Learning in higher education: strategies to overcome challenges faced by adult students – lessons drawn from two case studies in Portugal

This paper appears in International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education edited by Lawrence A. Tomei (Ed.) Copyright 2007, IGI Global, www.igi-global.com. Posted by permission of the publisher. URL:http://www.idea-group.com/journals/details.asp?id=4287.The development of a knowledge-based society needs a technological infrastructure and a workforce with the necessary knowledge and competences, supported by a well-structured initial education and a continuous learning program, available to all citizens, including those who did not have the opportunity to attend Higher Education (HE) when they were younger. We recognize that these students may be rich in experience but they also have some difficulties in adapting to the pedagogical approaches of learning and teaching. Furthermore, their attitudes and problems are not necessarily the same as those of traditional students but they are still expected to fit into educational institutions designed for younger students. The project LIHE – Learning in Higher Education aimed to improve the learning experience and environment of adults, particularly non-traditional adults as well as to promote lifelong learning in HE, within a European dimension. In this paper we will present this project together with some of the results