Post-traditional Learners and the Transformation of Postsecondary Education: A Manifesto for College Leaders
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January 2013
Post-traditional Learners and the
Transformation of Postsecondary
Education: A Manifesto for College
Leaders
By Louis Soares
I. Introduction and Summary er behavior and production and distribution
Introduction incongruities which arise as a result.”2
In the midst of MOOC (massive open
A young man who is the son of factory online course) excitement and edX enthu-
workers nearly dropped out of high siasm, American postsecondary education
school five years ago. While he did gradu- leaders and policymakers should take heed of
ate, his basic academic skills were so low Drucker’s observation. There is indeed a trans-
that he could not pass the military’s entry formation coming in American higher educa-
exam, which eliminated a potentially tion. It is not driven by technology or MOOCs,
promising career path that many of his though these tools abet the change. It will be
peers had taken. Compounding his un- driven by the rise of post-traditional learners.3
derdeveloped academic abilities was his
complete ignorance about how to explore Summary
career options and make a choice—or To keep its competitive edge in the global,
where to turn for help. Since high school innovation-based economy, the United States
he has drifted from town to town, living needs to increase the number of Americans
with relatives, working odd jobs, and that possess postsecondary levels of academic
squandering the early work years that and applied skills. To this end, the Obama
are essential to establishing a career. A administration had set an ambitious goal of re-
couple of minor drug possession charges taking America’s position as a leader in post-
further weaken his prospects.1 secondary attainment by 2020. States are also
participating in college completion initiatives,
This vignette highlights the many challenges such as the 28-state partnership Complete
that adults face when they pursue a postsec- College America and the National Governors
ondary education. The narrative of this life Association’s Complete to Compete.
holds the clues to the innovations that will Each of these initiatives views it as critical
drive the transformation of traditional postsec- that the nation improve the output of its K–12
ondary education. education systems, yet they acknowledge that
Renowned management theorist Peter to hit such an aggressive goal policymakers
Drucker studied innovation across many sec- will need to target improving the educational
tors of the economy. Among his key observa- success of the working age population, those
tions about the drivers of innovation was that ages 25–64. We refer to these existing and
while new knowledge and technology were im- potential college students as post-traditional
portant—“there are more important sources of learners. Post-traditional learners are indi-
opportunity that drive innovation. Key among viduals already in the work force who lack a
these sources of innovation in a sector are … postsecondary credential yet are determined
changes in demographics that drive consum- to pursue further knowledge and skills while
Post-traditional Learners and the Transformation of Postsecondary Education: A Manifesto for College Leaders 1balancing work, life, and education responsi- and online education, post-traditional learners
bilities. Post-traditional learners reflect a latent still find it difficult to succeed in postsecond-
market of up to 80 million students able to tap ary education. Data show that non-traditional
at least some of the $500 billion invested in undergraduates and “employees who study”
postsecondary education and training outside are far less likely to complete a credential than
of formal postsecondary education settings. their traditional student peers. The simple
Post-traditional learners have been a fact is that our traditional system of two- and
growing presence in America’s postsecondary four-year colleges and universities with their
education institutions since the late 1970s. In campus-based, semester-timed, credit-hour
fact, by many measures these “non-traditional” driven model of instructional delivery is not
students have become the norm in postsec- well-suited to educate post-traditional
ondary education. But post-traditional learners learners.4
are a diverse group. The term encompasses Public policymakers thus turn to Amer-
individuals with a range of education needs ica’s postsecondary education leaders and
from high school graduates to high school institutions to deliver learning experiences for
dropouts and those with limited literacy and post-traditional learners but they are found
English language skills. Post-traditional learn- lacking. Postsecondary education finds itself
ers also encompass many life stages and iden- between a rock and a hard place. Policymakers
tities; they are single mothers, immigrants, are demanding a more educated working age
veterans, and at-risk younger people looking population while fiscal realities are constrain-
for a second chance. ing budgets. Innovation—the discovery and
As postsecondary education faculty, ad- application of new pedagogy, technology, and
ministrators, and policymakers have struggled revenue approaches—that maintains quali-
to understand the needs of post-traditional ty and reduces costs would seem to be the
learners, they have developed terms to classify answer. Yet this type of innovation has been
them. These research terms include: adult elusive at scale.
learners, non-traditional undergraduates, We argue that the key to innovation at
employees who study, independent students, scale is for postsecondary education leaders
out-of-school youth, and even part-time stu- and policymakers to see beyond the diversity
dents. While these statistical categories help of post-traditional learners and embrace an
us to understand aspects of these learners, important set of five commonalities which
they do not capture their essence, identity, or drive their postsecondary participation.
market impact. Indeed, they have another key Post-traditional learners:
limitation. The categorizations are inherently 1. Are needed wage earners for them-
institution-centric and view post-traditional selves or their families;
learners as an aberration in the demand 2. Combine work and learning at the same
for higher education services. This insti- time or move between them frequently;
tution-centric view creates a blind spot for 3. Pursue knowledge, skills, and creden-
postsecondary leaders and policymakers when tials that employers will recognize and
considering post-traditional learners and the compensate;
broader market for postsecondary education 4. Require developmental education to be
and training in the 21st century. The blind spot successful in college-level courses;5 and
causes these leaders to not see that the de- 5. Seek academic/career advising to navi-
mand for and nature of postsecondary educa- gate their complex path to a degree.
