ation and certification in order to hone their skills and employability in a highly competitive market (Cetron & Davies, 2003a; Flew, 2002; Sharma & Kitchens, 2004). In fact, the number of college students more than 40-years-old has more than tripled in 20 years (Sharma & Kitchens, 2004).
The growth in the number of older adults in the student population will also likely to increase over time as a result of socio-demographic changes. First, the increase in the life expectancy and health of each generation in the developed world is likely to generate an increased group of adult students. They may participate in adult education either to remain active or to participate in the work force (Cetron & Davies, 2003a). Second, many older adults are continuing to work past their retirement age. Third, the older population also constitutes the wealthiest group in American society (Cetron & Davies, 2003b); thus, they will possess the financial resources to pay for education in a private higher educational institution.
Because adult students often lead hectic lives that involve juggling three spheres of life - work, study and family, they require an innovative way to enable them to fulfill their study objectives, while maintaining other aspects of their lives. In order to cater to the growing needs of this student population, many higher education institutions have utilized the ICTs to provide online courses on the Web for these students (Sharma & Kitchens, 2004). For many educational institutions, the Internet has become a cost-effective way of delivering education to hundreds and thousands of students (Hiltz, 1998). According to the report of the National Center Education Statistics, nearly two million students participate in online courses at almost 2,000 U.S. universities, with 25 percent enabling students to complete entire degrees through online courses (in Conaway, 2002).
While online education provides opportunities f...