Fundamental Elements of Transition Program Design

Abstract

Adult learners require supports and services to help them successfully transition into taking on the demands and expectations of college students. Transition programs have grown in popularity as a means to aid adult learners as they transition to higher education. Unfortunately, previous research on adult learner participation in transition programs is limited in its scope and depth. There is a need to understand how to develop transition programs to best support adult learners. Drawing on interviews and observation, this narrative study investigates program details about the funding structure, reporting measures, and development of the researched transition program. I identify fundamental elements for effective transition program design that align with adult education and transition theory. This research also points to the importance of connecting adult learners to institutions to give them a sense of mattering to the university.

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“…They reported satisfaction with the program and believed it was a valuable use of their time. They specifically noted that the concept of beginning with an assessment of their needs and developing content priorities based on their results was a valuable approach, which validates the previous research findings of Karmelita (2017) and Whisler et al, (2017).…”

“…Collaborative inquiry fosters community building through reciprocal dialogue, involving program participants in planning and evaluating their educational needs, and building relevance by relating curriculum to real life experiences (Knowles et al, 2015). When adult learners take ownership of their own learning experiences in an environment where open and honest dialogue is encouraged, they are more willing to answer fully and truthfully, thus providing researchers with an accurate understanding of their viewpoints and the reasoning behind those perspectives (Karmelita, 2017). Finally, collaborative instruction facilitates the formulation of Value Creation Networks, in which program participants reflect on a learning outcome's immediate, potential, applied, realized, and transformative values.…”

“…A location with better internet accessibility would facilitate increased access to support resources, leading to program improvement (Avci et al, 2020). We also recommend continuing the use of participants involvement in program planning to increase value and participation (Karmelita, 2017 andWhisler et al, 2017). We also recommend a follow up evaluation with the program participants Borich Model to ascertain how they are using the knowledge acquired during the training.…”