Online Learning for Older Adults: Teachers’ Transition During the Pandemic in Taiwan

The COVID-19 considerably affected older adult learning programs in Taiwan. This study aimed to explore the transformation of adult teachers from in-person to online teaching, focusing on their motivations, challenges encountered, and coping strategies and the influence of these factors. Employing a qualitative approach, the study investigated the teachers' experiences of transitioning to online teaching during the pandemic. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 adult teachers with over 2 years of older adult–teaching experience. The results indicated the following. (a) Adult teachers transitioned to online teaching primarily because students wished to continue participating in learning and because the physical and psychological well-being of their students may decline should their education be discontinued. Furthermore, (b) the teachers encountered several difficulties, including the lack of access for older learners to essential equipment or a stable internet connection, their unfamiliarity with operating mobile phones, and technical difficulties that disrupted the online learning experience. To address these challenges, adult teachers invested additional time in lesson preparation and implemented a diverse range of teaching methods to enhance interaction within the online learning environment. The transition to online teaching positively influenced active aging learning centers, adult teachers, and older learners. The successful transition from in-person to online teaching has positively influenced adult teachers and older learners. This study’s findings contribute to education for older adults in particular and adult learning in general.