Educational institutions vary greatly in their acceptance of adult and continuing education
as an important part of their mission. At one extreme are schools and colleges whose
predominant mission is to serve young people who attend full time. At the other extreme are
community colleges and public universities, which have a commitment to both preparatory and
continuing education. Between these extremes, there is a continuum of institutions which the
adult education function ranges from being marginal to central. Especially at institutions in the
middle of this continuum, adult educators must compete with barriers of learning that affect adult
students directly or indirectly (Knox, 1993).
One limitation of this study was the lack of research available about continuing higher
education programs at colleges and universities. Donaldson (1992) agrees stating that more
research in continuing education is needed, particularly research that addresses the changes that
have been experienced by continuing higher education and the roles and functions that
continuing education assumes in response to these changes. Why the lack of research? Some
speculate that barriers also exist for continuing educators’ and their involvement in research.
Some of the barriers mentioned include a longing for the days when less was expected of
continuing educators in the research arena, and the lack of research divisions and capacity within
continuing education organizations (Boyd & Rice, 1986 in Donaldson, 1992).
There is also a clear need for consensus on components of continuing education. As
mentioned, there are state, regional and national organizations for continuing higher education
intuitions and professionals. Yet, as Ashburn mentioned (2007), policy makers and colleges
alike are bewildered by noncredit course goals; many colleges do not even agree on a definition
of noncredit work.
Knowles position is that andragogy presents core principles of adult learning that in turn
enable those designing and conducting adult learning to build more effective learning processes
for adults. Andragogy works best in practice when it is adapted to fit the uniqueness of the
learners and the learning institution. Knowles saw this not as a weakness of the principles, but as
a strength. The strength that the core principles apply to all adult learning situations provided
they are considered jointly with other factors that are present in that situation (Knowles et al.,
1998; Kazis et al., 2007).