tion is changing in ways that call the current These five commonalities are, in turn, re-
institutional models into question. shaping the demand for postsecondary educa-
The result is that while the data has in- tion in the 21st century into a more fluid form
formed new programs, including continuing of college-going with longer, episodic partic-
2 American Council on Educationipation. This form of college-going is marked II. A Primer on Disruptive Innovation and
D
by more customized pathways to degree or Post-traditional Learners
credential completion and a focus away from r. Clayton Christensen’s theory of dis-
credit hours to the ability to demonstrate and ruptive innovation (DI) is often cited
apply knowledge. This new demand encom- as the underlying framework for why
passes: higher education will be “dis-intermediated”
Modular, easy-to-access instruction; or “unbundled,” with technology performing
Blended academic and occupational every task from teaching to library services to
curricula; peer networking. Indeed, disruptive innovation
Progressive credentialing of knowledge theory places a great emphasis on the power
and skills (sub-degree level); of technology to reshape an industry and
Financial, academic, and career advis- how it delivers its product and services. Yet,
ing; and a nuanced reading of DI theory also provides
Public policy that reflects the complex postsecondary education leaders with a tool
task of balancing life, work, and educa- set for managing innovation that goes beyond
tion.6 technological triumphalism.
This new demand, the size of the market it Disruptive innovation theory posits
represents, and the potential to access new in- that technologies that can simplify complex
vestment will require postsecondary education processes and products aimed at meeting the
leaders to re-imagine their role from stewards needs of a segment of the public not currently
of an existing enterprise to innovators of a served (or who are underserved) by existing
new venture. This will require rethinking post- suppliers can transform an industry, with older
secondary education’s role in a more holisti- producers giving way to new competitors.
cally viewed market, redesigning instruction Three characteristics distinguish disruptive
delivery, and redeveloping the institutional innovation from regular change.
infrastructure for providing these services. One is that disruptive innovators target
We need a manifesto that seeks to chal- their service or product at the needs of
lenge postsecondary education leaders to a new group of customers. They provide
embrace a future of innovation that may put a simpler, more affordable product than
their current institutional, instructional, and the one offered by incumbent firms.
financial models at risk—to in effect disrupt These new customers have a different
themselves. Given the number of individuals job they want done, but the incumbents
we need to educate, increased pressure for ac- often consider it not worth their time
countability, and lack of resources, this innova- to provide that service because their
tive path may be the only thing that can save revenue requirements make the new
postsecondary education. offering unattractive.
We will first provide a brief primer on The second characteristic is that dis-
innovation to give us a new way to look at ruptive innovation uses enabling tech-
the evidence that postsecondary education nology. An enabling technology simpli-
provides. Second, we will sketch a profile of fies and routinizes the way a company
post-traditional learners that provides the delivers its service or product.
platform for innovation. Third, we will reframe The third and final characteristic is that
the U.S. investment in postsecondary educa- a truly disruptive technology eventually
tion and training with a more holistic measure. gives way to a new business model
And finally, we will provide three principles —a new way to organize the people,
to catalyze a manifesto for college leaders on technology, and processes to deliver a
how to proceed. service at a lower cost and price to new
customers. The new business model al-
Post-traditional Learners and the Transformation of Postsecondary Education: A Manifesto for College Leaders 3lows disruptive innovators to beat their business model. Yet, a 2009 U.S. Department
incumbent competitors who are unable of Education meta-analysis of research on
to respond because they are locked into online education7 showed that most learners,
an old business model by gross profit in particular adult, non-traditional, and at-risk
needs of serving existing customers. learners, would best be served by blended
To summarize, incumbents in a sector models of education, in which instruction and
tend to prefer sustaining innovations in which other services are performed with different
they build better products to serve their best combinations of high-tech and high-touch.
customers at premium prices. Disruptors build Disruptive institutional, instructional, and
simpler products at a lower cost to pull into revenue models that reflect this data have yet
the market consumers who would not other- to be applied and scaled in postsecondary
wise be served. Disruptors transform a market education broadly.
by pulling in new customers. The key to understanding what mix of
DI theory grew out of a study of computer high-tech and high-touch is the future of
disk drives and how this technology trans- postsecondary education must come from an
formed the market for computers. The only in-depth understanding of student (customer)
computers 50 years ago were expensive and needs. In the case of disruptive innovation, the
one needed to be an expert to use them prop- customer with the potential to transform the
erly. Years of disruption in the computer sector market through expansion is the post-tradi-
brought mini-computers, desktops, laptops, tional learner. (See next section for full de-
and mobile phones. In each case, new custom- scription.)
ers were introduced to simpler products that To see why, let us turn to a little discussed
became better over time, and in the process aspect of disruptive innovation theory—
the computer market became larger and the circumstance-based marketing. DI theory
shape of demand for computing changed. It posits that for markets in which non-consum-
is important to remember that mainframes ers have the potential to transform the market
still exist and remain very expensive and are through growth, producers must understand
mostly used by highly skilled consumers. They the process by which these non-consumers
simply are a much smaller part of the overall are brought into the market. For Christensen,
market. customers become aware of a job that they
In postsecondary education, disruption need to get done in their lives, and they look
is in its earliest stages as evidenced by the around for a product or service that they can
variety of online and occupationally focused “hire” to get that job done. The functional,
programs taking hold. These programs target emotional, and social dimensions of the jobs
learners whose work and life circumstances that customers need to get done constitute
require flexible ways to get their education. Yet the circumstances in which they buy. In other
except for a small number of niche providers, words, the jobs that customers are trying to
e.g., StraighterLine and Western Governors get done or the outcomes that they are trying
University (WGU), we have not seen the type to achieve constitute a circumstance-based
of complete market transformation through categorization of the market.8
expansion. We have not realized similar qual Companies that target their products at
ity at lower prices. the circumstances in which customers find
We can look to the three characteristics themselves, rather than at the customers them-
of DI for some clues to why and also as a selves, are those that can launch predictably
foundation for a growth-oriented expansion successful products. The critical unit of analy-
of postsecondary education. Organizations sis is the circumstance and not the customer.9
such as StraighterLine and WGU have lever- Given the size of the post-traditional
aged technology to create a technology-driven learner market and the investment it represents,
4 American Council on Educationcircumstance-based marketing points the way III. The Rise of the Post-traditional Learner
to how to transform postsecondary education
B
Why the Term Post-traditional Learner?
