Adult education has got a whole new dimension with significant advancements in technology. It is no more considered a mere post-retirement, part-time discourse or a late-age whim to fill in the idle hours, but a but a serious career option for those who intend to start afresh after a long hiatus. Nowadays, professional courses and training programs in both traditional classroom and online settings offer career options to students belonging to various age groups. No wonder, the students who have been away from classes and education for that matter for over a decade or more, find significant differences between these present day online classrooms and those of the yesteryears. Technology solution which has made this possible is the online class registration software.

Why elderly students prefer enrolling though class registration software?

There are many advantages of the online class management solutions that have clicked positively with the so called adult students in their 40s or above that age group. Even a large number of baby boomers take a keen interest in a variety of online courses just because of their interactive mode of teaching, ease of registration, and flexibility of attending classes.

24X7 online class registrations which enables educational institutes to upload customized registration forms on their website makes it easy for mature students to enroll for a certain course at their own convenient times. The interface also provides secure, online payment options which eliminate the need to turn up in person at the institute office to carry out the required formalities for registration. This saves their time and ensures them of hassle-free, safer, and faster transaction.

Online courses promoted on social media attract elderly students’ attention

Today’s adult learners are social media addicts. They frequently visit various social networking sites to catch up with old friends and colleagues. Some even use the platforms to look for jobs and courses that they might find interesting. Institutes offering online courses for them are aware of this fact, and so promote their courses on social media platforms using the social media connector provided by the class registration software. This way they can reach out to a large number of mature students and enhance their online registration numbers.

Online education is a viable learning option for elderly students

Online classes are very pro-student in terms of teaching mode and other educational features. The much dreaded lecture/note-taking procedure is not there. Instead, one can readily access class hand-outs once an online class is over. Student-instructor interactions are much better managed here, and participation of students in various class activities is also encouraged by making use of the social media tools and private community networks.

Institutes offering adult, online learning courses make sure that their students are accredited properly at the end of the course. For that they offer certification and give out reward points, which further encourage adult learners to take up similar courses in future.

How do we gain finest knowledge? Any educator will let you know that straight practice is the best teacher. Repeatedly, classroom educators will perform research and demonstration or have the learners observe or take part in a number of experimental actions. A good educator is a catalyst who permits the learners in the classroom setting to combine thoughts and explore. These days, the classroom educators have something else that has been located in the classroom that will permit students to perform same tasks as in the earlier period. This tool is called hypermedia.

A major illustration of influential hypermedia is the worldwide web, which gives more stuff than at the moment exists at most schools’ or media centers. As teachers, we know that learners study best when they are greatly motivated. Keen inspiration creates a touching constituent that raises retention and increases the quantity of time the student is involved with the learning material.

In 1956 Benjamin Bloom developed the taxonomy for the cognitive domain of learning or a linear progression through knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, and synthesis to evaluation. This is what we have come to know as Bloom’s Taxonomy. The classroom educators concentrate on lecturing to the cognitive levels of awareness and command as building a base for critical thinking, and there are some teachers who work at the application level. The higher levels of the domain (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) are now coming to the forefront are we teach how to think and not what to think. This move towards critical and conceptual thinking is to be applauded. However, distance learning is no further along than the classroom in supporting high level cognitive skills development. Much of distance learning appears to be geared to focus on knowledge and comprehension, which works well with procedural and technical training (Notar, Wilson, & Montgomery). The classroom teacher is taught very early in their career and in the schooling experience the process needed for learning to take place in the traditional classroom. The distance learning educator, too, must know the system and process of distance learning learning. In order for the teachers to be comfortable with distance learning, they must first be comfortable with computers. Teachers often feel uncomfortable using computers and are unaware of the teaching and learning that computers and the internet are able to support.

While deficiency of specialized growth opportunities is often report in terms of quantity, quality also appears to be a significant issue. Traditional classroom type setting training sessions without follow up support have not been effective in preparing teachers to integrate classroom technologies. Fairly, solicitous and ongoing specialized expansion programs are required. The distance learner formula for cognitive learning is: objectives + learning process + relationship to instructional media=cognitive learning. This similar method has been utilized in learning from the start of organized coaching. All types of instructions require dialogue. Learning is sharing.

Most education takes place in contact between learners and educators and amid students themselves. Distance learning and many tools that come with it are going to be substantial and life changing. The way in which teachers teach has not changed. Instructors must still understand and quantify what they are going to teach, ensure that students’ needs are being met, and choose methods which will enable learning to take place, regardless of location. The learning atmosphere and delivery styles will carry on to transform. The benefits of online education include but are not limited to the flexibility to meet specific needs, providing equity of educational opportunity to students in various locations, low cost alternatives, new learning experiences, and expanded resources. Some of the disadvantages of distance learning include sound and video that may be less than broadcast quality, reliance on learner initiative to work in a situation with less supervision than a classroom, the need for technical skills to work with the delivery technology, and the possibility of social isolation. Distance acquisition of knowledge is often an expensive and time consuming process to start and especially to maintain. It is significant to identify whether it in fact improves student presentation. It is also critically important to know which distance learning education delivery methods and techniques are more effective, so students get the maximum benefit from the society’s investment in distance learning technology.

