A Not-So-Typical Journey in Learning: Discussing Nontraditional Education

It’s That Time of Year! 

It’s time for Back to School! I love to browse Back-to-School aisles every year. I adore the feel of shiny notebooks, the beauty of colorful ink pens, the tantalizing scent of new pencils, the relaxing rush of rustling paper. I can get lost in new subjects to study and papers to write. Education is a wonderful thing! However, it is not necessarily what we think about when we think of “school.” If there is anything in which I have experience, it is nontraditional education. Let’s take a few moments to explore school which might not be what many expect school to be. 

Personal Experience 

In my years of education, I have encountered many different methods of education. I attended a public school from kindergarten through part of second grade. I attended a private, Christian school from the rest of second grade through part of fifth grade. I was then homeschooled from the remainder of fifth grade through my high school graduation. 

How many of you remember International Correspondence Schools? You know, the correspondence courses that taught things like TV/VCR repair, desktop publishing, and computer repair. If you are around my age, you might have seen them promoted by TV stars like Sally Struthers and Lorne Greene. I earned two of their diplomas – one in journalism and short story writing and one in desktop publishing. I still have those diplomas. 

After my stint with ICS, I enrolled in a distance learning degree program through a Bible college in Canada. I mailed my assignments to them, and they sent my grades back to me. When I enrolled at what would become my permanent college, I was able to transfer my college credits. I say my permanent college because I went on to earn five degrees (two bachelor’s degrees and three master’s degrees) through this university. I used their online program for all five degrees. When I pursue my PhD, which I hope to do soon, I plan to choose the same college and the same online format.  

I am a huge proponent of nontraditional learning. 

What is Nontraditional Learning? 

Students who pursue nontraditional methods of education opt to learn outside of traditional classrooms. The viewpoint about nontraditional education is changing. I can tell you from experience that it used to be when people heard the words homeschooling, distance education, or online learning, the question “Why?” often followed – as though there must be something wrong for the student to not choose traditional methods. Now, however, there is a realization that it is okay to do things differently. No longer is nontraditional education just for students who cannot learn in a traditional environment. It is for students who choose a different learning environment for any variety of reasons – or for no reason at all. 

Early Nontraditional Education

I mentioned a moment ago that I was homeschooled from fifth grade (or at least part of it) through my high school graduation. My high school diploma is proudly displayed, along with the diplomas for my college degrees, antique books, and ink bottles and quills, on a curio cabinet in my living room. Homeschooling is, perhaps, one of the earliest forms of nontraditional education. Earliest has a double meaning here. Not only was homeschooling in existence before what we think of as traditional education, but homeschooling is a part of childhood education for approximately 3.1 million children in the United States. 

I would venture that if many people think of homeschooling, they picture students learning at the dining room table. Perhaps those students are completing worksheets or studying for tests. This is an accurate picture for many. However, school at home is only one method of homeschooling. There are some methods that are quite nontraditional, even for nontraditional learning. 

My sons are now nineteen and twenty-one. They never attended a traditional public or private school. My family began homeschooling when my older son was three years old, and we did not stop until my younger son graduated from high school. However, we did not follow a school-at-home method. Instead, we unschooled. Unschooling is a form of homeschooling in which parents follow their students’ interests. These interests drive and direct their students’ education. We definitely made good use of the Salina Public Library when my sons were younger. We also made use of museums and nature trails and art and tech classes and any other opportunities that arose, when they arose. Many days were spent outside rather than in a classroom or at a kitchen table. In fact, our kitchen table was usually covered with art projects and science experiments. This was the style of learning that worked best for my sons. Their education afforded them opportunities to learn in their own way and time. 

School at home and unschooling are just two methods of homeschooling. There are also such styles as Montessori homeschooling, unit studies, classical homeschooling, Waldorf homeschooling, eclectic homeschooling, and many more. There are also online classes of which homeschoolers of all methods and types often take advantage. (I know. I teach a few of those online classes to both traditional and nontraditional students around the world). 

In short, if you feel homeschooling is right for your family, there are many options available to you. In fact, you might want to check out some of the homeschooling books at the Salina Public Library. These could assist you with your options and decisions. 

Speaking of the library’s services, did you know homeschool educators (parents) can apply for an educator library card, just like their more traditional educator peers? Ask us at the circulation desk. We will be happy to help you with this. 

If you feel venturing into independent homeschooling is not for you, but you believe your student would benefit from an at-home environment, you may want to consider public school at home. These programs are available through the public school system. Virtual schooling, like homeschooling (which is independent of the public school system), is a popular nontraditional education option. 

The website for the Kansas State Department of Education also lists alternative schools, charter schools, and diploma completion programs as forms of nontraditional education. Alternative schools offer programming for students who might not have thrived in a more traditional environment (“Kansas Alternatives to Traditional Education”). Charter schools may be funded by the state, but, according to the website for the National Charter School Resource Center, are exempt from some state and local regulations. They are allowed more flexibility in how the school is operated and managed (“What Is a Charter School?”). 

