Adult Learning: Building Paths to a Better Future

There are 36 million adults lacking basic literacy in the United States. Many of them might be considered relics of the industrial age supplanted by an era of knowledge work, but an estimated 12 million are under the age of 35. And quite a few struggle to find work--at least of the meaningful, sustainable variety. The 24 million holding down employment are mostly in menial positions replete with the kind of long commutes, inflexible hours and low pay that all too often characterize living paycheck to paycheck, rather than improving one's quality of life.

These adults are extremely diverse by conventional standards and life experiences. Some may have fallen off track in the K-12 system due to circumstances at home or unidentified learning needs, while others are immigrants--some with college degrees from their native country--facing language barriers to better job prospects.

The only common ground is the learning gaps which separate them from building vocational skills--and the socioeconomic benefits they afford. And there is little evidence to suggest these gaps are easily filled. For all of the hardworking adult learning professionals and volunteers, the diversity and quantity of adult learning needs far outpace the accessibility and availability of adult learning programs.

When it come to addressing these gaps through technology, many of the challenges run parallel to K-12 education: 1) there is still a dearth of broadband access and robust devices, 2) the learning needs and academic goals are equally diverse and evasive, and 3) no one can agree exactly what problems are best solved through technology.

But what makes adult learners unique--and hopefully attractive to education reform innovators--is that they are grown-ups. They have life experiences well beyond the confines of the academy. They are unencumbered by Common Core standards and SAT scores. Rather than participate in education as a necessary event, adult learners already act as consumers--presumably ready to act on a compelling learning proposition.

This guide, made possible by a grant from the Joyce Foundation, explores the burgeoning relationship between adult basic education and technology innovation. Through the on-the-ground perspectives of adult learners, up-and-coming innovations, or analysis of the adult edtech landscape, these resources shed light on what compelling learning propositions are possible.

Discussing the challenges and promises of using technology to serve the needs of under-skilled adults.

Adult Learning

New Urgency Around Adult Education

By Alexander Russo

Adult Learning

When Adult Learners Won't Simply 'Level Up'

By Stacey Closser

Adult Learning

So You Think You Can Educate Adults?

By Alexander Russo

Adult Learning

Adult Learning Innovations Take Root at MIT

By Leonard Medlock

New and interesting ideas for increasing access and quality of learning opportunities for adult learners.

Adult Learning

Adult Education: Finally Hip to the Game

By Alexander Russo

Adult Learning

Helping Adult Learners Find a Needle in the Haystack

By Kirsten Clodfelter

Workforce Training

Is This the Future of Adult Learning?

By Taylor Bennett

Adult Learning

10 Ways Developers Can Help Adults Learn to Read

By Francesca Segrè

Higher Education

How TSTC's 'Siri' is Helping Adults Get the Job Done

By Reeve Hamilton

Adult Learning

How Developers Can Help Adult Learners Succeed in the Classroom

By Francesca Segrè

Discussing on-the-ground efforts, challenges and perspectives in adult learning.

Adult Learning

The Secret Class at Harvard's Teaching Hospital

By Esther Shein

Adult Learning

Hacking Out of Prison: San Quentin Inmates Learn to Code

By Charley Locke

Workforce Training

How We Can Rescue the Post-Secondary Ecosystem

By Ryan Porter

Student Voice

Why I Chose to Drop Out of College

By Joseph Randall

The edtech landscape for adult basic education largely mirrors available funding sources--either education or workforce development grants--for brick-and-mortar adult learning programs over the past thirty-plus years. Big publishers lead the way in providing curriculum, having made the transition to web-based platforms in recent years.

English Language Learning comprises a considerable portion of the space as the adult immigrant population moves into a knowledge worker economy and needs foundational skills to access opportunities in-person and digitally.

The landscape is most lacking in tools that increase access to building foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Both are necessary to access the broader offering of adult learning opportunities, but generally only available through non-profit and community-based programs that have the human and financial resources to implement site-based tools. There is a strong need for wrap-around services that remove barriers to participating in such programs, as well as personalized tools that can help adults build skills in-situ.

Below is a comprehensive list of products and services that specifically target under-skilled adults looking to build basic literacy, numeracy and career skills. The list is by no means exhaustive, as there are other tools which don't expressly cater to this population but offer suitable content (e.g. YouTube, Udemy).