Adult learners are a significant proportion of distance learners and many of these students are working mothers. Several instructional design models center the learner, and this requires understanding the learner needs, strengths, and context. There is a gap in the literature describing the experience of modern working mother students in distance education. To understand this experience, the researchers interviewed and observed six academically high-achieving working mother students as they participated in their distance education courses during the pandemic. A discourse analysis approach was utilized to analyze the data. This extreme sample revealed several strategies that these students used to be successful despite their challenges. The findings suggest that understanding the experiences of distance learners as they study in the home are important for effective course design. More specifically, working mothers face significant distractions in their study environments, but the cognitive load can be reduced by making use of their prior knowledge, scaffolding instruction, and encouraging social presence. Additional strategies from the literature that address these constructs are provided for instructors and instructional designers.

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More than 40% of undergraduate students are 24 years of age or older [1], and over half of these students are enrolled in distance education [2]. Yet, adults do not fare as well as traditional-aged college students who are four times as likely to graduate [3]. The workforce is both aging and becoming more age-diverse, re-sulting in the need to provide ongoing training for a range of learners [4]. There is some evidence that training performance declines with age [5]. Understanding the needs of the adult learner in distance education and e-learning is important for improving their experience and outcomes. By combining cognitive, social, and emotional factors, sensitive to the impact of context, we can develop program-ming that meets the needs of the whole learner. Drawing from the science of learning, I will outline the components of my conceptual model for meeting the needs of adult learners in distance education and e-learning. There is a diverse body of evidence-based instructional practices to support each of the factors in this model, but additional research may show significant interaction effects that may be especially beneficial for adult learners in distance education.

Adult learners are a significant proportion of distance learners and many of these students are working mothers. Several instructional design models center the learner, and this requires understanding the learner needs, strengths, and context. There is a gap in the literature describing the experience of working mother students in distance education. To understand this experience, the researchers interviewed and observed six academically high-achieving working mother students as they participated in their distance education courses during the pandemic. A discourse analysis approach was utilized to analyze the data. This extreme sample revealed several strategies that these students use to be successful despite their challenges. The findings suggest that understanding the experiences of distance learners as they study in the home are important for effective course design. More specifically, working mothers face significant distractions in their study environments, but the cognitive load can be reduced by making use of their prior knowledge, scaffolding instruction, and encouraging social presence. Additional strategies from the literature that address these constructs are provided for instructors and instructional designers.