Study of adult learning assumptions as applied to online course design strategies

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: The objective of the study is to discover and interpret the archived narrative responses of adult learners having completed online courses to ascertain how effectively these courses deliver course content that meets the adult learning assumptions as presented by contemporary adult learning authorities. Adult learners find themselves in taking online courses with design strategies that may not have considered the unique adult learning traits. This study employed content analysis to analyze responses of over 3,000 adult learners having completed 41 online courses to ascertain how well these online courses met the needs of these adult learners.

Findings and conclusions. The archived data was analyzed using qualitative content analyzed. Nine categories of adult learning assumptions emerged. The analysis revealed that widely accepted learning assumptions about adult learning are important considerations when designing online courses; however, these assumptions are based almost exclusively on traditional face-to-face classroom research, which is insufficient for adults learning online. Collaboration, good teacher access, and intuitive course design are the primary considerations when designing online courses for adults. If online course design does not account for these three adult learning assumptions, the course will not be successful even if all the conventional adult learning assumptions are present in the course.