Learning Needs of Professionals in University Continuing Education: A Narrative Review

Abstract

This qualitative narrative review describes the learning needs of the target group for university continuing education (UCE) as perceived by professionals on the one hand and by educationalists on the other. Moreover, the study describes the needs of professionals as a subgroup of adult learners. With this research, we aim to support designers of UCE. To relate the findings to design, they were categorized using the design components of the spiderweb framework (van den Akker, 2013). The findings indicate that professionals’ needs, which may influence their interest in specific UCE offerings, are largely aligned with those perceived by educationalists, showing two major points of attention: the need for relevance across various design components and the need for collaborative learning activities. Two key differences were identified: UCE size and assessment. The findings underscore the importance of embedding information exchange with the professional field into the work processes of a university. Based on the findings, this study recommends that universities incorporate knowledge of educational theories into the UCE design team and raise professionals’ awareness of what constitutes quality education, so they are better informed to make choices that benefit them in the long term.