SMART ODL TO ADULT LEARNERS (SOUL)
Adult learners differ from typical college students in a number of ways; from a psychological, cognitive, and affective perspective. The majority of adult learners are pursuing studies on their own time, and they face additional hurdles because they already have jobs and families to care for. Lack of time, family commitments, course schedule and location, and expenses are among the challenges that adult learners face. Some of them even work multiple jobs to support their families, especially in today's difficult economic climate. Hence, having the online distance learning (ODL) is a blessing to the adult learners as this would facilitate them in many ways. Nevertheless, due to the nature and challenges that they face, the ways and approach for the adult learners to learn and to be taught should be different from that of the ordinary college students. SouL, as an acronym for Smart ODL to Adult Learners, is therefore developed to signify the essential characteristics of adult learning via ODL. This conceptual model is developed as an adaptation to the new norms in teaching and learning (TnL). SOuL is developed based on the six dimensions TnL to adult learners comprising of learning spirit, learning design, learning style, learning process, learning climate, and learning support. The model is an outcome of a quantitative research by way of survey to more than 300 adult students who are still studying in higher education institutions in the country. This model is unique as the spiritual aspect of learning is added to the existing five dimensions of adult learning criteria in the literature. The SOuL model can benefit the community as it promotes the government's goal of enhancing the culture of lifelong learning among the people. The model is also aligned with the Ministry of Higher Education's (MOHE) digitalisation agenda. In addition, SOuL could assist instructors and adult students in adapting to the problems that lie ahead.
Keywords: Adult learners; Digitalization; and Online Distance Learning (ODL)
- WAN NAIMAH BINTI WAN DAUD
- SITI KHADIJAH ABD MANAN
- FADZIANI YAAKUB
- SITI UMAIRAH BINTI ALI HAMDAN
- ABD. AZIZ BIN REKAN
