Redefining Flexibility: Intensity, Choice, and Outcomes for Adult Learners

• In Event: Adult Literacy, Health, and Well-Being

Abstract

A key challenge for postsecondary institutions serving adult learners ages 25 and older is how to structure programs in ways that accommodate adults’ life situations while simultaneously providing workforce relevant skills. We draw on data from an inductive study of Ohio Technical Centers (OTCs) to examine a unique approach to meeting this challenge. Specifically, we compare OTCs’ intensive, cohort-based programs to more “flexible” community college programs. We argue that OTCs’ strong completion rates and labor market outcomes suggest a need to rethink what “flexibility” might mean for some adult student populations.

Authors

• Matthew Dennis Regele, Xavier University

• Sarah Woodruff, Miami University - Oxford

• Abigail Helsinger, Miami University

• Maressa Dixon, Miami University - Oxford

• Phyllis A. Cummins, Miami University

• Peter Riley Bahr, University of Michigan