This term usually is used in reference to higher education contexts. Within this setting, nontraditional learners are beyond the customary 18-21 year old students. However, more important than their age, are the constellation of varied characteristics which distinguish them from traditional students including more extensive prior experience, many and substantial demands which compete with school (for example, family, work, childcare, eldercare, military service, etc.), greater need for self-direction and autonomy, often part-time enrollment, and more.
Published in Chapter:
If at First You Don’t Succeed, Become a Lifelong Learner: Gaining Capital through Online Higher Education Environments
Kathleen P. King (University of South Florida, USA), Christina M. Partin (University of South Florida, USA), Hidelisa C. Manibusan (University of South Florida, USA), and Gillian M. Sadhi (University of South Florida, USA)
Copyright: © 2013
|Pages: 18
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-2181-7.ch021
Abstract
In this chapter, the authors propose examining online learning in higher education as a mechanism for promoting lifelong learning skills, and thus, as a way to provide capital to students. With that in mind, they provide a theoretical foundation to demonstrate the need for workforce development as well as interdisciplinary perspectives on the skills and requisites necessary for successful lifelong learning, and how both are important to the central mission of higher education. This chapter explores the literature and major issues surrounding the importance and use of capital and lifelong learning skills, and how both can be gained through online learning. The authors argue that lifelong learning skills can be generated through transformative leaning experiences and that facilitating these experiences should be a goal of online learning in higher education in order to ensure that students have the skills necessary to gain social, cultural, and economic capital in order to remain relevant through their lives in a 21st century, learning society. In this chapter, the authors discuss several relevant examples of “Tools for Lifelong Learning” including specific examples to demonstrate how online classes can serve as a mechanism to generate capital for students in higher education settings. They provide a model and build upon theory across higher education, sociology, adult learning, and educational psychology to provide a new perspective of the importance of lifelong learning as well as best practices for achieving these goals.