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Learning Experiences
Several participants commented they appreciated assignments that were
relevant to their current work or community-based involvement. One participant
was very involved in community advocacy for improved housing. Because of her
involvement with her coursework, she was asked to join the city council and actively
participated in advocating for better housing in her community. She commented that
several times, after having a relevant article assigned, she would share that article
with the chair of the council, and he would reference it during their meetings. She
felt good in adding value to the council. Another participant stated, “It is not always
about the degree, but more about the learning and applying it to the reality of your
life.”
Yet another participant noted that activities she was doing at work further
supported her efforts in the graduate program. She realized she was drawing heavily
from her own life experiences. She hoped she would help fellow students through
sharing her experiences, just as they were helping her with their unique personal
perspectives. Another reported younger students reached out to her, asking questions
about issues under discussion that she had experienced from a personal perspective
due to her stage of life.
Learning was connected to online resources and support including library
resources and university writing centers. Most had experienced undergraduate classes
face-to-face, with little technology required. The online availability of resources in
their current programs was one of the most noticeable differences in support noted
by participants. As one participant noted:
When you were writing a research paper, you had to spend hours in the
library looking for the right journals and combing through microfiche to read
the articles. Having the ability to search a multitude of journals and databases
from the convenience of one’s laptop was a gamechanger in writing research
papers with current and peer reviewed resources.

Learning Strategies
Learning was scheduled around job and family for these learners. Instructors
provided syllabi at the beginning of each semester with all due dates and
assignments. Participants scheduled their family, work, and personal time around
these dates. Courses were online, so participants were able to plan their study times
and assignments around work schedules. If a participant’s spouse worked at night,
learning strategies involved working on assignments at night. This allowed days and
weekends for family and spouse. Conversely, one participant noted that, because she
had an empty nest and fewer obligations, her graduate program provided meaningful
work as compared to just spending hours watching television to fill her time. Learning
was adaptable to their already-full lives, requiring self-pacing and time management
skills.
In discussing transformative learning, several participants commented that their
learning was applicable to other areas of their lives. They reported drawing upon
real-life job experiences while also enhancing those jobs with information gained
in the program of study. They reflected on past experiences and considered how
differently they viewed things now, since graduate school study, through what one
participant called eyes “more aware and conscious of diversity and the need for
inclusive and safe places for everyone.”
Participants found the learning to be collaborative. They worked in groups for

58 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators