Senior Adult Learners’ Experiences with Synchronous Online Lifelong Learning and the Impact on their Lives

Abstract

The emergence of older adults as active participants in synchronous online lifelong learning represents a significant shift in educational engagement, accelerated by the digital transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. This phenomenological study applied Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory conceptual lens to examine the lived experiences of older adults navigating synchronous online learning environments, highlighting the experiences and impacts of these experiences. This research was informed by geragogy as an adaptation of andragogy, for instruction with older adult learners. The primary data collected for this research were collected through semi-structured Zoom videoconferencing interviews with 9 participants aged 65 and older. Additionally, a participant demographic survey was administered to ascertain each participant’s gender, age, ethnicity, experience with technology, accessibility to technology, and internet and course access. Findings reveal that initial perceptions of technological inadequacy and anxiety were common barriers to participants’ engagement in synchronous online lifelong learning; however, exposure to structured online learning and technical support proved transformative. Experiences in synchronous online lifelong learning extended older adult learners beyond comfort zones, fostering digital literacy and confidence. Participants reported impacts to include skill development, social inclusion, rediscovered purpose, feelings of belonging, and empowerment.