delivery through market growth by making the efore moving forward with a survey of
basis for innovation the jobs they want done. available data that illustrate the rise of
In the next section, we support this asser- the post-traditional learner, it is import-
tion by providing evidence that traditional ant to be intentional about our use of terms.
learners are no longer the norm in postsecond- While we use the available data on non-tra-
ary education and, in fact, we are seeing the ditional students to enforce our argument as
rise of a whole different breed of college-goer. best we can, we have selected the term post-tra-
Before turning to the data, it is important ditional learner to describe the population of
to remind ourselves of the profoundly human working age adults (ages 25 to 64) for three rea-
and radically changing nature of the job to be sons. The first, as we argue in the introduction
done for the post-traditional learner. and summary, is that terms currently used for
A young California woman knew soon data and statistical purposes—nontraditional,
after finishing high school that her employees who study, independent, at-risk—
minimum-wage, fast-food job wouldn’t frankly describe these learners as aberrations
build her much of a future. But it took to the postsecondary education system rather
15 years of part-time work, part-time than the courageous learners they are. Second,
school, and a lot of help to find her way statistically speaking, these categories are
to a family-sustaining career. It was becoming increasingly irrelevant, as the data
only after seeing a flier in a welfare survey below will show. Third, we believe that
office that she enrolled in training that post-traditional learners and their need for
enabled her to move from being a med- customized education experiences is actually
ical assistant, to a lab technician, to a mirrored by millennial generation students
certified nursing assistant. Now she is now enrolling in postsecondary education who
working toward becoming a nurse.10 show a deep desire to integrate experience and
This young woman’s path to a postsecond- education and tailor their learning.11 Thus the
ary credential is marking the trail to a radically term post-traditional is also intended to infer
different way to deliver a quality and afford- the emergence of a form of college-going that
able college education. is still emerging but cross-generational and
aligned with the innovation economy’s empha-
sis on lifelong learning.
Post-traditional Learners: The New Normal
According to the National Center for Educa-
tion Statistics, for the academic year ending
2009, there were 17.6 million undergraduates
seeking degrees in the United States.12
But who are these undergraduates? Amer-
icans have a mental model of postsecondary
education as a four-year experience that
results in a bachelor’s degree by age 22. In this
model, students go to a college campus and
experience a mix of instruction in increments
of three credit hours per course, learn about
who they want to be and eventually, after four
years, receive a credential. Students that fit
into this model are categorized as “traditional.”
Post-traditional Learners and the Transformation of Postsecondary Education: A Manifesto for College Leaders 5For statistical purposes, these are students that Work is becoming more common among
go to college immediately after high school, all students. In 2010, more than one-third of all
attend full-time, and are financially depen- undergraduates were employed full-time while
dent on their parents. Over the last 30 years, enrolled, and 44 percent work part-time during
however, the data indicate that the number of the semester.24
students actually fitting this traditional model Post-traditional learners, ages 25 to 64,
has been dropping. And as a result, “college is have always been more likely to work and
less a safe haven in which to grow into adult- drive these ratios up; however, younger stu-
hood and more an obstacle course of econom- dents are also working more. In 2010, about
ic stress and cross pressure between family, 40 percent of full-time and 73 percent of
work, and education.”13 part-time college students ages 16 to 24 were
The startling reality is that, according to employed.25 In fact, a recent analysis of the
the National Center for Education Statistics, National Postsecondary Student Aid Study
today traditional students represent only calculated that 82 percent of undergraduates
about 15 percent of current undergraduates. say they can’t afford to go to school without
They attend four-year colleges and live on working.26
campus.14 The remaining 85 percent, or about Postsecondary students are also becoming
15 million undergraduates, are a diverse group more mobile. Data from national longitudinal
that includes adult learners, employees who studies that looked at how students actually
study, low-income students, commuters, and attend college over the 1990–2000 decade
student parents. indicate high levels of transfer among post-
Unpacking this 85 percent a little further, secondary institutions, with two-thirds of all
we find that: students who eventually earn a baccalaureate
38 percent of those enrolled are over degree having attended two or more colleges
the age of 25 and one-fourth are over or universities.27
the age of 30.15 The growth in demand for online learning
The share of all students over age 25 is provides evidence for the growth of post-tradi-
projected to increase another 23 per- tional learners, who make up the lion’s share of
cent by 2019.16 enrollments in this form of postsecondary ed-
The average age of a Pell Grant recip- ucation. A recent survey by Aslanian Market
ient (26) has been rising for the last 20 Research and The Learning House, Inc. found
years.17 that 80 percent of those enrolled in online pro-
Nearly a quarter of postsecondary stu- grams were 25 or older.28 More than 6 million
dents in the United States (3.9 million) students were taking at least one online course
are parents.18 Half of student parents during the 2010 academic year.29 This repre-
are married, and half are unmarried.19 sented 31 percent of total enrollment and a
43 percent of all undergraduates attend quintupling of participation in online learning
community colleges.20 And, adult learn- since 2002. Further, almost 70 percent of post-
