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many assignments. Group activities, including discussions, helped participants in
communication and engagement with other students. A participant reported her life
experiences were different than those of her classmates, and she was, at first, reluctant
to share her experiences. However, she commented, “Several students emailed me
for more information,” encouraging her to share.
Learning involved asking for help and guidance when needed. Early in the
program, many participants were shy in reaching out to faculty for guidance. As Baby
Boomers, many realized this was a holdover from their undergraduate days because,
as students, they did not ask for extra help. Once they started making connections
with faculty in present studies, they found these educators willing to help and guide
them. One participant commented, “I emailed my professor of my research class,
and she surprised me, saying ‘Let’s meet tomorrow virtually and we’ll talk about
your next steps.’” At that point, she realized the faculty were approachable and made
more effort to get to know her professors.
Graduate program learning was enhanced by relevance of assignments to learners’
needs and interests. Participants commented that assignments were individualized,
offering choices, and permitting students to choose those most relevant for them
in their unique setting. Participants felt connected by these assignments, and this
helped with long-term learning retention.

Challenges
Simply adjusting to online learning was one of the first challenges. Navigating
learning management platforms such as Blackboard and Canvas was an initial hurdle
for most, but asking for help from coworkers and other students helped these Baby
Boomers to overcome that challenge. One stated, “Both my peers and faculty have
been exceptionally helpful in helping me overcome these technological challenges.”
With practice, and after gaining skills in using technology, Baby Boomer learners
realized the increased writing and searching efficiency they found as compared to
earlier programs when they did not have access to the technology available today.
Learners reported technology offered a far more efficient approach than the
methods used in earlier programs with typewriters, correction tape, and hours spent
in the library searching the stacks. One summed up this challenge with technology
well:
That was just new for me, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised that I like it as
much as I do. I thought I was a learner that would need to be in a classroom
very structured. So, it’s been good to see that I can learn this way, getting
used to doing schooling virtually.
Several participants noted health issues as a challenge. This included their own
health as well as that of spouses/partners and aging parents for whom they provided
care. Various health issues were presented at this stage of life for Baby Boomers. As
one noted, “While attending school part-time I had a full-time job, taking care of a
sick parent, and receiving treatment myself for breast cancer.”
Some students were challenged to the point that they considered withdrawing from
their program. Those participants who considered withdrawal or pausing learning
cited completion time, finances, COVID-19 restrictions, and family caretaking
responsibilities as challenges. One student withdrew to attend a shorter extension
course that met her career needs. Another changed to a shorter adult education
certificate program after speaking with her advisor. One student who graduated after
pausing her learning commented, “My advisor was extremely helpful during this

Educators’ Choice 59