Online education can be likely to outcome in attainment at least comparable to traditional teaching in most academic circumstances. More importantly, when implemented with the same care as effective face to face instruction, online education programs can be used to complement, enhance, and expand education options for students, at least at intermediate, middle, and upper grade levels.

5) This has little to do with life being fair or not. It has everything to do with you figuring out how to make money, whether you have a degree or not.

Do I think you have been snookered on the education trip? Yes I do. Why? I have too much experience and evidence to think otherwise.

Both of us come from educated families that would naturally stress education. I was appalled when my son and daughter had zero interest in continuing their education after high school.

My daughter is now a loan officer with Washington Mutual making good money, probably far better than you are, and she has zero student loan debt.

My son did get a 2-year certificate as an automotive technician; he refused to take the 4 or 5 academic classes with the occupational training so he could get an Associate of Technical Arts Degree rather than a certificate as an auto tech.

He told me, “Dad I do not need any more education.” Remember what Mark Twain said: “I never allowed schooling to interfere with my education.”

My son is 28 years old and already has a $540,000 house, 4 upscale vehicles, a rental property and two auto repair shops with an income well in excess of $12,000 a month plus the net profits from his businesses.

Did he need a college education to succeed? You decide. This is why I say that there is more correlation between people skills, having technical skills and being in an activity that is in demand than there is between pure education and income.

6) Do I believe everyone should have a college degree, say at least a bachelor’s? Absolutely, because you will be exposed to multiple areas of knowledge and get some well-needed breeding and culture. My son could care less about classical music, plays, culture, reading, etc. He is focused on making money and when he looks at anything he is only interested in discovering the answers to two questions: Where is the money? and How can I get it?

This is the clear difference between an entrepreneur or businessperson and a college graduate who is thinking his or her education is going to bring them big bucks.

Nothing will bring you a lot of bucks unless and until what you bring provides a service or product that is in demand, has little competition and you can charge big bucks for your service.

This is why brain surgeons and auto repair technicians who own auto repair shops make money. Cars break down. People have brain cancer. Who cares whether you have 3 degrees, or 20 degrees, or whether you know hip-hop from opera?

7) Given your circumstances, this is what I recommend you do: Use your expensive education, street smarts and intuition to figure out what people want to know and then provide the knowledge or information they want and need, and charge for your service.

The more they want the information the more you can charge because no one else will be providing the information they want at a lower cost.

This is America, the land of opportunity. This is a needs-based, on-demand economy. The market you want to earn your living in is capitalist based, not education based. If you cannot figure out the economy, become a teacher and settle for whatever salary and benefits education pays a teacher.

Also, stop acting like there is some big secret about how to make it in your chosen field. Get into the field and act like you are the secret. Do not chase people and opportunities, act like you are THE person and THE opportunity is with you.

You are bright, educated and capable. You are the answer to your own quest to find someone else to hire you. Start acting like you are a person of total substance.

Make people appreciate and understand instantly that when they are talking to you, or doing business with you, that they are dealing with a person of substance. Repeat, a person of substance. Let there be no mistake.

If your thing is hip-hop music, become the authority, brand yourself and build a reputation so that no one thinking hip-hop is doing squat without consulting you first because you have the answers, and are worth whatever you are charging and 20 times more!

Think about who you need to be, not who you are at the moment, then be that person, becoming a magnet that will attract people to you.

Now get out there and make me proud of you. You are an expert. You do not know everything and quickly acknowledge so, but in your area, there is no one who knows more than you. Period. That is it.

And if you do not agree with me that I am an expert in my field, no matter, others do.

You are not some silly girl with three degrees who cannot find the right job at the right income. Start 2007 as an expert, not as someone looking for a job.

You know I believe in you. Now you need to believe in yourself and get out there and let the world know who you are. People will start listening when you decide you are a person of substance, know what you are talking about, and then continue to get more knowledgeable and helpful in your area of expertise.

This is not a mind game. Do not believe with your head, believe with your heart as if your life depended upon it and people will accept you as an expert.

When they offer you less money than you want, look them straight in the eye and tell them you would like to help them but other people are offering you more money, and then shut up.

Do not try to justify or explain yourself or your value. If the person you are talking to cannot figure it out, find someone else who can.

There are two possible outcomes in any situation: results or excuses. I think you know which situation you want to be in.

Copyright © 2006 Ed Bagley