Inclusive by Design: Promoting Adult Learner Persistence in Online Higher Education

Adult learners in online higher education often face significant challenges to persistence due to competing demands from work, family, and other life responsibilities. These challenges are particularly pronounced in accelerated online courses, where learners must quickly engage with content, demonstrate understanding, and produce high-quality work in condensed timeframes. This article describes a practitioner-informed approach to promoting adult learner persistence through inclusive and intentional course design and delivery practices. Drawing from the design and facilitation of two sequential, accelerated eight-week online courses, this article outlines a set of integrated strategies that support learner success. These include consistent course structure, clear expectations, scaffolded learning across courses, timely instructor feedback, weekly screencasts for guidance and motivation, and flexible assessments aligned with learners’ professional goals. Additional practices include peer engagement beyond standard discussion forums, optional synchronous meetings, and involvement in service learning, conferences, and professional organizations to foster a sense of belonging and relevance. Importantly, all activities were designed to fit within the weekly instructional time to ensure learners were not overloaded. By embedding inclusive practices throughout both the design and delivery of online learning, this approach supports adult learners holistically and promotes persistence. These strategies are grounded in adult learning theories such as andragogy, self-directed learning, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), ensuring both practical relevance and theoretical rigor. The article concludes with implications for instructors and instructional designers seeking to create supportive, learner-centered environments in online higher education.