Accelerated Courses as a Learning Format for Adults

Authors

  • Raymond Wlodkowski Regis University
  • Theresa Westover Regis University

Abstract

Many adults are turning to accelerated or intensive course formats to meet their educational needs. Conventional wisdom and scholarly critique suggest that material normally taught in a 16 week course cannot reasonably be presented and learned in a shorter 5 or 8 week term. This study investigates adult students' learning and attitudes in six accelerated courses at three private colleges. Several data sets are examined. First, 188 adult students responded to an end-of-course survey and indicated high levels of satisfaction with both the content and conduct of their accelerated courses. Second, a random sample of alumni from accelerated programs responded to the same survey and reported general satisfaction 1 to 2 years after completing their degrees. Third, current adult students completed content mastery and performance-based assessments. These measures indicate that 80% of these students demonstrated learning rated as satisfactory or above by faculty experts. Finally, researchers compared the learning and attitudes of younger (traditional) students enrolled in 16-week courses with the learning and attitudes of adult students enrolled in 5-week versions of the same courses. These results suggest that accelerated courses satisfy adult students' needs and provide levels of learning indistinguishable from those demonstrated by the younger students in traditional courses. Implications and further research needs are discussed.

Résumé

De nombreux adultes se prévalent de programmes intensifs ou accélérés pour leur besoins éducatifs. Or, le stéréotype et l'orthodoxie académique veulent que les contenus normalement présentés en quelque 16 semaines ne sauraient être adéquatement couverts dans une session réduite à 5 ou 8 semaines. La présente étude se penche sur les attitudes et les apprentissages d'adultes inscrits à six programmes intensifs dispensés dans trots collèges privés. Plusieurs ensembles de données furent analysés. D'abord, un sondage auprès de 188 finissants montre un taux de satisfaction élevé tant pour le contenu que pour la forme des cours intensifs. De plus, deux ans après la fin de leur programme accéléré, un échantillon aléatoire de diplômés affiche un taux de satisfaction comparable à celle des finissants. Par ailleurs, un groupe de participants s'est prêté à une évaluation de la maîtrise et du rendement, effectuée par un groupe d'enseignants experts de contenu. Ces derniers ont jugé que 80% des étudiants avaient réalisé des apprentissages satisfaisants ou supérieurs à la moyenne. Enfin, nous avons comparé les attitudes et les apprentissages d'étudiants plus jeunes (dits traditionnels) inscrits à une session de 16 semaines, à ceux d'adultes participant à une version accélérée des même cours (5 semaines). Le bilan suggère que les cours accélérés satisfont aux besoins des apprenants adultes et leur permettent des apprentissages dont la qualité ne se distingue pas des résultats obtenus par les jeunes dans les cours traditionnels. L'article s'achève par une réflexion sur la portée de ces résultats pour la recherche future.

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Published

1999-05-01

How to Cite

Wlodkowski, R., & Westover, T. (1999). Accelerated Courses as a Learning Format for Adults. Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, 13(1), 1–20. Retrieved from https://cjsae.library.dal.ca/cjsae/article/view/1986

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 1 (1999)

Section

Articles

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