ers make up as much as 60 percent of secondary institutions that offer online educa-
all community college students.21 tion report that to a major extent they provide
30 percent of undergraduates enrolled this service to give access to students who
at public four-year regional colleges would not otherwise attend due to geographic,
and universities are adults over the age family, or work-related reasons.30
of 24.22 In addition to their personal demograph-
Almost 40 percent of all undergrad- ics, the types of education and credentials
uates and about 60 percent of those being sought by post-traditional learners are
attending public two-year colleges are reshaping the demand for postsecondary
enrolled part-time.23 credentials. Slightly more than half of today’s
6 American Council on Educationstudents are seeking “sub-baccalaureate port used National Postsecondary Student Aid
credentials” (i.e., certificate, technical/occupa- Study data to examine student demographic
tional license, or associate degree). In 2009–10, data and enrollment patterns and Beginning
postsecondary institutions conferred 935,000 Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Studies
certificates and 849,000 associate degrees data to examine the relationship between non-
compared with 1.7 million bachelor’s degrees.31 traditional status and persistence. The Work
With regard to credential attainment, it is First, Study Second report also used both data
worth noting that extant research is clear that sources but limited it sample to individuals
many post-traditional learners require some over the age of 24. While these studies were
type of developmental education,32 which can conducted a decade ago they remain the foun-
make serving them more of a challenge. dation of much of the writing since regarding
As a final note to demonstrate that post-traditional learners. Taken together, these
post-traditional learners are the new normal, two studies provide the best approximate
the line between undergraduate adult students snapshot of postsecondary attainment for the
(25 and older) and traditional-age students group we have termed post-traditional learn-
(26 and younger) gets increasingly blurred as ers.
more and more college students of all ages In the 2002 report, Nontraditional Under-
seek alternative ways of learning—part-time, graduates,35 the National Center for Education
evenings, weekends, off-campus, or online.33 Statistics defined a non-traditional learner as
In fact, evidence from studies of the millen- a student with any of seven characteristic risk
nial generation, ages 18 to 29, now enrolling factors:
in college demonstrates a preference toward Has delayed enrollment in postsecond-
customized, blended learning experiences ary education beyond the first year after
that allow them to integrate life and learning.34 high school graduation;
This closely mirrors the customization sought Attends part time;
by their older post-traditional learner peers. Is financially independent from his or
The survey of data above describes a her parents;
much different type of learner than a bright- Works full time;
eyed 18-year-old going off to a college campus Has dependents other than a spouse;
on Mom and Dad’s checking account. Post- Is a single parent; or
traditional learners—older, working, attending Has no high school diploma or GED®
part-time, often with children of their own— test credential.
have become the new normal. While not all nontraditional students are
Post-traditional Learner Experience in Postsec- adults, that is, over the age of 24, by definition
ondary Education all adults in the sample are nontraditional—
Having established that post-traditional learn- they exhibit multiple risk factors. The NCES
ers are, in fact, the undergraduates of the 21st study found that non-traditional students
century, let us turn to their actual experience are considerably less likely to complete their
in postsecondary education to consider how program. Three years after enrolling in a com-
they fare. To do this, we look to two studies munity college, nearly half of non-traditional
commissioned by the National Center for students have left school without a degree,
Education Statistics (NCES). The first is a compared with only one-fifth of traditional
2002 report titled Nontraditional Undergrad- students. Similarly a six-year study of students
uates. The second is a 2003 report titled Work enrolled at four-year colleges and universities
First, Study Second: Adult Undergraduates found non-traditional students with at least
Who Combine Employment and Postsecondary two risk factors completed at a rate of less
Enrollment. than 15 percent, compared with 57 percent of
The Nontraditional Undergraduates re- traditional students.36
Post-traditional Learners and the Transformation of Postsecondary Education: A Manifesto for College Leaders 7In 2003, Work First, Study Second took verse group. Many have rusty basic skills
a focused look at adult undergraduates who and struggle academically. They work in
both work and attend college—about 82 per- low-paying jobs and lack resources to invest
cent of the population of adults age 24 and in education. They lack good information
older enrolled in some type of postsecondary about labor market opportunities and become
education.37 This study contrasted the char- frustrated at what their education is getting
acteristics and college experiences of two them. They have little scheduling flexibility
groups: students who work (i.e., individuals because of work and family obligations and
who saw themselves as students first, working thus pursue postsecondary credentials at a
to help pay expenses) and employees who slower pace.
study (i.e., individuals who saw themselves as A 1998 study by Mathematica Policy
workers first, taking college programs to help Research39 found four consistent and power-
them improve their job prospects or for other ful barriers to further education for working
reasons). In 1999–2000, a significant majority— adults: the lack of time to pursue education;
about two out of three working college stu- family responsibilities; scheduling of course
dents—saw themselves as employees first and time and place; and the cost of educational
students second. Among both groups, getting courses.
