Futuring for Optimum Outcomes in Higher Education: Addressing the Needs of Today’s Adult Learners

Authors

  • Lisa L. Rollins, Prof. Dr. Liberal Arts at Ashford University, San Diego, California, USA

Keywords:

Adult learners, high education, futuring tools, trends in high education

Abstract

If educational institutions are to be prepared to meet the future's challenges, including the unique needs of adult learners in today’s college classrooms, their leaders must plan today to make needed changes. Per the World Future Society, "Proactive, future-oriented thinking can lead to greater success in both work and private affairs. The future will happen, no matter what we do, but if we want it to be a good future, we need to work at it" (2002, available at http://www.wfs.org). Change is inevitable, yet many organizational leaders fail to effectively map out successful transitions. Strategic quality planning, however, provides those who utilize its tools (e.g., environmental scanning, trend extrapolation, Delphi Technique, scenario planning, etc.) with a systematic framework that can help move an organization move from its present state to where its planners want it to be (Alexander & Serfass, 1999). Through a review of relevant literature, this article will explore some of these futuring tools and their appropriate application, with an emphasis on current trends in higher education, and in particular, as it relates to adult learners.

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Author Biography

Lisa L. Rollins, Prof. Dr., Liberal Arts at Ashford University, San Diego, California, USA

Dr. Lisa L. Rollins, Ph.D., Ed.S., is an assistant professor of journalism and mass communication in the College of Liberal Arts at Ashford University, San Diego, Calif.

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Published

2014-04-01

How to Cite

Rollins, L. L. (2014). Futuring for Optimum Outcomes in Higher Education: Addressing the Needs of Today’s Adult Learners. Journal of Social Sciences (COES&Amp;RJ-JSS), 3(2), 367–380. Retrieved from https://centreofexcellence.net/index.php/JSS/article/view/jss.2014.3.2.367.380

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Articles