With impressive 9.7% annual growth rate for online learning institutions as compared to 1.5% for overall higher education, it is time for a serious look at what makes it all work.

The unique population set that is driving this growth is that of the returning adult learner. But in our research we've found that not just any online program will work. Far beyond price point and even specialty accreditation, there are six factors, I'll call them "keys" to unlocking Online/Blended learning for Adults. By deploying these keys into programmatic design with rapid deployment, institutions can extend their scope of mission into this educational space.


1. Convenience:

The number one reason adults choose an online blended program is convenience. Adults are busy and living complex lives. Access to education is difficult. The model has to be learner-centric. When you bring education to the learner it works.


2. Collaboration:

The learning model should be based on cohort methodologies for the simple reason that adults learn best when in community. Research demonstrates that learners who are connected to a group of like-minded individuals will tend to persist to degree completion over those who are not. This community of learners should comprise a group of 15-20 adults who stay together for the entire program. They work together in small teams, design projects and essays together and ultimately graduate together. Building a successful cohort community of learners is one of the trademark building blocks of successful online-blended programs for adults.


3. Credit:

Adults seek acknowledgment of learning attained outside the classroom. In both graduate and undergraduate levels, this is attained by a modularized and detailed structure whereby the learner is the center of the course, not the faculty member - whom we refer to as a facilitator. This learner-centric modeling brings about an exchange of ideas that includes both reflection on past experiences and application toward present and future circumstances that is unattainable in the traditional 18-23 year old model of higher education.


4. Course:

Setting a Tracked Course of Study at an accelerated pace is essential. Adults are not seeking a plethora of options. They want to know what is expected of them and for how long to attain their degree. They are not interested in choosing between courses and trying to navigate the traditional higher education registrar system. Since adults are goal oriented, an institution can map out the course of study and see achievement rates far in excess of traditional programs.


5. Completion:

Adults are not satisfied until they complete. As a matter of fact, from our programs 85-90% of learners enrolled will persist until completion. Most attrition occurs at the end of modules one or two. After that point in time, unless there is a major life crisis or job change, most learners are right on track for completion with their cohort.


6. Credentials:

Adults represent pragmatism at its best. It really is about a consumer and a provider. Adults see a reason to gain the credentials. That reason is very pragmatic and has immediate application toward the advancement of their careers. Make no mistake, they do fall in love with learning, but that is still second to the achievement of the credential at the end of the journey.