a degree or credential was their primary goal. More recently, a 2007 national survey of
Among employees who study, about a third 1,500 adult students conducted by Lumina
had enrolled because their job required them Foundation revealed key factors that support
to seek additional education. the success of post-traditional learners. These
Employees who study tend to be older, factors include:
work more, attend school less, and have family Convenience to work and home;
responsibilities, compared with their peers Affordability;
whose primary activity was being a student. Good information regarding programs
They tend, therefore, to be more likely to have and processes;
the multiple risk factors associated with mod- Child care supports; and
erately and highly non-traditional students. More convenient course delivery sys-
Indeed, adults who are working full time and tems.40
studying part time have trouble completing Managing time, finding financial resources,
their programs. Six years after beginning taking courses when time permits, understand-
postsecondary studies, 62 percent of these ing the connection to labor market outcomes,
adult learners (employees who study) had not and navigating a complex education journey
completed a degree or certificate and were no are the shared experiences of all post-tradition-
longer enrolled, compared with 39 percent of al learners. It is upon these shared experiences
students who work. Employees who study were that we find common ground to build postsec-
at particular risk of leaving postsecondary ondary education institutions and pathways
education in their first year with no credential, that make sense and will lead to completion.
compared with only 7 percent of students who In the next section, we explore a more ho-
work.38 listic measure of America’s investment in post-
Key Challenges/Commonalities of Post-tradi- secondary education and training that pro-
tional Learners vides context for the nature of post-traditional
From the studies, we see that post-traditional learner demand and points to new resources to
learners do not fare well in completing post- harness to transform postsecondary education.
secondary studies as compared with their
traditional counterparts. The reasons for this
poor showing are straightforward and point
the way to the commonalities among this di-
8 American Council on EducationIV. A More Holistic View of Postsecondary credentials offer a useful signal to employers
P
Education Investment that a post-traditional learner has specific
ost-traditional learner demand for post- qualifications and competencies. However,
secondary education is shaped by the in addition to credentials, employers are now
skills in demand in the nation’s econ- demanding that new hires have hands-on ex-
omy. In this section, we reframe the nation’s perience as well. Call it a demand for expertise.
investment in postsecondary education. First, Employers are increasingly seeking individu-
we illustrate the demand for postsecondary als with both technical knowledge in their field
levels of academic and applied skills. Second, and also practical experience solving work-
we explore the size of demand for postsecond- place problems.43 Of course, employers have
ary education among post-traditional learners. always valued experience in more seasoned
Third, we illustrate a more holistic measure of veterans; what is changing is the emphasis
national investment in postsecondary educa- on applied problem-solving skills in newer
tion with a special focus on the emergence of a workers.44
new ecosystem for learning validation outside This trend is being driven by the automa-
the academy. tion of work processes as well as the competi-
tive pressure to reorganize work practices on
The U.S. Economy Demands Postsecondary
the front line to an ever-changing consumer
Academic and Applied Skills
demand. Noted global competitiveness expert
With the advent of the innovation economy,
and Harvard Business School professor Mi-
new technologies, technology services, glo-
chael Porter describes the necessary skills this
balization, and changes in the way businesses
way:
organize work are driving the increase in the
demand for postsecondary level skills and “Competitive workers must have the
credentials. According to Georgetown Univer- ability to apply academic or technical
sity’s Center on Education and the Workforce, knowledge to solve real-world problems…
nearly two-thirds of jobs will require some and to work effectively with other people
postsecondary education or skills training by as customers, coworkers, and supervi-
2018.41 This total encompasses high skill occu- sors.”45
pations that require bachelor’s degrees, such The type of integrated postsecondary
as engineers and physicians, which account education that yields this knowledge and skills
for about one-third of skills demand. But this mix is not commonplace in higher education.
also includes occupations that require associ- One promising example is the Liberal Educa-
ate degrees and technical certificates—para- tion and America’s Promise initiative (LEAP),
professionals in health care, IT support staff, through which more than 150 members of the
and windmill technicians. Association of American Colleges and Uni-
The Georgetown researchers estimate that versities are striving to integrate the elements
to promote economic competitiveness and of a liberal education across all areas of study,
economic mobility will require the United including career and professional disciplines
States to produce an additional 3 million (Association of American Colleges and Uni-
workers with associate degrees or higher and 5 versities, 2007). LEAP could be a foundation
million workers with technical certificates and for a new form of postsecondary education
credentials by 2018—above and beyond the that meets labor market needs.
current pace of development.42 The innovation challenge for postsec-
But a demand for credentials (and the ondary education leaders with regard to the
projected shortfall in meeting demand) is not dual issues of credential production and the
the only relevant issue to postsecondary edu- emergent demand for blended academic and
cation innovation. Classroom studies provide applied skills on the part of post-traditional
a foundation of knowledge and postsecondary
Post-traditional Learners and the Transformation of Postsecondary Education: A Manifesto for College Leaders 9learners is determining which institutional, in- education but unable to participate.49
structional, and financial models can produce This potential market of 80 million non- or
this education at scale. under-consumers of postsecondary education
In the next section, we take a broader is of critical importance to national competi-
look at national investment in postsecondary tiveness. According to the Aspen Institute, for
education and training that provides a clue to instance, two-thirds of our expected workforce
the availability of resources for scaling a fully in 2020 is already beyond our elementary and
integrated form of postsecondary education. secondary education systems.50 In other words,
Post-traditional Learner Demand for it will not be enough to solve the problems in
Postsecondary Education our elementary and secondary education sys-
The growing demand of post-traditional learn- tems since two-thirds of the workforce will be
ers for postsecondary education is massive. unaffected by those changes. To put the scale
Here we use existing data sets for working age in context, over the next 10 years about 30
adults as a proxy for post-traditional learner million young people will graduate from high
demand. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, school in the United States, and many will be
in the 2010 American Community Survey, prepared for college—but there are today twice
more than 60 percent of the U.S. population as many adults already in the work force who
between the ages of 25 and 64 had no postsec- have no postsecondary credentials.51
ondary education credential. This is approx- America’s National Investment in Postsecond-
imately 100 million individuals. Estimates ary Education and Learning Validation
range as high as 80 million to 90 million indi- Now we turn to a reframing of America’s total
viduals with no postsecondary credential who investment in postsecondary education and
could benefit from some type of postsecondary training. Postsecondary education leaders,
education.46 researchers, and policymakers often miss the
This is, of course, latent demand or what true impact of post-traditional learners on
Christensen would call non-consumption. But postsecondary systems. The primary reason
data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s National for this is that they conflate postsecondary
Household Education Survey (NHES) show learning and education exclusively with tra-
increasing participation in postsecondary edu- ditional college settings while in a knowledge
cation on the part of adult learners. The NHES economy meaningful learning is happening
shows consistent increases over the past few (and required) in many different places, i.e.,
decades in the number of adults participating online, in the workplace, and as part of military
in some form of postsecondary education or service.
