Challenges and Solutions to Assisting Older Adults in Completing the GED

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 16-34
Author(s):  
Karen E. Brinkley-Etzkorn
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Adult Basic Education ◽  
Older Students ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
High School Equivalency ◽  
Older Learners ◽  
Ged Credential ◽  
Ged Programs

The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges and solutions encountered by Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs currently serving older adults seeking a GED credential in states where this is the only high school equivalency option available. The following questions guided this research: (1) what are the perceived characteristics and needs of older students seeking a high school equivalency diploma?; (2) how do GED programs promote the success of their older students?; and (3) what are the future service and planning needs of these GED programs with regard to this population? To address these questions, a series of 55 one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with experts across 32 GED-only states was carried out. Findings revealed a consistent, shared experience in terms of overall attitudes and challenges among these experts, as well as a variety of innovative practices and recommendations for assisting older learners.

Fostering Student Work-based Experiences through Service-Learning

2015 ◽  
pp. 182-210
Author(s):  
Jennifer Maddrell
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Instructional Design ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Adult Basic Education ◽  
High School Equivalency ◽  
Alcohol Recovery ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
And Performance ◽  
One Year

This case study explains how a complete overhaul to the national high school equivalency test posed a significant organizational challenge to Grace Centers of Hope, a nonprofit based in Pontiac, Michigan in the United States. All adult clients participating in Grace Centers of Hope's one-year drug and alcohol recovery program who are without a high school diploma or equivalent are required to take in-house adult basic education classes to prepare for taking the high school equivalency test. Faced with the need to completely redesign their existing adult basic education program, Grace Centers of Hope reached out to Designers for Learning, an instructional design and performance improvement consultancy that matches nonprofits with instructional design students in service-learning projects. The resulting 100% virtual e-service-learning collaboration among volunteer college students, their faculty sponsors, and other advisors provided Grace Centers of Hope with educational resources to support the organization.

Fostering Student Work-Based Experiences Through Service-Learning

2020 ◽  
pp. 1041-1063
Author(s):  
Jennifer Maddrell
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Instructional Design ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Adult Basic Education ◽  
High School Equivalency ◽  
Alcohol Recovery ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
And Performance ◽  
One Year

This case study explains how a complete overhaul to the national high school equivalency test posed a significant organizational challenge to Grace Centers of Hope, a nonprofit based in Pontiac, Michigan in the United States. All adult clients participating in Grace Centers of Hope's one-year drug and alcohol recovery program who are without a high school diploma or equivalent are required to take in-house adult basic education classes to prepare for taking the high school equivalency test. Faced with the need to completely redesign their existing adult basic education program, Grace Centers of Hope reached out to Designers for Learning, an instructional design and performance improvement consultancy that matches nonprofits with instructional design students in service-learning projects. The resulting 100% virtual e-service-learning collaboration among volunteer college students, their faculty sponsors, and other advisors provided Grace Centers of Hope with educational resources to support the organization.

scholarly journals Ageism on Campus: Opportunities to Include Age in Diversity and Inclusion Efforts

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 7-7
Author(s):  
Cassandra Barragan ◽  
Stephanie Wladkowski
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Students ◽  
Leadership Positions ◽  
Older Learners ◽  
University Campuses ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Midwestern University ◽  
Barriers And Opportunities ◽  
The Many ◽  
The University

Abstract Diversity and inclusion are essential perspectives on university campuses. In recent years, there has been a nationwide decline in admissions resulting in changes to traditionally FTIAC driven college campuses. An environmental scan was completed at a mid-sized midwestern university to explore age-inclusive barriers and opportunities for change. In-depth interviews were held with 28 EMU stakeholders representing a wide variety of ages in leadership positions across campus. Students aged 40 and above (N=248) were also surveyed about their experiences on campus. Qualitative analysis revealed ageist attitudes about older adults and older students from at all levels of the university. Results demonstrate that initial responses to ‘age-friendly’ focused on stereotypes of older adults, but attitudes adjusted when reframed as older learners and further refined when older learners were defined as 40 and above. Additionally, there was a distinct disconnect between ageist perceptions towards older adults and older students which highlights the importance of intergenerational opportunities as an approach to combat ageist attitudes on campus. While these barriers require long-term and complicated solutions, participants described the many benefits that older learners bring to enrich the campus. Results of this research revealed opportunities to reframe aging in the context of diversity and inclusion efforts on campus. Adopting diversity efforts to include age can benefit universities in not only admissions, classroom experiences, and connections to surrounding communities.

