The 47th annual conference of the Adult and Higher Education Alliance (AHEA) was held online and in person in March 2023. This year's conference theme is "Workforce Development: Micro-Credentials, Badges, and CEUs." The proceedings are comprised of the following papers: (1) Investing in Adult Learners and Creating Learning Environments…

The 46th annual conference of the Adult and Higher Education Alliance (AHEA) was held online in March 2022. This year's conference theme is "Adult Education for the Human Condition: Global Issues and Trauma-Informed Learning." The proceedings are comprised of the following papers: (1) Man-Environment Interaction in the Rainforests and…

The 45th annual conference of the Adult and Higher Education Alliance (AHEA) was held virtually in March 2021. Papers in these proceedings include the following: (1) An Analysis of the Role of Communities of Practice in Transformational Learning during a Pandemic (Nighet Ahmed and Ava Tabb); (2) Using Children's Literature to Create a Culturally…

The 44th annual conference of the Adult and Higher Education Alliance (AHEA) was held at the University of Central Florida in March 2020. Papers in these proceedings include the following: (1) Enhancing Pedagogy in the Virtual Classroom: An Exploration of Qualitative Student Assessment (Jeff Aulgur); (2) Does Gender Influence Major Selection?…

The 43rd annual conference of the Adult and Higher Education Alliance (AHEA) was held at the University of Central Florida in March 2019. Papers in these proceedings include the following: (1) How does Experimental Learning Increase Skills and Knowledge Acquisition and Retention in the Non-Traditional Adult Learner? (David Antico); (2) CHAT and…

Many of the research skills needed to succeed in higher education are never explicitly taught. Most students learn through experience and exposure. However, working-class students don't always grow up in academic environments that provide the same exposure to these skills. This paper will explore ways to help working-class and non-traditional…

This paper explores the collective experiences of two academics teaching in Beijing, China. Emphasis is placed on the impact of this experience on personal and professional development. In addition, this paper will provide recommendations for embarking on a professional assignment abroad. Thus, by sharing experiences, challenges, and strategies,…

Graduate students face writing anxiety and low self-efficacy regarding writing research papers. Holladay (1981) addressed the negative characteristics of anxiety in graduate students by writing: "They are frightened by a demand for writing competency, they fear evaluation of their writing because they think they will be rated negatively, they…

The purpose of this article is to enhance understanding of how Black female working class adult scholars cultivated support and advancement in the academy with the goal of entering the professoriate. In this critical ethnography, the authors elaborate on the concept of empowerment agent to detail how professionals within the academy created…

The U.S. job market increasingly seeks culturally responsive, multilingual employees a goal poorly aligned with U.S. higher education policies. This paper reviews recent K-16 enrollment in foreign language courses, with a focus on higher education. The individual and societal case for foreign language immersion throughout the educational pipeline…

In the authors' conference presentation, they sought to emphasize that in his well-known book, "Democracy and Education" (1916), John Dewey's goal was to describe an education appropriate to a democracy. They point out that he also believed that his approach was a more humane way of teaching and, as many have argued since (e.g., Paley,…

In today's educational and workforce settings, the desire is for students to not only have "book knowledge" but also the ability to implement that knowledge into skills and abilities. Those desires are often met with decreasing time and money in order to help foster those knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA). Experimental Learning is a…

Prior learning assessment (PLA) supports student persistence, shortens time-to-degree, and boosts degree completion, particularly for post-traditional (adult or non-traditional) students and underserved populations. This proceeding examines an innovative approach to PLA using block credit. Administered within the award-winning Department of…

This paper examines the potential causes of gender exclusion and the tension women face within the military today by drawing upon Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) to examine the interaction of mediating tools within the military, as well as cultural and historical factors, that inhibit gender inclusivity. Using this theory, contradictive…

This literature review demonstrates that many working-class adult-learners continue to face challenges during their quest for new meaning in their lives. Many adults in workplace settings find themselves in environments with very little support. Consequently, adult learners rely on the academic community as their main source of emotional and…