Non-traditional students or obsolete universities?

Human beings' propensity to categorize makes their world easier to understand. Consequently, the institutions they create have the same ability. For example, universities have recently coined the term "post-traditional students".

These individuals are learners of all ages, who may also be free learners, coming into classrooms or enrolling in part-time and sometimes full-time online postgraduate courses. They may be professionals seeking to acquire more knowledge in their field, career changers wishing to complete training and obtain certification, or simply curious individuals looking to expand their knowledge base.

In this way, they are differentiated from the "traditional" ones, who would be those aged 18 and over who, having left high school, would arrive at the university stage. However, this margin of non-traditional students is growing, and is already in the majority on campus, and many administrators are wondering what they want from their training. Fortunately for them, some have asked.

Quality and time

So what are these students thinking, and more importantly, what are they most concerned about? According to this survey of more than 4,000 non-traditional American online students, two factors stand out Firstly, the quality of the education provided. Because even if attitudes have evolved and a degree obtained from an online course no longer carries the same stigma as it did a few years ago, students still want to know that the institution will offer them recognized knowledge and curricula. Then there's time management. The older they are, the more worried they are about taking courses, even online. This is because it's often been a long time since they've been to school, and they're busy with work, family commitments and so on.

However, the notion of time remains very important for all students. Because their goals are clear even before they start training. Consequently, they ask themselves many questions, such as the duration of the course and of each module and their impact on their schedule, when the course starts, the support offered and its limits, the type of work required, the results and post-training follow-up, etc. The institutions need to answer these questions from the outset. Institutions need to answer these questions from the outset, so that learners can choose and feel they haven't made a mistake.

Non-traditional students or simply contemporary students?

University presidents and deans have asked whether the term "non-traditional students" might not be inaccurate. Because the idea that there is a fringe of young adults aged 18 and over who embark on their training full-time is less and less accurate. More and more of them are studying part-time and working to pay for their studies. Even secondary school leavers are demanding flexibility in the form of online studies and less typical study schedules.

What if the university simply isn't up to speed with today's students? Learners who seek to learn while not neglecting their personal and professional lives. Such a reality, however, has a major impact on academic establishments, which have to change their approach. For example, when these students decide to start a program, they can't wait until September or January to get started. There could be ways of offering training and coaching by tutors and professors at any time.

In this way, it would no longer be the student who has to fit into the university environment, but the university that has to meet the expectations of the different student profiles that come their way. There is a significant demand for training, but the traditional model is less and less in tune with the reality of adults of all ages. So it's becoming essential for universities to think about how they can change their approaches to satisfy an even wider pool of potential students, whether they're 21 or 77. Those who speak English and want to get an idea of the situation, at least in America, could read the various articles published and grouped together by The EvoLLLution website, which focuses on this issue. Some forty thought-provoking texts on the reality of these non-traditional students.

Illustration : National Renewable Energy Lab via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

References

Levato, Anthony. "Who Are Today's Post-Traditional College Students?" EDDY Blog. Last updated March 13, 2017. http://blog.educationdynamics.com/todays-post-traditional-college-students/.

Novak, Richard. "Understanding and Meeting Needs Central to Creating Value for Online Students." The EvoLLLution. Last updated March 18, 2015. http://evolllution.com/opinions/understanding-meeting-central-creating-students/.

Robyn, Elisa, and Linda Lujan. "Call Them What They Are: The New Contemporary Student." The EvoLLLLution. Last updated February 3, 2017. https://evolllution.com/attracting-students/todays_learner/call-them-what-they-are-the-new-contemporary-student/.

"What's On Their Minds: Incoming Adult and Online Students." InsideTrack. Last updated January 25, 2017. https://www.insidetrack.com/resources/whats-minds-incoming-adult-online-students/.