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Summary Demographics: 30 students, ages 24–58; 18 women, 12 men; 40% White/Caucasian, 30% Hispanic/Latinx, 20% Black/African American, 10% Asian/Pacific Islander; 80% English, 15% Spanish, 5% Mandarin

Educational Background: 10% High school, 40% Some college/Associate's, 40% Bachelor's, 10% Graduate/Professional

Work Experience: 40% Healthcare, 20% Education, 15% Business, 10% Skilled Trades, 10% IT/Tech, 5% Government

Learning Preferences: 45% Visual, 35% Hands-on, 20% Reading/Writing

Tech Savviness: 30% Highly comfortable, 40% Moderately comfortable, 30% Limited tech skills

Barriers to Learning: 25% Time constraints, 15% Learning disabilities, 10% Tech literacy, 10% Language barriers, 5% Neurodiverse, 20% Assessment anxiety

Learner Needs: Flexible pacing, clear instructions, tech support, relevant content, peer support, culturally responsive materials

Career & Learning Goals: 40% Career advancement, 30% Career change, 20% Personal growth; 50% Professional development, 30% Career transition, 20% Personal enrichment

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Buzz Groups & Roundtable Discussions

Description: Small groups discuss a prompt or question, then share insights with the class. Promotes peer learning and belonging.

Resource: 12 Types of Classroom Activities for Adults

Real-World Problem Solving

Description: Present a workplace scenario, and students will brainstorm solutions in teams. Connects learning to personal/professional goals.

Resource: Engaging Classroom Activities For Adult Learners

Self-Reflection & Goal Setting

Description: Learners reflect on their goals, challenges, and strengths, then share in pairs or small groups. Builds self-awareness and community.

Resource: Innovative Adult Learning Techniques for Engaging Lifelong Learners

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Belonging is a foundational element in adult education. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a sense of belonging must be met before learners can achieve higher levels of motivation and self-actualization. When adult learners feel accepted, respected, and valued, they are more likely to engage, persist, and succeed.

Transformative learning theory (Mezirow) highlights the importance of dialogue, reflection, and community in fostering meaningful learning experiences. Adults bring diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to the classroom. By designing activities that encourage sharing, collaboration, and mutual respect, educators help create a learning environment where every student feels they belong.

How Learning Experience Design Fosters Belonging:

Collaborative Activities: Group work, peer discussions, and problem-solving tasks promote interaction and build community.

Culturally Responsive Teaching: Incorporating diverse perspectives and materials ensures all learners see themselves reflected in the curriculum.

Active Engagement: Activities like icebreakers, gallery walks, and goal-setting workshops help learners connect with each other and the content.

Supportive Environment: Clear communication, flexible pacing, and recognition of individual strengths and challenges foster trust and inclusion.

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Belonging is a foundational element in adult education, and its significance cannot be overstated in today’s diverse learning environments. According to Abraham H. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, learners must experience a sense of belonging before they can meaningfully progress toward higher-level motivation and self-actualization (Maslow, 1943). This need is particularly relevant for adult learners, who often juggle multiple roles, work, family, community, while pursuing education. When adult learners feel accepted, respected, and valued within the learning community, they are far more likely to engage, persist, and succeed (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2015). Further, Jack Mezirow’s transformative learning theory emphasizes that meaningful adult learning arises through dialogue, reflection, and community, elements that contribute significantly to one’s sense of belonging (Mezirow, 1997). Adults bring diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives into the learning environment; by designing activities that promote sharing, collaboration, and mutual respect, educators help create spaces where every student feels they belong (Brookfield, 2013).

In terms of learning-experience design, several strategies foster belonging and thereby enhance adult learner success. First, collaborative activities, such as peer discussions, group problem-solving tasks, and turn-and-talk exchanges, promote interaction and build community, which research shows is directly linked to persistence and completion in adult programs (Peacock, Cowan, Irvine, & Williams, 2020). Second, culturally responsive teaching ensures that diverse learner backgrounds and perspectives are reflected in the curriculum and classroom practices, helping learners see themselves and their experiences represented (Tarbutton & Doyle, 2025). Third, active engagement techniques, such as ice-breakers, gallery walks, and personal goal-setting workshops, allow adult students to connect with both the content and each other, thereby strengthening their identification with the learning community (Kelly & Richardson, 2023). Finally, a supportive environment, characterized by clear communication, flexible pacing, and recognition of individual strengths and challenges, fosters trust, inclusion, and the sense that each learner matters (Learner Variability Project, 2024). When adult learners experience this environment of belonging, they not only stay engaged, they also develop greater self-efficacy, resilience, and capacity to persist through challenges.

References:

Brookfield, S. D. (2013). Powerful techniques for teaching adults. Jossey-Bass.
Kelly, M., & Richardson, W. (2023). Investing in adult learners and creating learning environments that nurture a sense of belonging. ERIC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED629856.pdf
Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2015). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (8th ed.). Routledge.
Learner Variability Project. (2024). Sense of belonging | adult learner. Digital Promise. https://lvp.digitalpromiseglobal.org/content-area/adult-learner/factors/sense-of-belonging-adult-learner/summary
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346
Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative learning: Theory to practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 74, 5–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.7401
Peacock, S., Cowan, J., Irvine, L., & Williams, J. (2020). An exploration into the importance of a sense of belonging for online learners. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 21(2), 18–35. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v20i5.4539
Tarbutton, T. M., & Doyle, L. B. (2025). Cultivating a sense of belonging: Pathways of support in higher education. Journal for Adult Education and Practice.