in early stages and growing – primarily HR leaders
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Serving Adult Learners
CAEL’s Mission
To advance lifelong learning in partnership with educational institutions, employers, labor organizations, government, and communities
To remove barriers and expand lifelong learning opportunities for adults
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Adult learner barriers
Institutional• Policies and practices that impede and
discourage adult learners
Situational• Adult learner’s life situation or circumstances
Dispositional• Adult learner’s personal concerns, beliefs, or
attitudes
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Emphasizing College Enrollment
In his State of the State address (February 5, 2007), Governor Brad Henry continued to stress the importance of higher education in Oklahoma:
Though college enrollment is at record levels, Oklahoma “must…work toward producing more college graduates.”
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Oklahoma’s Challenge
Yet, as Chancellor Glen Johnson said:
“Currently, we are below the national average in the percentage of our population with college degrees, so there is much to do.”
“We must enhance our efforts to retain and graduate our college students at a higher rate.”
January, 2007
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Increasing Adult Enrollment
ReachHigher
More than 69,000 Oklahomans have attended college for at least two years but don’t have a bachelor’s degree.
It was determined that a business-based degree, offered through a collaboration of universities across the state, was needed.
On February 8, 2007, ReachHigher: Oklahoma’s Degree Completion Program was approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
The program will launch in March at nine of Oklahoma’s public universities across the state.
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Increasing Adult Enrollment
Participants in ReachHigher will:
• take college courses in a flexible, adult-friendly (italics added) format
• earn the Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership
• be equipped with communication skills, leadership concepts and other knowledge and skills that are relevant in the workforce
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Serving Adult Learners
Main Factors Influencing Adult’s Decision to Enroll in Higher Education
Convenient time and place for classes
Flexible pacing for completing program
Ability to transfer credits
Reputation of institution
Requirement for current or future job
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Serving Adult Learners
Factors Influencing Decision to Enroll (cont’d.)
Credit for learning gained from life/work experiences
Availability of online courses
Availability of financial assistance
Tuition assistance from employer
Availability of child care
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Serving Adult Learners
CAEL’s Adult Learning Focused Institution (ALFI) Initiative:
ALFI helps colleges and universities recruit and retain adult learners through improved services and programs
One of CAEL's publications, Principles of Effectiveness for Serving Adult Learners, can help make programs more attractive and accessible to adults
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Serving Adult Learners
ALFI Project Origins
CAEL’s 1999 Benchmarking Study of six high-performing, adult-serving colleges and universities
Best Practices in Adult Learning, a CAEL book Study findings distilled into eight Principles of Effectiveness Assessment Tools released in 2004
• Adult Learner Inventory• Institutional Self-Assessment Survey
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CAEL’s ALFI Project
CAEL’s Principles of Effectiveness for Serving Adult Learners
1. Outreach2. Life & Career Planning3. Financing4. Assessment of Learning Outcomes5. Teaching-Learning Process6. Student Support Systems7. Technology8. Strategic Partnerships
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ALFI Principle #1
ALFI Principle #1
Outreach• The institution conducts its outreach to adult
learners by overcoming barriers in time, place, and tradition in order to create lifelong access to educational opportunities.
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Outreach in Oklahoma
Outreach
“Improved outreach is a major priority of the State Regents, and the Web is becoming an increasingly important method to provide vital information to decision makers, opinion leaders and the public at large.”
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. BrainGain. August,2006
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ALFI Principle #2
ALFI Principle #2
Life and Career Planning• The institution addresses adult learners’ life
and career goals before or at the onset of enrollment in order to assess and align its capacities to help learners reach their goals.
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ALFI Principle #3
ALFI Principle #3
Financing• The institution promotes choice using an array
of payment options for adult learners in order to expand equity and financial flexibility.
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ALFI Principle #4
ALFI Principle #4
Assessment of Learning Outcomes• The institution defines and assesses the
knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired by adult learners both from the curriculum and from life/work experience in order to assign credit and confer degrees with rigor.
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ALFI Principle #5
ALFI Principle #5
Teaching/Learning Process• The institution’s faculty use multiple methods of
instruction (including experiential and problem-based methods) for adult learners in order to connect curricular concepts to useful knowledge and skills.
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ALFI Principle #6
ALFI Principle #6
Student Support Systems• The institution assists adult learners using
comprehensive academic and student support systems in order to enhance students’ capacities to become self-directed, lifelong learners.
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ALFI Principle #7
ALFI Principle #7
Technology• The institution uses information technology to
provide relevant and timely information and to enhance the learning experience.
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ALFI Principle #8
ALFI Principle #8
Strategic Partnerships• The institution engages in strategic
relationships, partnerships, and collaborations with employers and other organizations in order to develop and improve educational opportunities for adult learners.
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ALFI Principle #9
ALFI Principle #9
Transitions• The institution supports guided pathways
leading into and from its programs and services in order to assure that students’ learning will apply to successful achievement of their educational and career goals.
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All of the Principles
The Principles of Effectiveness are:
Integrated – they work together
Indivisible – they form a whole
Imperative – not just “a good idea”
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The ALFI Assessment Toolkit
The ALFI Assessment Tools
Adult Learner Inventory (CAEL & Noel-Levitz) is an adult student survey based on ALFI
Institutional Self-Assessment Survey (CAEL & NCHEMS) is for adult degree program administrators
Both tools piloted in 2002-2003 and released in 2004
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The ALI
Sample Questions from the Adult Learner Inventory
My program allows me to pace my studies to fit my life and work schedules.
I am able to obtain information I need by phone, fax, e-mail, or online.
Sufficient course offerings within my program of study are available each term.
I can receive credit for learning derived from my previous life and work experiences.
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Institutional Self-Assessment
Institutional Self-Assessment Categories
Institutional background Mission, leadership, and organizational structure Tuition and financial aid Teaching and learning Faculty recruitment and development Student services Key constituencies
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The ISAS
Institutional Self-Assessment Survey
Sample Item:• To what extent does your institution partner with other
organizations (community-based organizations, employers, other post-secondary providers) to deliver student support services: Not at all Not very much Somewhat A great deal Almost always (provide examples on supplementary page)
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Institutional Matrix
VeryImportant
VerySatisfied
VeryUnimportant
VeryDissatisfied
Copyright 2004 Noel-Levitz
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Using the Tools
Using the ALFI Assessment Tools
To date, nearly 60 institutions have used the ALFI Toolkit; nearly 24,000 students have completed the ALI.
In 2005-06, 26 community colleges participated in a new pilot of tools created specifically for them.
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Using the Tools
How Institutions Have Used the Tools
Preparation for accreditation review Internal program review Development of strategic plans Aligning resources to best meet the needs of adult
learners Creating recruitment messages
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Using the Tools
How Institutions Have Used the Tools(cont’d.)
Facilitating discussion & debate Focusing attention on adult learner needs and issues Helping with market niche reporting
Significant correlation between colleges doing well on ALFI assessments and retention of adult students
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Additional Information
For more information, please contact me:
Judy [email protected]
312-499-2659
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Additional Information
You can also visit CAEL’s Website:
www.cael.org
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) ALFI Membership Conferences Publications White Papers
Higher Education Conference
