Adults juggling a job and family while going back to school face challenges different from their undergraduate counterparts. Life priorities change over time, and there are additional challenges unique to taking a course online.
At the same time, colleges and universities continue to experience growth in their online programs. However, retention, persistence, and graduation rates of online learners remain problematic.
A new book by Anderson University’s Dr. Wendy J. Smith focuses on educators creating online courses that engage and inspire adults returning to college, while helping their institutions maintain higher retention and completion rates for online programs.
Dr. Smith’s book is titled Practical Strategies for Teaching Adult Learners Online: Unlock Proven Strategies to Engage, Teach, and Design Courses for Adult Learners. The book will be available for purchase on January 28, 2025, as an e-book and paperback through Amazon.
Much of the book draws from Dr. Smith’s nearly two decades of experience in higher education, which includes her recent doctoral research. She has also taught courses in leadership, sociolinguistics, first-year experience, career and professional development, first-year writing seminar, and overseas.
Dr. Smith led an adult degree completion program while she was at Simpson University in California, overseeing a variety of majors including Social Welfare, Business Administration, Psychology, and Liberal Studies. While at Simpson, Dr. Smith explored professional development approaches to help instructors design courses and provide strategies for teaching this unique population online. These strategies aimed to increase retention and persistence, supporting not only student success but also faculty satisfaction in teaching online. She also collaborated with Simpson University faculty to redesign 36 courses by applying the adult learning principles discussed in her book. Many of the success stories in Dr. Smith’s book are based on this work.
Adults re-entering the classroom are unique, according to Dr. Smith, for good reason.
“A lot of times, adult learners come with a lot more life experience, work experience, and different life circumstances. One key valuable point is leveraging that experience and letting them apply it in their coursework,” she said. “Real-world application is important. If they’re learning things and it’s not anything that they can either apply in their work life or personal life, then it’s probably not going to interest them as much, and you could lose them.”
Dr. Smith also points out many ways instructors can overcome some of the isolation hurdles of teaching a class online.
“It takes more intentional planning and work to develop and foster what’s called social presence in e-learning,” she said. “Social presence refers to the feeling of being with others and students expressing themselves, which research indicates is particularly challenging to create in distance education. I focus a considerable amount of time in my book addressing strategies to create social presence. The online experience is different because we can’t see their expressions or hear their tone of voice.”
For her dissertation, Dr. Smith conducted a Delphi study with 15 faculty members from CCCU (Council for Christian Colleges and Universities) institutions who had significant experience teaching online. Just one example of her findings was that 93 percent of respondents agreed professional development on adult learning theories would improve online instruction and course design. These findings underscored the need for practical strategies to better support adult learners and faculty in online education, which ultimately inspired Dr. Smith to write this book.
Reflecting on her research, Dr. Smith said, “It validated that more faculty could benefit from professional development opportunities on adult learners, and strategies that bridge theory to practice help students thrive and support instructors.”
Dr. Smith’s book, grounded in proven adult learning theories, can benefit educators, instructional designers, or corporate trainers seeking to create effective courses. In addition to online courses, many of the book’s theories are also applicable to face-to-face and hybrid teaching environments. Included are insights on how to encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and self-directed learning. The book also offers practical solutions to challenges common to individuals taking online courses, such as isolation, low motivation, and technology fatigue.
Dr. Smith is the director of the Anderson University Center for Career Success. She received her Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education from Regent University and has two master’s degrees. She has also taught University 101 classes at Anderson, engaging students in activities that encourage collaboration, critical thinking, and real-world application of what they are learning.
She presented one of her book’s adult learning theories, known as andragogy, to the South Carolina Association of Colleges and Employers. Her presentation, Sharpen Your Presentation and Facilitation Game to Captivate Gen Z!, was popular and drew a large audience. She has also applied principles of andragogy in her work at the Anderson University Center for Career Success.
Practical Strategies for Teaching Adult Learners Online: Unlock Proven Strategies to Engage, Teach, and Design Courses for Adult Learners will be available through Amazon as an e-book and paperback through Amazon on January 28, 2025.