Browsing by Subject "eläkeläisopiskelija"

The aim of the thesis was to describe the effects that the distance learning period, caused by the Corona pandemic, had on the field of Finnish liberal adult education, from the viewpoint of senior students. The main research question was the following 1) What are the reasons for the senior student to choose between distance learning and contact learning. In addition to liberal adult education, this thesis addresses traditional adult education, life-long learning, as well as distance learning phenomena. The thesis emphasises how liberal adult education has adapted to distance learning and how the senior students, who were used to the traditional classroom learning situation, now prefer to learn. The study method was mixed. The thesis was set on the study field of adult education and voluntary learning. The study was conducted via a voluntary questionnaire, which included open questions and multiple-choice questions. The thesis material consisted of the answers made by the senior students N = 188. The material was analysed with the methods of content analysis, as well as numerically. The written sources included international articles, scientific studies, and books. The thesis concluded that the senior students have vastly different kinds of viewpoints on what is good learning and teaching. The senior students are not a homogenic group that share similar pref-erences. Only a small majority of the study sample preferred contact teaching in a classroom to dis-tance learning. Those who preferred contact teaching felt the sense of community important. Rather than the technological side of online learning, the social and pedagogical side proved out to be a bigger explanation why they do not wish to take part in distance learning classes. Preferring either of the studying methods is not only connected to a person’s skillset, resources, and home support but to the content and substance of the course itself. Hybrid teaching was noted to be in demand in the answers of the students. Organizing it might challenge the institutes of liberal adult education. The role of Finnish liberal adult education in the future is providing accessible, voluntary, and equal education for everyone.