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HEL-101 Evening Class: Foundations for Success in Higher Education is comprised of 30 adult students who are 24 to 58 years old. The class is very diverse in terms of cultural background, work history, and previous schooling. Although all are bringing strengths from previous schooling and work experience, time management, computer competency, and test anxiety concerns are also common among the students. Examining these variables bridges the gap in instruction to be accessible, easy for everyone to access and participate in.

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Learner-Centered, Active Learning Experiences for Adult Learners

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Learner-Centered, Active Learning Experiences for Adult Learners

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To promote engagement and belonging during the first nights of class, these activities are designed to accommodate diverse adult learners, incorporating adult learning principles (self-directed learning, prior experience, relevance) and active learning strategies

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Kahoot! – Interactive Quizzes

Description: Use short quizzes to review course topics, introduce yourself, or explore student interests. Encourages participation, friendly competition, and immediate feedback.

Link: https://kahoot.com/

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Padlet – Collaborative Brainstorming Wall

Description: Students post ideas, goals, or questions on a shared digital wall. Supports reflection, gives all students a voice, and fosters community.

Link: https://padlet.com/

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Mentimeter – Live Polls & Word Clouds

Description: Gather student input instantly through polls or word clouds about expectations, experiences, or opinions. Promotes inclusivity, discussion, and belonging.

Link: https://www.mentimeter.com/

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Belonging forms the core of adult learning as persistence and motivation are predicated upon a sense of belonging. Adult learners come with varying experiences, knowledge, and learning styles, and constructing learning opportunities where everyone is included makes everyone included and part of the community. Mackh (2025) asserts that assisting with the sense of community and student engagement are among the strongest strategies of retaining adults. The moment the student feels they are included as members of the learning space, they respond by taking responsibility and actively engaging with learning.

Interactive programs like Kahoot! encourage social learning and interaction through the presentation of multiple-choice questions to be responded to by engaging, communicating, and working together (Solanki et al., 2019). Such tasks not only help with cognitive learning but allow students to be included in the group in class as well. Such collaborative online tools like Padlet and Mentimeter allow students to contribute ideas, reflect on themselves, and respond back, which helps with creating communality and feelings of inclusion.

Transformative learning theory demands perspective taking and reflection as key areas of adult learning. By creating practice to exchange experience, provide feedback, and discuss among group members, designers are constructing psychologically safe rooms to learn and experiment on a deeper level. The YouTube presentation on adult membership learning also promotes inclusive methods and active engagement as creating strong relations and increased learner confidence (YouTube, 2023).

Generally speaking, incorporation of active learning strategies, interactive materials, and reflection time captivates adult learners and instills feelings of belongingness, motivational drive, and challenge as espoused by Mackh on retention and basic underlying assumptions for theory about adult learning.