Adult Learning: An Overview of the 1990s

 

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Adult Learning: An Overview of the 1990s

            Adults have long been motivated to continue their education beyond their adolescence. Many decide to pursue learning for personal development. Others do so for a specific reason, such as obtaining skills for a particular job. Whatever their motivation, over the last fifty years there has been a significant increase in adult learners. A 1962 survey reported that 22% of adults participated in some type of adult education. In the 1990s, the number increased to more than 40% (Kim & Creighton, 1999).

The last decade of the twentieth century marked a special milestone for adult education. There was a renewed focus on quality of education and expanding opportunities for all people. Moreover, despite numerous studies identifying particular groups of adults to be significantly less likely to seek education, nearly 40 million people enrolled in programs of the U.S Adult Education and Literacy System (AELS) (Hamil-Luker & Uhlenberg, 2002). The working poor, welfare recipients, immigrants, the unemployed, the bored, and the incarcerated were some of the groups that sought out additional education during this time period. With the digital age right around the corner, the 1990s created new opportunities for older learners as the need for additional education emerged through literacy rates. Both state and federal legislation was enacted to provide resources for adult education. And finally, as demand for later life education grew, new programs for older adults were designed in communities and existing educational institutions continued to adapt to meet adult’s needs.

Highlights

The literacy crisis of the 1980s propelled much of the focus for adult learning in the 1990s. In May 1986, according to a government study on literacy, approximately 1 of every 8 Americans could not read. As a response, Congress passed legislation that provided a total of $421 million in state grant funds for adult basic education in fiscal years (FY) 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1988. Further, in the early 1990s, Congress, U.S. Department of Education, and adult education leaders and their organizations recognized that adult literacy programs needed to be paired with postsecondary education and training. They understood that an expanded focus was needed for adults to obtain higher learning, work skill certification, and other industry-recognized credentials and began to create action plans as a response. This propelled much of the work done in the 90s.

            In 1991, after signing the National Literacy Act, President Bush stated that improving literacy was one of his administration’s most important objectives and that the bill would establish new literacy programs: “I have consistently proposed increases in funding for literacy programs, including Even Start and adult education, and continued support for federal research efforts and the National Adult Literacy Survey” (Peters, G., & Woolley, J. T., 2013). The focus for adult education programs was expanded through this legislation, which had as its purpose “to enhance the literacy and basic skills of adults, to ensure that all adults in the United States acquire the basic skills necessary to function effectively and achieve the greatest possible opportunity in their work and in their lives, and to strengthen and coordinate adult literacy programs.”

Influential Factors

Lifelong Learning and an Executive Focus

In the 1990s, a theme emerged in education regarding learning and training across the individual lifespan, which eventually became known as the concept of lifelong learning. This concept was the subject of several proposals formulated by various groups around the world. (UNESCO, 2002). The prevailing idea was that everyone, at any time during their lives, should have the opportunity to participate in learning. This coupled with the increase focus on adult literacy contributed to the expansion of adult learning opportunities in the United States (Kristin Boström 2003).

The lifelong learner concept was further enforced with the announcement of a list of goals decided at the 1990 Education Summit announced by President Bush and adopted by the state governors. For the first time, adult education was included among the goals, which stated: “By the year 2000, every adult in America will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship” (U.S Department of Education 2013). The renewed executive focus on older learners provided expanded opportunities for people seeking additional education. In part as a result of the goals announced in 1990, in FY1991, total adult education funding was $241 million, an increase of 56 percent over four years. Grants to states grew from $91 million in 1979 to $255 million in 1993, a significant increase.

Higher Education, Community College, and Adult Learners

Existing educational institutions also played an influential role in advancing adult education during the decade. In response to changing demographic, social, and economic conditions, institutions of higher education began to more broadly open their doors to different populations of students. Encouraged by prevailing ideals of social inclusion, universities sought to widen the participation of groups who have been traditionally underrepresented on college campuses, including older adults. Additionally, the American Council on Education dubbed the 1990s as the “Decade of the Community College” as public two-year colleges experienced larger enrollment booms during that decade than other higher education institutions did. Despite this, more adult learners or “non-traditional” students, those 24 or older and often married and working, enrolled in four-year institutions when compared to community colleges.

Globalization and Technical developments

Perhaps the most significant change in the 90s was the introduction of electronically supported modes of learning and the increased rate of globalization due to technical advances in many sectors. Toshiba released its first mass-market consumer laptop in 1985, and Apple’s Mac was available starting in 1984. As computers became more accessible, many adults enrolled in computer training courses. Because of the newness of PC’s, many people who had been working white-collar jobs for several years eventually took computer training courses and participated in some form of adult learning opportunities as a way to keep up with the trends of their professions. Young adults looking to enter the workforce, but outside of the range of traditional school-age, also participated in computer/typing training through community sources, higher education institutions, or through workplace training. Then in 1990, The World Wide Web was given life when the Hyper Text Markup Language, or HTML was developed. Then, the National Science Foundation disabled restrictions on the commercial use of the internet in 1993 and “the world exploded into a frenzy of newfound research and communication methods” (Purdue Online, n.d). All of this to say, adults were in a perfect spot to continue their learning through and about technology during the 1990s.

Implications

At one time, adult education referred to being taught remedial and basic skills. However, programs in the 90s focused on broader, higher-level skills that include problem-solving, information literacy, and information technology. Students could enroll in adult education programs at adult high schools, community colleges, university extension programs, and even prisons. The government also sponsored adult education programs. The decade served as an important time in helping propel these types of opportunities through an increase in government funding, new and advanced technology, and because of an overall increased interest in adult literacy rates and workforce development by educational institutions.

 

 Table 1.  Summary of the History of Adult/Community Education

Areas	Summary
Social Background	Coming out of the 70s and 80s, the 90s served as a time for expanded opportunity and technological advances.
Highlights	Literacy crisis and increased executive focus
Influential Factors	American Literacy Act, The Concept of Lifelong learning, Higher Education Institutions, Technological Advancements
Implications

 

 References:

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https://online.purdue.edu/blog/education/evolution-technology-classroom