N ON -T RADITIONAL S TUDENTS – E XTRAORDINARY !

D EFINING T RADITIONAL VERSUS N ONTRADITIONAL – OVER 45 DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS Traditional 18- to 22-years-old High school graduate Working on their first degree and first career choice Financially dependent on parents Studying full time Living on campus “Student” is their major role Caucasian, middle or upper class? Non-Traditional Older than 22, maybe much older Financially independent; Supporting self and possibly family Usually studying part-time Changing or enhancing careers; May have previous degree or college experience. Gaps in college studies Usually commuter Multiple roles at work, home and community Varied sociodemographics Enrollment in "non-traditional" programs Prior experiences that are traumatic or “different”

S O W HAT IS T YPICAL /T RADITIONAL ? 40% of students who are currently enrolled in colleges and universities in the United States are older than 25 51% are financially independent of family of origin 26% are parents and 15% are single parents 37% are enrolled part-time 33% are employed 35 hours a week or more 51% are low income 42% are students of color Source: Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success, 2015

C HALLENGES F ACED BY N ON - T RADITIONAL S TUDENTS Financial pressures Feeling alienated or different Disengagement from campus activities Insecurity, anxiety about their abilities Learning how to manage their time efficiently Unpredictable life crises Navigating campus Translating life experiences into credit

S TRENGTHS T HAT N ON -T RADITIONAL S TUDENTS B RING TO THE T ABLE OR C LASS Deep well of life experiences Knowledge and skills gained from work and experience Focused goals They know why they are in school and what they hope to gain Focused study and learning strategies Stronger sense of identity

A DULT D EVELOPMENT I SSUES Adult social relationships Erikson: Intimacy vs. Isolation Havighurst developmental tasks: managing home and family with partner, working with others, adult social networks, adult relationships with parents Contributing to society and next generation Erikson: Generativity vs. Stagnation Havighurst developmental tasks: guiding children, civic and social responsibilities, satisfaction with work and achievements Affects priorities set and how they see education

A DULT L EARNING : H OW DO ADULTS DIFFER ? Andragogy. Study of lifelong learning of adults Self-directed learners. They was to be in charge of their learning. More interest in application of learning rather than just knowledge acquisition. Less patience with rote memorization. Want to use information today! Relevance is very important. How does this relate to my work or my life? Focus on solving realistic and practical problems Utilization of their life experiences Learning is transformative.

W HAT D OES T HIS M EAN IN THE C LASSROOM ? Ask more questions especially ”Why?” Challenge ideas/conclusions Want to be actively engaged. Want to talk about ideas and do something. Focus on main ideas not details Strong skills in analyzing complex situations in depth (Post formal thinking) Thinking about different perspectives and challenging situation Contextualized thought; consideration of context and situational differences Note this can be intimidating to young students

I MPLICATIONS F OR O UR T EACHING Enjoy the challenges and deep appreciation of adult students Be flexible regarding the need to manage the complex responsibilities of adult life Find ways to elicit or tap into life experiences. Respect life experiences and find ways to build on them. Allow choices in assignments that let students pursue their interests Provide opportunities for self assessment, self pacing and self reflection Emphasize how education can help persons to reach goals or transform their lives Give assignments that have practical value for career goals.