By all accounts, trends in online enrollments suggest a growing share of the education market at the postsecondary level. Similar trends have been reported in CTE in response to demands for alternative delivery formats and to maximize dwindling faculty capacity in the field. At the graduate level, CTE programs appear to be embracing online education, especially in teacher preparation programs and at the master’s degree level, while doctoral programs are more cautiously joining the online movement. To this end, and as online education becomes more prominent in the field, issues related to quality, impact, and connections to adult learning principles have emerged. The problem is that, in the rush to join the bandwagon of online education, much of the contemporary focus is on institutional and faculty efforts to put courses and programs online. In the process, pedagogical considerations applicable to adult learners in higher education have not been fully examined. Career and technical education programs may not be the exception and it is imperative that we bridge emerging developments in adult learning in the context of online teaching and learning in the field.
Recent contributions to the literature on adult learning provide a promising framework for informing online CTE. At the same time, they underscore the need to rethink online curriculum development, delivery systems, instruction, and use of instructional technology. Further, it is clear that online education is not a fad and will continue to grow in the future, perhaps in some form of blended modes, thus requiring a focus on teaching and learning in online contexts placing the needs of adult learners at the center of the research agenda.
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Victor M. Hernández-Gantes is Associate Professor of Career and Workforce Education at the University of South Florida.
