Removing Barriers to the Participation of Adult Learners in Higher Education

Abstract

The effectiveness of open admissions and delivery of educational services at a distance in serving adult learners enrolled at Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada, was studied in 1979-80 through an analysis of demographic and geographic information on 2,491 students. Information was gathered on the following characteristics: sex, age, number of people in the household, educational preparation, occupations, reason(s1 for pursuing a university education, geographic location, preference for various learning situations, and reasons) for studying at Athabasca University. The malority of the university's students were 25 to 44 years old: 63 percent of its students were female and 37 Percent were male. It was found that approximately 50 percent of the students .attending the university benefited from the open admission policy. Eighteen percent of the students applied for advanced credits toward an undergraduate degree based on credit earned elsewhere. Less than one percent were able to take advantage of the absence of a residency requirement and earned enough credits through advanced credit assessment to be granted a bachelor of general studies degree. Thirty percent of the students were from geographically isolated regions. The fact that many of the students reside in large cities and big towns indicates that adult learners prefer the convenience of taking home, study courses. The data suggest that distance education with new media and methods serves a new student population, including women and working people. A bibliography is appended. (SW) ** ** * ** **** ** * *. * ****** *** *** ** * Reproductions supplied by EDES are the best that can be made from the original document. ****4* ********************** * -PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INEIMATION CENTER (ERIC).REMOVING BARRIERS TO TIE PARTICIPATION OF ADULT LEARNERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION Petra Hammer & Douglas Shale U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OE EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Thy% tiocurriunt hoo boon redroduced To rootoodd tour.. ihi. pitmen Or Woar11/0110r, Ottitmalloci tt. Ma nor 0.-Irvivs haw been noide to tfripft)we roroodoi bin /wain, * Points dt vonA or opinions stated in that (1000 mont do not rvocc.s&jhly repreSot otticoi NIE pool di policy. Association for the Study of Higher Education The George Washington University / One Dupont Circle. Suite 630 / Washington. D.D. 20036 (202) 296-2597 This paper was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education held at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. March 3-4, 1981. This paper was reviewed by ASHE and was judged to be of high quality and of interest to others concerned with the research of higher education. It has therefore been selected to be included in the ERIC collection of ASHE conference papers. Annual Meeting March 3-4,1981 Washington Hilton Washington, D.C. Removing Barriers to the Participation of Adult Learners in Higher Education