Using an engagement in research approach this article explores the landscape of blended learning in higher education over the last decade by comparing the results of a critical literature review by Vaughan to an instrumental case study that identified key factors that led to the implementation of a blended learning initiative in one medium sized…

The purpose of this paper is to explore how adult learners engage in asynchronous online discussion through the implementation of an audio-based argumentation activity. The study designed scaffolded audio-based argumentation activities to promote students' cognitive engagement. The research was conducted in an online graduate course at a liberal…

Background: There is evidence that learners may adopt different kinds of achievement goals: mastery approach, mastery avoidance, performance approach, and performance avoidance. In higher education, this evidence has mainly come from young people who have recently gone straight from secondary education to higher education. However, higher…

This article reports findings from a qualitative study of adults' perceptions and experiences of learning musical instruments. Conducted in the south-east United States, 15 adults who were learning instruments were recruited via community music groups and private instrumental teachers. Analysis of transcripts of semi-structured interviews…

This longitudinal study examines the perceptions, attitudes, and preferences of the adult learners in higher education institutions in the United States. Based on these aspects, this study allowed for an insight into how higher education institutions can create programs to better meet the needs of their adult learning population. This study was…

All learners learn best when they are motivated; so do adults. Hence, the way to ensure success of students in higher education is first to know what motivates and sustains them in the learning process. Based on a study of 203 university students, this paper presents eight top most motivating factors for adult learners in higher education. These…

This exploratory study was an attempt to understand the types of affective learning. The study focused on beginning students who were enrolled in apparel construction/sewing laboratory in community colleges within Los Angeles and Ventura counties during the spring of 2009 (n = 155). The primary purpose of the study was to develop scales that would…

Describes the beliefs about how to learn a second language held by 34 adults studying English as a second language and how these beliefs may influence what they do to learn. Describes eight modules designed to help these learners discover their own beliefs and consider alternative views. (SED)

Perceptions of 94 adult learners and 31 teachers regarding the nature and goals of literacy education revealed that adult learners tended to view literacy from a fundamental perspective, but entered programs for job-related (functional) reasons. On the other hand, teachers viewed literacy from a functional perspective, but presented programs that…

Describes materials for college level distance education students that use a student-centered approach to help individuals realistically assess their expectations. Highlights include costs; time needed; family considerations; educational and intellectual considerations; and examples of materials that are used at the Open University in Britain and…

The American Public University System (APUS) is currently attracting more than eight hundred new undergraduate students every month, the majority of whom are required to take "Foundations of Online Learning" as their first course. That first course plays a critical role in the academic career of new students and may have a direct bearing…

The question of why adult learners prefer particular course design patterns was studied. During fall 1981, 281 adult continuing professional education students at Cleveland State University and at several U.S. military bases in West Germany and Italy were studied. The research was based on two previous studies: one tested hypotheses generated from…

An ethnographic study investigated four adult beginning reading (ABR) classes in several adult learning centers in order to determine the effect of an adult's age and developmental phase on his or her behavior and attitudes in the learning-to-read process. For 9 months, a four-member research team conducted on-site observations, compiled extensive…

It is generally recognized that students' feelings about learning affect their ability to learn. One of the three strongest influencing factors on second-language learning is classroom anxiety. This paper focuses on student emotional distress in the English as a second language (ESL) classroom, and suggests that one of the primary causes of this…

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO'S SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, AN EVALUATION WAS MADE OF GAMING AS AN EFFECTIVE TRAINING DEVICE FOR LOWER RANKING MANAGEMENT AND RANK-AND-FILE PERSONNEL. PARTICIPANTS WERE COLLEGE STUDENTS AND PART-TIME STUDENTS, BELIEVED TO BE LIKE PERSONS INVOLVED IN MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAMS AND PROGRAMS FOR RANK-AND-FILE EMPLOYEES. THE…