training and taking work-related courses. The Economists at Georgetown’s Center on Ed-
number of adults engaging in any form of adult ucation and the Workforce have documented
education increased from 58 million in 1991 to this “holistic” measure of national investment
90 million in 1999.47 In 2003, 33 percent of the in postsecondary education. The researchers
population over 25 reported participating in calculate an estimated $772 billion invested in
work-related courses (defined by the Depart- postsecondary education and training in the
ment of Education as courses on narrow topics, United States with only 35 percent spent in
delivered in concentrated courses, usually in formal two- and four-year colleges and univer-
non-accredited postsecondary institutions), sities.52 Approximately $271 billion of this in-
which was up from 24 percent in 1999.48 vestment is going into credit-bearing postsec-
Further, many more adults would like ondary education at colleges and universities,
to participate in work-related courses than serving 21 million individuals. The remaining
currently do. A review of the 2005 NHES indi- $501 billion is invested in learning experiences
cated that there may be as many as 37 million occurring in workplaces (i.e., apprenticeships,
adults who are interested in work-related adult training programs, and on-the-job training)
10 American Council on Educationand other venues including military service, Prior Learning Assessment
community-based organizations, and vol- Corporate universities and other non-college
unteer experiences serving an estimated 22 based learning programs (e.g., military and
million individuals. community-based) have, in turn, given rise to a
This investment breakdown is instructive demand to evaluate learning outside the acad-
on a few levels. The first level is the astound- emy for college credit. This process is called
ing fact that a considerable investment in “prior learning assessment” and uses examina-
learning is being made outside the academy. tions, portfolios, and reviews to ascertain if the
The second is that many of these resources postsecondary education that occurs outside
are being invested with individuals that fit the college classrooms can be awarded college
working definition of post-traditional learners. credit. Demand for prior learning assessment
Corporate Universities, Prior Learning Assessment, has existed at least since World War II, when
and Learning Validation the American Council on Education began a
As we seek to understand the nature of the credit recommendation service to value for
investment in postsecondary education out- credit-worthiness learning done by GIs in
side the academy, one indicator to consider service.
is the rise of the corporate university in the The 1970s saw an upsurge in demand, with
latter half of the 20th century. Jeanne Meister, other organizations scaling efforts to award
former director of research for the American credit, including: The Council for Adult and
Society of Training and Development and Experiential Learning, The College Board, Ex-
author of the bestselling book The 2020 Work- celsior College, and DANTES military exams.
place, has documented the explosive growth The mechanisms used to evaluate experiences
of corporate universities. In 1993, there were for credit-worthiness range from portfolio as-
approximately 400 corporate universities in sessment to exams to credit for training. Most
the United States. Today, estimates show that recently, interest in prior learning assessment
there are between 2,800 and 3,000.53 has been piqued in stories related to MOOCs
Where is this growth coming from? Large offered by venerable universities.
and medium sized corporations are building While the MOOC discussion is inspiring
out this corporate university infrastructure excitement and trepidation, the important
because an innovation economy is a learning element to consider is the emergence of a set of
economy. To be globally competitive, these entities which are capable of evaluating differ-
organizations need to develop knowledge and ent learning experiences for credit-worthiness.
skills in ways that are not being attended to by Thus far this competency has been largely used
the academy. So a sophisticated learning infra- at the margins of postsecondary education, not
structure is emerging that is admittedly career surprisingly because it is closely associated
focused but not necessarily less rigorous in its with the characteristics of post-traditional
curricula and standards of performance. One learners. MOOC initiatives could be the accel-
standout example of such a top program is erant that moves these organizations to scale in
GE’s John F. Welch Leadership Development mainstream postsecondary education delivery.
Center in Crotonville, New York. GE’s man- The investment of $500 billion in educa-
agement preparation curricula are a rigorous tion outside the academy, the rise of corporate
mix of global cultural competency, leadership, universities, and the expanded interest in
management disciplines, and technology prior learning assessment are all pointing to
application. Famously, GE’s managers who the emergence of an ecosystem for validating
have been through the program are heavily learning that encompasses and supersedes the
recruited by competitors seeking 21st century academy.
management talent. To observe this newly coalescing ecosys-
tem, we turn to the last element of our refram-
Post-traditional Learners and the Transformation of Postsecondary Education: A Manifesto for College Leaders 11ing of postsecondary education—competency- a framework for illustrating what students
based education. should be expected to know and be able to do
Competency-based Education and Learning Vali- once they earn their postsecondary degrees.
dation The initiative proposes specific learning
A final, and provocative, indicator of the rise in outcomes and competencies that benchmark
postsecondary education at the intersection of the associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees
the academy and the workplace is the grow- along five dimensions.
ing interest in competency-based education. Applied learning: Used by students
Prior learning assessment seeks to equate to demonstrate what they can do with
“outside college learning” to college credits. In what they know.
a competency-based education approach, stu- Intellectual skills: Used by students to
dents advance when they have demonstrated think critically and analytically about
mastery of a competency, which is defined as what they learn.
