An increasing number of adult educators are seeking graduate programs either to justify their qualifications in an age of greater demand for credentials, for advancement in employment, or even ‘merely' for professional development. Finding the right program to fit your schedule, academic interests and your budget is extremely difficult. One such program exists at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, which is considered by many to be the birthplace of adult education.

Master of Adult Education Program

The M.Ad.Ed. program consists of a Foundations Institute and five courses, parts of which can correlate directly to the different chapters of your thesis.

Foundations Institute

The Foundations Institute runs for three weeks on the campus of StFX. This is an opportunity to share your ideas with other students who are beginning the program. You will be exposed to new perspectives and views about what adult education means. The institute is aptly named because your work at Foundations is the starting point for the whole program. Some students start the program knowing exactly what they want to do, while others come without a clear idea. The program is designed to be very individualistic, with students coming from a wide range of backgrounds. In my cohort there was a pre-natal nutritionist, a sports coach, a social worker, a community developer, a student success coordinator at a community college, an environmentalist, and more. Even though we all had a different focus, we were able to learn from each other and help each other because of our diverse perspectives.

At the end of the Foundations Institute, you have made a rough plan for your progress through the coursework, created a reading list and begun an annotated bibliography and/or a literature review.

I attended the Foundations Institute with the idea that I would focus my research on the Canadian Language Benchmarks. However, during my forays into the library I found myself interested in the plight of skilled immigrants in Canada. This led me to an interest in Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR), which is what I am basing my research project on. I'm now learning about case studies as a prelude to conducting one at Thompson Rivers University regarding its PLAR program and the people who access it.

Accommodations

Antigonish is a wonderful college town whose population doubles from 2500 to about 5000 during the school year. There is little need for a car as the taxi system is extremely reasonable. StFX has special residences for short-term students and visitors, and all of the “MAd Edders” share a kitchen/living area. The price is about $20 per day.

The Five Courses

The courses required to complete the Master's of Adult Education are listed below. One especially convenient feature of these courses is that they don't have to be finished chronologically.

AE 500: The assignments for this stage of the program include an edited draft of the learning plan created during the Foundations Institute and an annotated bibliography of 60-70 items.

AE 510: This stage includes writing a literature review (which is generally based on the annotated bibliography) and creating a professional portfolio.

AE 520: This is the research project stage of the program. The idea is for the student to apply adult education ideas or principles through a research project in the student's area of interest.

AE 530: This is a report where the student evaluates his/her learning and professional development throughout the master's program.

Thesis (or non-thesis): Finally, we can put it all together in the thesis. Since I started the program, a non-thesis option has been added. In consultation with the student's advisor, there are now other options available. I believe these can include a final exam as well as other options.

Support

One of the most important features of the MAd Ed program at StFX is the support. The faculty advisors, library staff, and even the administrators are always ready to help and sometimes anticipate your needs before you do, and try solve them. I often get immediate responses to my emails, and it's very easy to call whoever you need to get quick answers to your questions. The advisors offer excellent guidance while letting you lead the way.

Benefits

With the MAdEd program I can build on my knowledge and experience as an ESL teacher, and at the same time expand my understanding of the wider field of adult education. The StFX program is extremely flexible, right from the application process and what you choose to study to whether you want to take a thesis or non-thesis route. I am perhaps most excited about the very cool letters that will follow my name once I have finished: Lyra Warkentin, MAd Ed

Drawbacks

There are, of course, drawbacks, the biggest being the isolated nature of distance education. This isolation can be alleviated in part by participating in free online courses that can help you prepare for different stages of the process. For example, in January I participated in an online course to help prepare me for the literature review. This January I am considering enrolling in a course to help me prepare for my research project.

Another related drawback for some is the fact that the program is “selfdirected.” “Self-directed” means that you need to be able to motivate yourself and boss yourself around. For me, being accountable to myself and not procrastinating is what I struggle with the most. However, setting clear, reachable goals and keeping in touch with my “classmates” helps to mitigate this.

If you want more information about the M.Ad. Ed. program at St FX, please visit http://www.stfx.ca/academic/
adulted/. Or, if you have questions for me you can e-mail lyrastar@ocis.net.