Abstract:

Universities have taken an important role in promoting lifelong learning by opening their doors to adult learners and adjusting their training programs and learning conditions to meet the specific needs of this category of students. However, the severe crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have a major impact on the participation of millions of adult learners in higher education. The aim of the present study is two-fold. Firstly, it attempts to identify the common challenges faced by higher education institutions in ensuring educational experiences destined for non-traditional students in compliance with their profile and learning needs. Secondly, it purports to explore the available strategies that can promote adult learners’ participation in the learning process during the COVID-19 pandemic. To this purpose, we carried out a qualitative research, based on the thematic analysis of a set of peer-reviewed articles, selected through a multi-stage process. By capitalizing on the resources investigated in this study, correlated with the current state of knowledge with regard to the access and participation of non-traditional students in upper education, we come to the conclusion that universities could develop actual intervention mechanisms focused on three directions of action: a. improving educational services; b. improving tutoring, counselling, communication, and community partnership services; c. reconfiguring interdisciplinary research regarding learning and education in adulthood.

Keywords:

Non-traditional students, higher education, tutoring and counselling, COVID-19.