Part-Time Learner

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[edit] Who are part-time learners?

Part-Time Adult Learners are a diverse cluster of the higher education student body. There are a variety of terms synonymous with the Part-Time Learner (PTL) used in Canadian and American academic literature, including the Non-Traditional Learner.[1] It is therefore acceptable and reasonable to explore the numerous characteristics of the PTL through examining research on the Non-Traditional Learner (NTL). Definitions as proposed by Andres and Carpenter (1997), Shuetze and Slowey (2002), Schuetz and Day (2001) as well as Stydinger and Dundes (2006) describe various features of the NTL as including:

  1. Physical maturity
  2. Living off-campus
  3. Unconventional educational biographies
  4. Possessing responsibilities affiliated with family and/or employment
  5. Minority or disadvantaged status (i.e. ethnicity, female gender, disability or immigrant, etc.)

Additional characteristics with NTL's exist as a result of the numerous programs and fields of study they pursue. PTL's can be enrolled in certificate, diploma, undergraduate (including after-degree) or graduate degrees, in credit or non-degree credit courses, in a plethora of fields.[2] The multiplicity of characteristics reflected by PTL's makes this segment of the student population challenging to study and describe.

One method of separating the PTLs from the NTLs can be found by applying institutional criteria. Part-Time status in Canadian Universities is dictated by the enrollment in a maximum and, occasionally minimum number of credit hours or courses. The University of British Columbia defines a part-time undergraduate student as one enrolled in less than 80% of the standard 30 credit-hour course load.[3] The University of Manitoba defines the part-time undergraduate student as an individual enrolled in less than 60% of the standard full 30 credit hour course load.[4] The Government of Canada National Student loans program defines a Part-Time Student as one who is enrolled in 20-59% of a full course load. [5] Institutional criteria can be used to separate the NTL from the PTL however caution must be practiced as criteria can vary between and within institutions. Campbell (1984) effectively captures the aforementioned variability by describing the PTL as...

the 29 year-old man with a wife and a new baby, who, at last perceiving that accounting is his niche, plods on over as many as eight years towards accreditation in that field. It is an ambitious senior school teacher who has set his mind on a school superintendency and seeks to advance his credentials. It is a member of a farmers’ union with a vision of what might be in agriculture who undertakes to grapple with economics in preparation for a leadership role. It is a restless 43 year-old wife and mother who gains relief from household demands through the study of ceramics or comparative literature or who takes refresher courses in nursing techniques in anticipation of her re-entry into nursing. It is an engineering graduate, success having placed him in managerial ranks, who is confronted with human problems for which his earlier professional training has not prepared him. It is a new Canadian for whom more rewarding employment or access to formal post-secondary education requires that he upgrade his skill in English as a second language(p. 19-20).

In spite of the diversity of characteristics and variability of institutional criteria a plausible and general definition of the PTL can be formulated. The PTL could be described as: a mature individual; residing off-campus; holding an unconventional educational biography and responsibilities associated with work and/or family duties; may be of a minority status; and would be enrolled in a course load approximately half that of a full time student. Caution must be practiced when applying this definition as it is one of many possible interpretations of a PTL.

[edit] Part-time learner population

PTL's have a steep history in Higher Education. Some of the earliest universities including Takshasila and Nalanda in Asia and the medieval Universities in Europe were created by and organized for PTL’s. [6] In Canadian higher education, part-time enrollment demonstrated significant growth for the greater part of the twentieth century but has recently leveled off. The Trends Report (2007) reported that from 1976 to 1992 part-time enrollment “…grew by some 65 percent or 125,000 to a peak of 316,000 in 1992"(p. 13). Following 1992 participation of PTL's in Canadian higher education dwindled to 250,000 by 1997 and has stayed about that level since. [7] PTL's compose a noticeable portion of Canadian Higher Education. Today there exists approximately 265,000 PTL's in Canadian Universities and University-Colleges (see University College). [8] The Trends Report in Higher Education Report (2007) purports that there are 815,000 full time learners in Canadian Universities and University-Colleges. PTL's compose almost 25% of the entire student population within Canadian Universities and University-Colleges. Acquiring data on Part-Time Learners in Canadian Colleges would assist in providing a more accurate picture of PTL's in Canadian Higher Education. It would also be of great benefit to include statistics on PTL participation in other countries.