“a combination of skills, abilities, and knowl- Specialized knowledge: The knowledge
edge needed to perform a task in a specific students demonstrate about their indi-
context.”54 Mastery is the sole determinant of vidual fields of study.
progress, which means that delivery options Broad knowledge: Transcends the
multiply and expand since any instructional typical boundaries of students’ first
method or instructional provider that can two years of higher education and
move a student toward mastery is theoretically encompasses all learning in broad areas
acceptable.55 With regard to college credits, through multiple degree levels.
one can imagine a future in which competen- Civic learning: Enables students to
cies validated by a reliable evaluator could respond to social, environmental, and
replace the college credit. economic challenges at local, national,
The emergence of competency-based edu- and global levels.
cation is being driven by more systemic pres- The Degree Qualifications Profile initia-
sures. In a global knowledge economy, em- tive is currently partnering with 100 institu-
ployers demand ways to affirm the knowledge, tions in 30 states to build out the framework in
skills, and abilities of workers, and employees a variety of disciplines: biology, chemistry, ed-
continuously seek to remain competitive by ucation, history, physics, and graphic design.
pursuing more learning. Driven by this need to An industry-driven initiative, the National
optimize human capital production, nations, Association of Manufacturers’ Manufacturing
higher education systems, and employers are Skills Certification System has developed a
coming together to develop competencies and structure of stackable credentials indicating
learning outcomes that can be used to guide that workers have attained competencies for
instruction and assessment, thus ensuring increasingly sophisticated levels of work across
quality and increasing productivity promoting many areas of manufacturing, from machine
optimal use of national resources. operator to engineer to management positions.
The initiatives that develop these compe- The essential elements of the Manufactur-
tencies and learning outcomes tend to be part- ing Skills Certification System are:
nerships between postsecondary education A collection of competencies that to-
institutions and other stakeholders, especially gether defines a successful, high-perfor-
philanthropic and industry-based groups. Let’s mance manufacturing workforce;
turn now to two such initiatives—the Degree Industry-driven certifications that align
Qualifications Profile and the Manufacturing with competencies; and
Skills Certification System.56 Best-in-class curriculum to articulate
The Degree Qualifications Profile ini- for-credit education pathways that will
tiative, supported by Lumina Foundation, is ensure students achieve the compe-
12 American Council on Educationtencies necessary to achieve industry thought that nursing would be the
credentials. career for her. She has been slowly and
This initiative is already beginning to methodically working in physician’s
bridge the worlds of workplace competen- offices while taking health care-related
cies and postsecondary education. In 2011, courses at a total of six community
the National Association of Manufacturers colleges and universities. Her earned
announced a partnership with the Univer- income, combined with some financial
sity of Phoenix in which the association’s aid, provides the means to afford col-
competency-based curriculum and credentials lege and cover life expenses (with addi-
will form the core of a bachelor’s in manage- tional support from her parents). First,
ment at the online university. she targeted achieving an associate in
Competency-based education, corporate medical assisting. Then, as a result of
universities, and prior learning assessment her work experience and interactions
are all indicators of nations striving to meet with doctors, nurses, and managers
the demands of their labor markets for post- she realized she enjoyed the business
secondary knowledge and skills and educate side of health care. So she modified her
post-traditional learners in an efficient and education plan electing to pursue her
cost-effective manner. They also point to the bachelor’s degree in health care admin-
emergence of a new ecosystem around the istration.
need to validate learning that is occurring in Along the course of this complex journey
non-credit environments—to capture prior she was confronted by a postsecondary
learning to better engage adult learners, help education system with little ability or in-
them persist, decrease time to degree, and terest to adapt to her life circumstances.
reduce the cost. She has taken the same general educa-
This ecosystem is another foundation that tion requirements several times because
makes the disruptive innovation of postsec- institutions didn’t accept transfer credits.
ondary education both possible and likely. It Financial aid rules limited her ability to
is our contention that current postsecondary get aid when she needed to attend only
leaders should take up the rise of the post- one course. Academic and career ad-
traditional learner and the emergence of a vising were almost non-existent to help
learning validation ecosystem as partners and her navigate the complexities of life and
tools to lead the vanguard of transforming the education. Repeated attempts to have
very system they now control. her 10 years of work experience in health
A final post-traditional learner vignette care reviewed for credit equivalency have
helps us to illustrate the extent of the needed gone unheard. Not surprisingly, discour-
transformation and its urgency. agement and a growing debt load have
A bright 27-year-old Rhode Island been dogging her desire and ability to
woman has been blending work and complete her degree. 57
learning for a decade. She is from a This young woman cannot afford to wait.
working class family and graduated She, along with millions like her, needs a
high school nine years ago. Having transformed postsecondary education system
worked at a pharmacy and doctor’s in order to reach her full potential.
