1. Serving Adult Learners in the 21 st Century The National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2012 Judy Wertheim Vice President, Higher Education Services 1

2.  Review the document “Focusing on Adult Learners in Postsecondary Education: Responding to the Challenge of a New Age”  Suggest additional recommendations, with a particular focus on PLA  Brainstorm about how to influence policy and practice at all levels to integrate PLA in postsecondary education and help ensure success for adults. Today’s Session will:

3. ALFI = Adult Learning-Focused Institution Identifies 9 principles that are essential for effectively serving adult learners Relation of Today’s Session to Some of the ALFI Principles

4. 4 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.

5. Opportunity for credit for work- related credentials 5 One Best Practice: Life/Career Planning

6. 6 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.

7. 7 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.

8. Collaboration and group work 8 One Best Practice: The Teaching/Learning Process One Best Practice: The Teaching/Learning Process

9. Priorities for Transforming Institutions to Serve Adult Learners* 1.Provide help for adults in navigating education and career information 2.Launch a national marketing and communications campaign *From Lumina/CAEL convening and CAEL conference, 2011 To Serve Adult Learners in the 21 st Century

10. 3. Recognize learning outcomes (vs. seat time), as well as the assessment and validation of all types of learning 4. Conduct more research – and establish a better understanding of what we know already 5. Focus on financial aid and institutional financing Priorities (cont’d.)

11. 6.Integrate learning and work 7.Recognize the importance of local and regional drivers 8. Develop a credit bank for students 9. Focus on technology as an integral part of adult learning Priorities (cont’d.)

12. A National Learning Recognition Agenda for Adults  Establish a National Education and Career Navigation Service  Launch a campaign to educate students and faculty about PLA Action Plan

13.  Advocate for institutional, government, and accrediting policies focused on learning outcomes and recognition of prior learning  Carry out research to support adult learner success and institutional transformation Action Plan (cont’d.)

14.  Link with metro and urban strategies focused on Talent Dividend and postsecondary education attainment  Develop new strategies to reach rural adults Action Plan (cont’d.)

15. ◆Explore the creation of a National Leadership Commission on the Adult Learning Recognition Agenda to oversee and publicize the work Next Steps

16.  Additional Recommendations  Reactions to the Recommendations  Reaction to Action Plan  How to Implement Next Step(s) National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning 2012

17. Session Participants Suggest: