Enhancing Adult Learners' Sense of Engineering Connectedness, Comfort, and Security in a Targeted Learning Community

Abstract

Adult learners have different needs than traditional college-aged students. We present the first year results of a targeted learning community for high-achieving, low-income engineering and engineering technology adult students. Students in this project received academic support and mentorship to prepare them for entering the engineering workforce. By including the adult learners in the development of their learning outcomes, students increased their sense of engineering connectedness, comfort, and security to enable them to confidently enter the engineering and engineering technology workforce.

Keywords: adult learners, engineering, andragogy, learning communities, STEM workforce preparation