office part-time in high school, she
Post-traditional Learners and the Transformation of Postsecondary Education: A Manifesto for College Leaders 13V. A Manifesto for College Leaders on United States, none have questioned the foun-
T
Innovation in Postsecondary Education dations of the academy. A contemporaneous
he post-traditional learner vignettes example of this lack of innovation leadership
throughout this brief were meant to put is that postsecondary education seems almost
a human face on what it will mean to unable to frame the correct research questions
educate America in the coming years. Educat- with regard to MOOCs. There is simply a
ing millions of post-traditional learners will lack of curiosity about this type of innovation
prove to be a moving target as the demand for at scale. The specific intent of this group of
customized learning experiences grows, driven postsecondary leaders and other stakeholders
by learning style, purchasing preferences, and would be to explore disrupting current institu-
life responsibilities. The nation’s postsecond- tional, instructional, and revenue models.
ary education leaders must move beyond their SEMATECH may be a useful model.
historical roles for expanding access, making Formed in the 1980s, SEMATECH was a con-
college affordable, and ensuring quality to sortium of semi-conductor firms, research labs,
intentionally promoting innovation. and public policymakers formed to promote
We propose three principles for har- the success of the U.S. semi-conductor indus-
nessing these realities as a foundation for try. SEMATECH focuses on research to solve
intentionally disrupting current institutional, common problems and to push the industry
instructional, and revenue models to achieve to the next level of science and competition in
better results for post-traditional learners and semi-conductors.
the nation: Postsecondary education leaders should
1. Go Beyond the Academy to Take Lead- push for the creation of a similar consortium
ership—A Consortium for Teaching and with a focus of expanding the frontiers of teach-
Learning; ing and learning for post-traditional learners.
2. Rebuild the Definition of Postsecond- The consortium would bring togetherthe best
ary Education from the Post-traditional researchers in cognitive science, instructional
Learner Out; and design, information technology, and public
3. Be Entrepreneurs of a New Venture, policy to transform the nation’s most important
Not Stewards of Existing Institutions. competitive engine—postsecondary education.
Go Beyond the Academy to Take Leader- Rebuild the Definition of Postsecondary Educa-
ship—A Consortium for Teaching and Learning tion from the Post-traditional Learner Out
The needs of post-traditional learners and the The image of a 22-year-old walking across a
economy’s demand for academic and applied stage to accept her bachelor’s degree is a pow-
skills go well beyond the current expertise of erful “mental map” familiar to most American
America’s traditional colleges and universities. families. This mental map of the ideal journey
While the challenges have been with us and through postsecondary education reflects both
even discussed for years, there has never been the historical development of the academy and
a sustained, postsecondary education leader- a rite of passage in our middle-class identity.
driven effort to actually place innovation at the College completion leads to a career, a family,
forefront of a national postsecondary educa- and settling down to a prosperous lifestyle.
tion transformation agenda. Postsecondary This mental map defines how individu-
education leaders need to take the lead while als and families make college choices; what
bringing in other stakeholders including courses students take in high school; how
public policymakers and business leaders to guidance counselors provide advice; what and
create such a sustained effort. how colleges teach; and, of equal importance,
While there have been many national com- the tools that public policy uses to promote
missions and even nonprofit organizations the attainment of college credentials. In short,
formed to address education issues in the it circumscribes both the demand and supply
14 American Council on Educationof postsecondary education. Be Entrepreneurs of a New Venture, Not Stew-
Postsecondary education leaders must ards of Existing Institutions
take the lead in making it acceptable to Harvard didn’t always look like it does now.
redefine what postsecondary education and It was developed over a century with fits and
college actually mean in today’s economy. The starts evolving from a religious training school
mental model above may work as an ideal, to a global research university. This process
but in practice, it oversimplifies a very com- was quite entrepreneurial, with much trial and
plex set of life realities and decisions faced by error in attempts to respond to student and
post-traditional learners to the point of being societal needs.
negligent. Post-traditional learners call much Yet today, postsecondary education lead-
of the model into question. ers seem more intent on protecting the exist-
Given the extent and nature of skills in ing enterprise than solving the nettlesome
demand, is the baccalaureate the right gold challenges of educating an ever more diverse
standard for postsecondary education? Or is a and demanding group of learners.
new hybrid academic and applied credential a Entrepreneurs identify problems that con-
better fit for millions of learners? sumers are having that no one else is solving.
Given the desire for modular, episodic As documented above, post-traditional learn-
learning, is institutional accreditation the ers certainly provide a set of postsecondary
right level? Or is course-level accreditation the attainment problems to be solved. Based on
correct approach for 21st century education their success rates in postsecondary educa-
delivery? tion, no one has really solved these problems
What is the right mix of high-tech and yet.
high-touch? For which learners is that mix Postsecondary education leaders and
appropriate? policymakers must acknowledge that these
These questions are being asked. But too types of problems require entrepreneurship
often they are being asked of postsecondary to be built into education marketplaces. For
education leaders, not by them as a means to example, competitive venture funding could
innovate current institutional, instructional, be built into operating budgets and state sub-
and revenue models. sidies as a means to encourage experiments to
We need a new mental model of college solve post-traditional learner challenges and
that suits post-traditional learner realities. Em- then scale them if they work.
bracing post-traditional learners as innovation Postsecondary education leaders are
partners and not excluding them as aberra- too often coaxed into entrepreneurship by
tions is the key to unlocking this new mental extra-institutional stakeholders such as pol-
model. Postsecondary education leaders must icymakers. Postsecondary education leaders
be our guides in answering these questions should be the entrepreneurs of learning, not
and fomenting learner-centric innovation. the coaxed incremental change agents.
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