Study Shows Most Adult Education Programs Offer Distance Learning

NEW YORK — Nearly 69 percent of adult and continuing education programs offer distance learning courses, a new study shows.
The Survey of Adult and Continuing Education Progams in Higher Education also found that the most common credentials offered through distance learning courses are non-degree certificates.
Other findings show that:
n 39 percent of the adult and continuing education programs offer undergraduate degrees;
n 26 percent offer graduate degrees;
n 80 percent offer non-degree certificate programs;
n 52 percent of the programs participate in educational consortia, which enable students to take courses offered by other colleges and universities under the auspices of the programs;
n a mean of 24 percent of adult and continuing education program revenues is derived from arrangements with industry to provide specialized worker education or training;
n only 5 percent of the adult and continuing education courses are taught by full-time faculty members that teach primarily or exclusively in the adult and continuing education programs;
n most distance learning courses are taught by adjunct faculty members (39.7 percent) or by full-time faculty members that teach primarily in other divisions or programs (37 percent);
n distance learning programs directly employ a mean of 23 faculty members;
n 83 percent of the programs use the Internet to offer courses at a distance;
n 60 percent of programs use videoconferencing;
n 36 percent of programs use videotapes; and
n 50 percent of the programs grant credits for life experience or corporate training programs.
The study, which is based on a survey of 70 randomly selected adult and continuing education programs throughout the U.S., was conducted by the Primary Research Group. For more details visit <www.primaryresearch.com>.
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