Adult learners a neglected species in the generative AI era

More than four decades ago, Malcolm Knowles shed light on the plight of adult learners in educational settings with his book The Adult Learner: A neglected species. This publication highlighted the underappreciation and lack of attention given to the specific needs and challenges faced by adults in education compared to school learners.

At that time, adult learners lacked resources and policy focus, and faced social stigmas that hindered their educational advancement.

Fast forward to the present intelligent era with advanced AI tools. The needs of adult learners remain underexplored, particularly in how they can leverage generative AI (GenAI) tools for work and education.

GenAI, popularised by ChatGPT, has emerged as a prominent trend and innovation with the potential to revolutionise education. The sweeping changes brought by GenAI in the educational arena have implications for adult learning.

In education, GenAI will usher in a world of adult learning that will be radically different from its predecessor. In adult education, where there are limited teacher capacity and resources, GenAI tools have the potential to expedite the rapid creation of high quality, personalised and engaging materials for the purposes of instruction and assessment in any given learning context.

GenAI has the potential to revolutionise traditional adult education practices by improving andragogy and personalising learning experiences. Tools like ChatGPT, Synthesia, Midjourney, Dall-E 2 and InstructGPT can help tailor education to individual adult learners, enhancing their learning outcomes. Specifically, ChatGPT can be used for improving the reading, writing, critical thinking skills and self-directed learning of adult learners.

Synthesia can be used for generating instructional video content for adult learners. Midjourney can be used for creating realistic images to enhance the immersive learning experience of adult learners. Dall-E 2 can be used for automating assessment and instruction and enhancing the creativity of adult learners. InstructGPT can be used for answering questions and creating customised learning materials for adult learners.

Some obstacles

Despite the potential benefits offered by GenAI technologies to enhance academic and professional performance, how adult learners will apply GenAI technologies to achieve their educational and professional goals remains blurred.

Many adult learners encounter challenges when adapting to unfamiliar technologies. Additionally, there exists a segment of the adult population that disregards or is apprehensive about embracing these tools. This reluctance results in missed opportunities for adult learners to upskill and adapt to technology-mediated environments.

The lack of guidance for adult educators and stakeholders on effectively integrating GenAI tools into adult education further compounds these challenges. Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic clearly imply that adult educators need to build capacity as instructional designers and use digital technologies and research-based instructional frameworks to enhance learning opportunities.

UNESCO’s 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report underscores the controversial impact of technology in education, emphasising the opportunities it provides while also highlighting the disparities it creates.

The increasing number of adults seeking to upskill themselves face challenges due to digital incompetence and limited access to advanced AI tools, leading to an ‘GenAI divide’ that hinders their success in technology-driven environments. There is a critical need for a conceptual framework to guide educators on implementing GenAI in adult education effectively.

As technology advances, the significance of adult education grows, ensuring longevity in employment, facilitating career transitions, fulfilling personal aspirations and promoting professional growth for adult learners. Despite this, the educational benefits of GenAI for adult learners remain largely unexplored.

While numerous studies have delved into GenAI, there has been a notable neglect of a specific demographic – adult learners. Emerging research is now beginning to examine the impact of GenAI on adult learning outcomes, emphasising the need to highlight the implications of cutting-edge technologies like GenAI for adult learners.

Conclusion

As we navigate the GenAI era, it is imperative to address the neglected needs of adult learners and provide them with the necessary support to leverage GenAI tools effectively.

By developing guidelines, research and policies that cater to adult learners’ diverse backgrounds and learning styles, we can empower them to excel in technology-mediated workplaces and educational settings.

Embracing GenAI in adult education has the potential to maximise self-directed learning, enhance skill development, and bridge the digital and AI divide for adult learners seeking to thrive in the modern era.

GenAI technologies can empower adult learners to enhance their competencies and acquire knowledge and skills for employment, addressing the significant concern of a shortage of unskilled labour in the workforce across numerous countries for employers, governments and institutions.

Guidelines for integrating GenAI technology into adult learning and education practices should address the customisation of GenAI tools to align with the curriculum, fostering human-centred andragogy, cultivating adult learners’ interest in utilising GenAI, promoting ethical considerations in GenAI usage and enhancing GenAI literacy among adult learners.

Dr Michael Agyemang Adarkwah is administrative coordinator of the WE4STEM European Union project at Friedrich Schiller University Jena in Germany. He doubles as a research associate at Friedrich Schiller University Jena. He is an international peer reviewer, on the editorial boards of three education journals, and an associate editor for SN Social Sciences.