[edit] Barriers distinguished in part-time learning

Part-Time Learners are faced with a multitude of barriers in Higher Education that can be classified as attitudinal, institutional or situational. An attitudinal barrier relates to the learner’s attitude towards negative experiences in the learner’s educational past which may prevent enrollment in further education.[9] Merriam, Caffarella and Baumgartner (2007) purport that some adult learners lack the confidence to pursue further education. Additionally, they may perceive higher education as reflecting the teacher-centered practices and exclusive pedagogy of their earlier schooling experiences. There are a variety of institutional barriers. Attitudinal barriers can be interpreted as the first obstacle a PTL must overcome to enroll. Institutional barriers are policies and procedures that make attendance difficult or impossible.[10] Some elitist Canadian Universities still practice conventional admissions.[11] PTL's often hold unconventional educational biographies that can be difficult to compare and measure against traditional admissions requirements. Canadian Universities are not adequately providing information to assist PTL's in long term course planning.[12] PTL's have a variety of constraints and demands on their time and therefore need to be able to synthesize a long term plan of action. There are an insufficient number of adult learner orientated workshops in Canadian Universities that meet their needs. [13] Canadian Universities are not effectively disseminating information regarding part-time learner programs. [14] Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) (see Prior Learning Assessment) can assist PTL's accelerate the completion of studies by granting credit through lifelong learning. However, there is a lack of PLAR taking place in Canadian Universities.[15] Institutional barriers present challenges to enroll and participate as a PTL. Situational barriers relates to an individual’s circumstances at a given time that can impede enrollment or attendance.[16] Situational challenges include financial costs[17], scheduling conflicts and balancing time. The expenses of tuition, textbooks, and evening snacks must be weighed against family needs such as clothes and school supplies for children or family vacations. The scheduled classes must be able to fit within a schedule that accommodates work and family obligations. Time spent on school assignments cannot be so excessive that it detracts significantly from work and family responsibilities. Situational barriers should be considered prior to enrollment. There still exist a significant number of barriers that affect PTL's in Higher Education institutions. However, due to the variety of characteristics of PTL's barriers can differ in severity.

[edit] Further reading

1. Waniewicz, I. (1976). Demand for part-time learning in Ontario. The Ontario Educational Communications: Canada

2. Fisher, D. (1997). Learning the hard way: Part-time degree students and the University of Toronto. Toronto: University of Toronto, Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students.

3. Haughey, D., J. (1994). Towards a changing profile of the adult learner. In M. Brooke and M. Waldron (Eds.), University continuing education in Canada: Current challenges and future opportunities (pp.124-132). Thompson Education Publishing: Toronto.

4. Schuetze, H., & Slowey, M. (Oct. – Dec., 2002). Participation and exclusion: A comparative analysis of Non-Traditional students and lifelong learners in Higher Education. Higher Education 44 (3/4), 309–327.

[edit] See also:

Prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Bean, J., P., & Metzner, B., S. (Winter,1985). A conceptual model of non-traditional undergraduate student attrition. Review of Educational Research, 55(4), 485-540. Retrieved November 6, 2007, from JSTOR database.
  2. ^ Shale, D., & Roche, J. (1998). Not all part-time students are the same. Presented to the Canadian Institutional Research and Planning Association Annual Conference, October 1998. Office of Institutional Analysis, University of Calgary. Retrieved September 19, 2007, from http://www.oia.ucalgary.ca/oia/files/oia/CIRPA1998.pdf
  3. ^ The University of British. (N.D.) Student Calendar. Retrieved September 28, 2007 from: http://www.students.ubc.ca/calendar/index.cfm?tree=12,195,272,29
  4. ^ The University of Manitoba. (N.D.) Student Records. Retrieved September 26, 2007, from: http://umanitoba.ca/student/records/registration/961.htm
  5. ^ CanLearn (N.D.) Canada student loans program: Part-time studies. Government of Canada. Retrieved October 2, 2007, from http://www.canlearn.ca/en/Multimedia/nslsc/pdf/guides/CAN_PT_EN.pdf
  6. ^ Waniewicz, I. (1976). Demand for part-time learning in Ontario. The Ontario Educational Communications: Canada.
  7. ^ Trends in Higher Education (2007). Associations of Universities and Colleges of Canada. Retrieved September 20, 2007, from: http://www.aucc.ca/_pdf/english/publications/trends_2007_e.pdf
  8. ^ Trends in Higher Education (2007). Associations of Universities and Colleges of Canada. Retrieved September 20, 2007, from: http://www.aucc.ca/_pdf/english/publications/trends_2007_e.pdf
  9. ^ Conrad, D., L. (2001) The issues of access in adult education: Privilege and possibility. In Fundamentals of adult education: Issues and practices for lifelong learning, edited by D.H. Poonwassie and A. Poonwassie. Toronto: Thompson.
  10. ^ Conrad, D., L. (2001) The issues of access in adult education: Privilege and possibility. In Fundamentals of adult education: Issues and practices for lifelong learning, edited by D.H. Poonwassie and A. Poonwassie. Toronto: Thompson.
  11. ^ Schuetze, H., G., & Day, W., L. (March, 2001). Post-Secondary Education in BC 1989 – 1998: The impact of policy and finance on access, participation, and outcomes. Centre for Policy Studies in Higher Education and Training, University of British Columbia. Retrieved September 12, 2007, from http://www.chet.educ.ubc.ca/pdf_files/pdf_Schuetze_Day.pdf
  12. ^ Thompson, G., & Devlin, L. (1992). Access by part-time students: A question of openness in Canadian Universities. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 22(3),57-75.
  13. ^ Given, L. (2000). The promise of ‘lifelong’ learning and the Canadian Census: The marginalization of Mature Students information behaviors. University of Alberta. Retrieved September 12, 2007, from http://www.cais-acsi.ca/proceedings/2000/given_2000.pdf
  14. ^ Thompson, G., & Devlin, L. (1992). Access by part-time students: A question of openness in Canadian Universities. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 22(3), 57-75.
  15. ^ Kennedy, B. (May, 2003). A spring 2003 snapshot: The current status of prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) in Canada’s public post-secondary institutions: Part one. Prepared for the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, (CMEC). Retrieved September 9, 2007, from http://www.capla.ca/Snapshot.php
  16. ^ Conrad, D., L. (2001) The issues of access in adult education: Privilege and possibility. In Fundamentals of adult education: Issues and practices for lifelong learning, edited by D.H. Poonwassie and A. Poonwassie. Toronto: Thompson.
  17. ^ Schuetze, H., & Slowey, M. (Oct. – Dec., 2002). Participation and exclusion: A comparative analysis of Non-Traditional students and lifelong learners in Higher Education. Higher Education 44 (3/4), 309–327. Retrieved September 12, 2007, from JSTOR database.

[edit] Additional citations

Campbell, D. (1984). The new marjority: Adult Learners in the University. Edmonton: The University of Alberta Press.

Andres, L., & Carpenter, S. (1997). Today’s higher education students: Issues of admission, retention, transfer, and attrition in relation to changing student demographics. Centre for Policy Studies in Education University of British Columbia. Retrieved October 12, 2007 from:http://www.bccat.bc.ca/pubs/today.pdf

Merriam, S., B., Caffarella, R., S., & Baumgartner, L., M. (2007). Learning in adulthood” A comprehensive guide (3rd Edition). San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.

Stydinger, N., & Dundes, L. (Spring, 2006). Over the Hill? A Nontraditional Undergraduate Student’s Uphill Battle. College Quarterly, 9(2). Retrieved September 16, 2007, from http://www.senecac.on.ca/quarterly/2006-vol09-num02-spring/stydinger_dundes.html