UNDERSTANDING OLDER ADULT LEARNERS IN DISTANCE EDUCATION: The Case of Universiti Sains Malaysia

World population ageing is unprecedented and pervasive which will affect all countries
in the world. According to a United Nation report (2010): ―By 2045, the number of
older persons in the world will exceed the number of young for the first time in
history.‖ The number of the older adult learners in distance education programs is also
expected to increase in tandem with the growth of ageing population throughout the
world. As such distance education institutions and instructors should be vigilant to this
new emerging group of learners. The objectives of this study were to identify factors
related to older adult learners‘ participation in the distance education degree programs
and their characteristics. Data were collected by using interviews and questionnaires.
Respondents for the study were older adult learners age 50 and over who enrolled in
degree programs at the School of Distance Education (SDE), Universiti Sains Malaysia
in Malaysia. Five older adult learners were interviewed and 72 out of 123 respondents
completed the questionnaires. The findings indicated that older adult learners‘
participation in the distance education degree programs is mainly due to career
advancement and to seek knowledge. The older adult learners‘ distinct characteristics
are high motivation, eager to learn, health conscious, effective time management, good
social skills, no financial difficulties and have strong family support.