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Abstract

This conceptual paper explores the potential for early morning online classes in part-time adult education. Drawing on literature relating to adult learners, class scheduling, chronotype and cognitive performance, it examines whether the timing of online classes warrants greater consideration in the context of changing patterns of work and learning. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of online and hybrid working and learning, while advances in digital technologies have expanded opportunities, allowing for greater flexibility in when and where learning takes place. This is particularly relevant to part-time adult learners, who often balance education with employment, family and other responsibilities. The paper considers whether early morning online classes could provide an alternative scheduling option for some adult learners, particularly given evidence that older adults may be more morning-oriented. However, individual differences in biological rhythms, daily routines and cognitive performance mean that the suitability of early morning learning cannot be assumed. The paper identifies a gap in research on adult learners’ preferences for early morning online provision and argues that further empirical research is warranted to examine the relationship between class timing, biological rhythms and participation in part-time online adult education.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

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