Woodturning for Older Learners: A Real ‘Turn On’

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-91
Author(s):  
Lisa C. Ehrich ◽  
Brian L. Delahaye
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Approaches To Learning ◽  
Survey Questionnaire ◽  
Trial And Error ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Older Learners ◽  
Guided Practice ◽  
Turn On ◽  
Positive Climate

The research reported in this study concerns older adults from Australia who voluntarily chose to learn the craft of woodturning. Semi-structured interviews and a survey questionnaire were distributed to members of a woodturning club to explore their motivations and the processes by which they learned how to woodturn. The findings indicated that participants' motivation could be construed as both intrinsic and extrinsic. They used seven approaches to learning – structured courses, instruction from convenors, modelling/watching/demonstrations, guided practice and monitoring by convenors, trial and error with practice, advice and help from peers and reading. Finally, the positive climate of the organisation was found to be particularly important to the older learners.

No Adult Left Behind

2014 ◽  
pp. 216-236
Author(s):  
Linda Salter
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Continuing Education ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Older Students ◽  
Older Learners ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Group A ◽  
Learning Professionals

With an aging population and the increasing role of virtual technologies in education, educators and educational institutions need to be informed about contemporary and predicted demographics regarding older adults as learners as well as what is currently understood about learning later in life. Although recently increasing, there has been a lack of attention paid to this demographic group. A literature review reveals that “older” students are often those age 25 to 30, while the fastest growing segment of the population is much older. Truly “older” learners can and should be accommodated in the virtual environments that are becoming more and more common in higher and continuing education. The purpose of this chapter is to offer guidance for adult learning professionals tasked with accommodating older adults in virtual environments.

Adult Education Need vs. Capacity

2020 ◽  
pp. 76-93
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
English Language ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
National Assessment ◽  
High School Degree ◽  
Ged Credential

The 2004-2014 findings from the District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System (DC CAS) and the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that the District's 4th and 9th graders scored 49th out of 51 states and territories in 2016. The District had switched to the federal PAARC test, and in 2017 it began to implement the Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) model. Implementing this model means that students will work with two teachers in the classroom: one provides job-training and another who teaches basic skills in reading, math, or English language. The students' historically-low test scores and the implementation of the I-BEST model suggest that CSOSA clients referred to the District's public and charter schools or nonprofit adult education contractors would have been unlikely to have been able to obtain a high school degree or GED credential.

No Adult Left Behind

2014 ◽  
pp. 1384-1404
Author(s):  
Linda Salter
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Continuing Education ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Older Students ◽  
Older Learners ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Group A ◽  
Learning Professionals

With an aging population and the increasing role of virtual technologies in education, educators and educational institutions need to be informed about contemporary and predicted demographics regarding older adults as learners as well as what is currently understood about learning later in life. Although recently increasing, there has been a lack of attention paid to this demographic group. A literature review reveals that “older” students are often those age 25 to 30, while the fastest growing segment of the population is much older. Truly “older” learners can and should be accommodated in the virtual environments that are becoming more and more common in higher and continuing education. The purpose of this chapter is to offer guidance for adult learning professionals tasked with accommodating older adults in virtual environments.

scholarly journals Information Technology Gifted Program under the National Curriculum Reform of Basic Education: A Case Study on a Senior High-School in Shanghai, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 ◽  
pp. 77-97
Author(s):  
Phunsapphaisan THANON ◽  
Zhihua XIA ◽  
Yuan XUN
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
Independent Study ◽  
Senior High School ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Gifted Program

As the definition of ‘giftedness’ differs by country, policy set to support gifted education differs accordingly. The objective of this study is to investigate the outcomes of the IT Gifted Program offered by Yi Chuan Senior High School in Shanghai. The participants are 24 students who were or had been enrolled in this program. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and documents related to the program. The IT Gifted Program is found to boost participants’ confidence in their abilities in the information technology field. Furthermore, most of the gifted students reported great learning improvements in all academic areas, showed increased confidence in general and were more engaged in both collaborative learning and independent study. Most importantly, positive outcomes in terms of successful admission to higher education institutions are evidenced.

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