Nontraditional Adult Education

Diploma completion programs allow adult students to complete their high school diploma. One diploma completion program is the General Educational Development or GED. Salina Adult Education Center offers a way for adult students to complete their GED. There are also online options for those who wish to complete high school. In fact, did you know the Salina Public Library offers such a program? Just go to our website. Under the services tab, click Excel Adult High School for more information. The Excel Adult High School program itself is free. The only charge would be for credit transfers.

Post-Secondary Education

What is a nontraditional education like for post-secondary students? According to Coursera, the definition of a traditional college student is changing. In times past, college students were generally eighteen to twenty-four years old. They lived on a college campus. They were financially supported by their parents. However, as of 2017, only 37% of students attend a four-year college right out of high school. Now students who are older, work full-time in addition to pursuing their degree, are financially independent, and possibly have children of their own are going to college. The nontraditional is becoming the traditional (Coursera Staff). 

Sarah Wood of U.S. News and World Report agrees with this assessment. She points out, that in today’s world, adults who are over the used-to-be-average college age are being encouraged to understand their value to the college world. Students who are older and have children of their own will push professors to think differently about their work. They add value to the college classroom (Wood). 

In years past, the primary form of nontraditional, post-secondary education occurred at night classes offered by traditional community colleges and universities. However, online education has reinvented nontraditional college. In fact, according to a recent survey, 90% of adults feel online college gives students the education important for successful careers. Seventy-seven percent feel online education is the same or better than on-campus learning for students twenty-three and older, and 53% believe the same for students 17-22. Eighty percent of adults would enroll in an online program for either a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Sixty-four percent believe online education is as good as or better for the budget than on-campus learning (Wachs).  

Online college is the nontraditional option for adult education that has worked best for me. I chose online education for several reasons – not that there must be specific reasons for students to choose nontraditional education. First and foremost, I wanted a college that had a worldview similar to my own. Both of the colleges I chose provided that. Second, by the time I transferred to the college at which I would earn my degrees, I had two young sons, who were homeschooling while I went to college. The flexibility of online learning worked best for me. Because of my years homeschooling, I was perfectly comfortable with learning outside of a traditional college classroom. 

Other forms of nontraditional post-secondary education include independent learning or creating classes around one’s interest. I think of it as unschooling for adult students. (Fun fact: Donna Tartt, author The Secret History and The Goldfinch, and Brett Easton Ellis, author of American Psycho, completed their college, via Bennington College in Vermont, in this way [Alyssa]). Other students choose cross-registration or taking classes at a college other than one’s primary college and transferring the credits. (Popular online programs such as Sophia and StraighterLine are also options here). There are also residencies in which students meet with professors, often on weekends, and work through intensive studies (“Facts About Non-Traditional Education”).   

Let’s Not Forget 

Not every nontraditional student is seeking a degree. We could add to our list of nontraditional learners those individuals who are staying up-to-date with their profession. Continuing education classes and professional development classes also fall under the category of nontraditional learning (Tandet). 

The Importance of Diversity in Educational Options 

Today’s world understands the value of diversity. Diversity in education is no exception. Whether you are three or a hundred three, nontraditional learning allows you to learn in your own way. We here at the library are big believers in life-long learning. In fact, that’s one of our core values. If you are too, nontraditional education might be for you.  

 

 

Works Cited 

Alyssa, “The Secret History of Bennington College.” Hot Off the Shelf: a VPL Blog, 8 December 2021, https://www.vaughanpl.info/blog/the-secret-history-of-bennington-college/. Accessed 29 June 2024. 

Coursera Staff. “What Is a Nontraditional Student?” Coursera, 29 November 2023, https://www.coursera.org/articles/nontraditional-student. Accessed 24 June 2024. 

“Facts About Non-Traditional Education.” Learn.org, 2023-2024, https://learn.org/articles/Non-Traditional_Education_Frequently_Asked_Questions.html. Accessed 24 June 2024. 

“Kansas Alternatives to Traditional Education.” Kansas State Department of Education, 2024,  https://www.ksde.org/Agency/Division-of-Learning-Services/Career-Standards-and-Assessment-Services/CSAS-Home/Graduation-and-Schools-of-Choice/Alternatives-to-Traditional-Education. Accessed 22 June 2024. 

Tandet, Jodi. “Traditional Vs. Non-Traditional Students in Higher Education.” Modern Campus, 3 April 2024, https://moderncampus.com/blog/traditional-vs-non-traditional-students.html. Accessed 29 June 2024. 

Wachs, Benjamin. “The Top (Nontraditional) Trends of 2023.” Calbright College, 26 December 2023,  https://www.calbright.edu/newsroom/blog/the-top-nontraditional-education-trends-of-2023/. Accessed 24 June 2024. 

“What Is a Charter School?” National Charter School Resource Center, https://charterschoolcenter.ed.gov/what-charter-school. Accessed 23 June 2024.  

Wood, Sarah. “A College Guide for Nontraditional Students.” U.S. News and World Reports, 20 January 2023,  https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/a-college-guide-for-nontraditional-students. Accessed 24 June 2024.