As technology develops, it presents many opportunities for people to expand their skill sets and shape their own career growth. But the advantages of edTech don't stop there.
Adult students lead hectic lives, often making it impossible for them to spend as much time on campus. Therefore, colleges and universities need to offer learning opportunities tailored specifically for adult students' lifestyles.
Technology as Curriculum
Adult literacy programs that utilize technology as their curriculum often refer to this approach as an "instructivist curriculum" (Merriam & Brockett 1997).
Technology can also be used as an adjunct to instruction, allowing students to take control of their learning and develop new skills within the context of classroom or workplace instruction (Ginsburg 1998). When used this way, technology may also be called an "instructional tool".
A fourth challenge lies with adult learners and teachers having access to hardware and software for adult education. Many adults don't have computers at home or work and may feel insecure using them due to media reports of hackers getting through or losing data - this fear may inhibit confidence when using technology which in turn impedes their learning experience.
Technology as Delivery Mechanism
Delivery of content quickly to homes, workplaces or learning centers anytime and anywhere has opened up new avenues of adult education. This can be accomplished either using large computer-based curricula or by adding single pieces of software, web pages or online documents into existing (or newly designed) curricula.
The former approach allows students to set their own pace, an essential principle in adult education theory. Adults tend to become more engaged and committed to their learning if the process feels more personal - for instance by pausing and replaying videos or going back for further practice before proceeding further. On the other hand, experiential learning has proven more successful for many adults than traditional instructional methods.
Technology as Complement to Instruction
Teachers have long used technology to enhance instruction and support student learning. Nursing students, in particular, expect their nurse educators to employ various technologies such as Moodle, search tools, electronic resources and early-warning systems designed to prevent academic problems (Cahoon 1998).
Adults increasingly rely on the Internet as a source of learning for professional and personal purposes, with most Internet users reporting their learning in the last year helping expand their network, advance at work or find new employment, or spark changes in career direction.
Cherewka sees adult numeracy as an integral research area of WestEd's mission of providing high-quality education from early years through career development.
Technology as Instructional Tool
While each technological development has had its ramifications, this current wave is remarkable because of its educational applications - providing adults with a powerful opportunity for education.
However, this new opportunity comes with significant challenges. First and foremost is remembering that most adult learners lack prior experience using technology; as such they must dedicate significant time and energy into familiarizing themselves with tools and learning how to use them - an especially difficult proposition since their busy lives do not permit for long computer laboratory sessions in literacy programs.
Tools must also be user-friendly and allow for practice outside classroom instruction - an arduous feat when dealing with nontraditional students who juggle work, family and life obligations simultaneously. Even small frustrations such as scheduling an advisor meeting may prove frustrating to adult learners who must manage multiple obligations at the same time.
