Gender and learning strategy differences in nontraditional adult students’ design preferences in hybrid distance course

This study describes instructional design elements most valued by nontraditional adult learners in hybrid learning environments that combine limited face-to-face contact with online learning and collaboration. It identifies the online course features and instructional goals selected as most important by a sample of 67 adults. It then compares this group’s rankings with those of subgroups based on gender and preferred learning strategies as measured by the Assessing the Learning Strategies of Adults (ATLAS) test. The results of the study support the application of principles of adult learning in developing online environments for adults, identify some differences in learning emphasis by gender and preferred learning strategies, and underscore the importance of providing a variety of learning options in adult learning environments with an online component. Higher education is facing dramatic shifts in its demographics and its instructional delivery strategies. The new demographics of higher education identify part-time adult learners as the new majority, with nontraditional working adults now comprising more than 50 % of the postsecondary student population and the fastest growing segment of th