The increase in adult students in the U.S. reflects a number of trends, including increasing population and the desire of many adults to advance in their careers. As Aslanian (2005, p. 1) notes, ôAdult students are utilitarian buyers, looking to enter, advance in, or change careers.ö My own desire to achieve my degree through an online university stems from this reason. In the past, many traditional colleges and universities failed to provide the resources specifically aimed at meeting the needs of adult learners. All of that has changed as more online universities have removed barriers such as geography, time constraints and others, while specifically addressing the needs of adult students. As the Economist (2005, p. 19) notes, ôIn the 1970s adult students got scant attention from universities. That was not only unfair but unwise in the new economy, where workers much have to keep updating their skills. The University of Phoenix is designed for the needs of working adults, who make up 95% of its students.ö
There are a number of benefits of adult education that are offered by such online universities. These include educational benefits, such as online learning environments made up of diverse adult student populations from many countries. This exposure to diversity enhances the learning process by expanding oneÆs contact with foreign students and cultures in ways that provide greater insight and understanding of self and others. Online universities also offer a number of benefits for working adults, such as saving time due to removing traditional obstacles for working adults from lack of parking and extra time consumed in physically going to and from classes. Likewise, being in a learning environment with other working adults offers a number of benefits because each student brings his or her own rich experiences to share with others. In addition, many of these adult students have rich cultural, religious
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