Research/Report
Author(s): Jennifer D’haem Kobrin, University of Tennessee
As a scholar of technology in adult education, the author of this Forum contribution reflects on emerging questions about distance education in light of the findings of Stephen Reder’s research article “Lifelong Learning in Adult Education: A 12-Year Longitudinal Study of Participation and Skill Growth.” While almost no learners in Reder’s study used distance education in the 2007–2008 cohort, by 2018–2019, nearly 20% had participated in this format even as overall adult education enrollment declined by more than two-thirds. This pattern reflects national and international trends following COVID-19. A large European study of nonformal programs reported that nearly half (47.8%) were conducted online between 2022 and 2025. At the same time, Reder’s findings may not fully reflect broader pre-pandemic U.S. trends. NRS data from 2016–2019 show less than 4% of learners enrolled nationally, with learners performing as well as or better than those learning primarily in person. As distance education becomes more central to program delivery in adult education, its relationship to what Reder and others have found related to longer-term participation trajectories and skill development deserves closer examination.