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Inside Higher Ed: Survey: Employers want “soft skills” from graduates By Jeremy Bauer‐Wolf Posted January 17, 2019      Employers want college graduates who have “soft skills,” such as being a good listener or thinking critically, but they have difficulty finding such candidates, according to a new report. The survey was conducted online in September by Morning Consult for Cengage, an educational technology and ser‐ vices company, among more than 500 hiring managers and 150 more human resources professionals. More than 1,500 current and former college students from two‐ and four‐year institutions were also surveyed. The companies found that the most in‐demand talent among employers was listening skills—74 percent of employers indicated this was a skill they valued. This was followed by attetion to detail (70 percent) and effective communication (69 percent). About 73 percent of the employers said that finding qualified candidates was somewhat or very ...
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Introduction and Purpose

Manifesto for Alesia Wakefield-Medley: Hello and welcome to online learning and Adult Learner blog. My name is Alesia Wakefield-Medley and my passion is Adult Learning. I have worked with Adult Learners for over 10 years in the areas of Human Resources and TRiO Programs. Currently, I am an Educational Program Specialist for the Educational Opportunity Center which is a TRiO Program.  Our program works with and assists Adult Learners age 18 and above enroll in postsecondary education and complete their GED if needed.   Every day I meet Adult Learners who are faced with the possibility of entering the technologically laced world of education.  Many of my Adult Learner clients are not prepared or equipped to utilize the technology that we use daily.  They need some type form of remediation to prepare them to be successful.   My purpose in creating this blog is to discuss why I believe Adult Learners need technological assistance and support to be ab...
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EDUCAUSE 7 Things you should know about ...... Microlectures

In the online learning realm, there are new online teaching techniques that can be utilized to enhance learning that can encourage learning and enhance your lessons.  If you are working with Adult Learners keep in mind that they are mostly Digital Immigrants (were not born into the technological age) and may not be as technologically savvy as your Digital Native students (students born into the technological age).  Because of this fact, as educators/teachers we need to include technology techniques that our students can effectively relate to and utilize.     EDUCAUSE which is a nonprofit organization/association whose mission is to enhance and advance higher education through the use of information technology has developed several learning initiatives that instructors can utilize.  These learning initiatives include microlectures, badges, video communication, and challenge-based-learning.  Please see my personal choice/preference microlectures for...
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Who and What are Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives??

Who and what are Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives?? As defined by Prensky, Digital Immigrants are individuals who were "not born into the digital world" (Prensky, 2001).  In contrast, Digital Immigrants are individuals who were born into the digital world.  The importance of the distinction is this: As Digital Immigrants learn – like all immigrants, some better than others – to adapt to their environment, they always retain, to some degree, their "accent," that is, their foot in the past. The “digital immigrant accent” can be seen in such things as turning to the Internet for information second rather than first, or in reading the manual for a program rather than assuming that the program itself will teach us to use it. Today’s older folk were "socialized" differently from their kids, and are now in the process of learning a new language. And a language learned later in life, scientists tell us, goes into a different part of the brain. Th...
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The Challenge: Digital Immigrants vs. Digital Natives

In the previous post I discussed who are  Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives.  The purpose in this post is to further clarify the difference that Adult Learners encounter when faced with technology.  By the nature of the generation when the Adult Learner was born they are at a technological disadvantage.  Some Adult Learners have adapted and function at ease and expertise in our technologically laced world.  However, there are more Adult Learners who are not prepared for Online Learning.           Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives are terms coined by the author and motivational speaker Marc Prensky to describe individuals that were not born into technology age (Digital Immigrants) and individuals who were born into the technology age (Digital Natives).   These terms describe the learners enrolled in today’s distance learning classes.  There are challenges for the instructors and students who interact with these...
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Addressing the Needs of Adult Online Learners

In the previous posts I defined who the Digital Immigrants were and some very unique challenges that they face.  This video will further discuss the needs of Adult Learners and give insight on how we can assist them in being successful. To further assist Adult Learners in an Online Learning environment the post that follows this one titled "Social Presence in Online Learning" discusses how creating social presence in Online Learning environments actually assist Adult Learners with adjusting to the Online Learning environment.  Creating social presence also meets the social needs of Adult Learners.
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Social Presence in Online Learning

It is extremely important for instructors and students to develop social presence in an online learning environment.  Creating social presence in an online learning environment is imperative to developing successful students and positive outcomes.  When and Adult Learner thinks of an Online Learning environments the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that there is no face to face interaction and all assignments will be completed with the assistance of some technological platform.  Almost immediately an Adult Learner or Digital Immigrant begins to ponder how they will be able to receive feedback, communicate or get in touch with their instructor and classmates.  They also become anxious and sometimes consider dropping out of an Online Learning class because they desire to have the immediate personal touch that a face to face course provides.  Well-developed social presence can calm and ease many of the Adult Learners concerns about Online Learning....
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