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Adult Students as Customers and the Virtual Space

While reading this article by Kietzmann et al. (2011), I realized the extent to which their final words apply to students in adult education programs. They point out that customers are practically tired of being talked at and instead they want companies to listen to them. Adult students are customers within the framework of community schools and they are waiting to get engaged in conversation with each other and their school. 

If such conversations never take place, it is likely because of the organization's lack of understanding of how social media platforms operate. To solve this problem, the authors of the article offer advice in the form of the four Cs: cognize, congruity, curate, and chase.

According to the authors, every social media platform consists of seven components: identity, conversations, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation and groups. They function in a unique combination based on the nature of each platform. For example, LinkedIn might rely heavily on its users' identities, while YouTube focuses mainly on content sharing. Facebook is built around its users' relationships. 

In order to build a successful conversation with their students, community schools should recognize the functionality pattern of the social media platform that their students use. This will help them understand the students and their needs better. Then, they should ensure congruity between stakeholders' goals and the selected platform's pattern of operation. Next, the schools must curate the content and recognize the right opportunities for conversations. Finally, conversations should be followed if not chased and evaluated.Photo Credit: Google Gemini/Nano Banana 2

Comments

  1. VanessaMay 19, 2026 at 10:20 AM

    Yes, conversation! It's an important concept. Companies like to throw around the word community, but people tend to not feel a part of a community until they are actually engaged in conversation with that community (and it can just be a small part of it -- going from no one to talk to at a university to 2 conversation partners in a class or a friendly staff member they can talk to can make a meaningful difference in one's perception of belonging).

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    Replies
    1. Maria HMay 19, 2026 at 2:47 PM

      So true! Conversation fosters the development of a sense of belonging; a sense of community evolves from feeling that one belongs. In my experience, these go hand in hand with improved learning outcomes.

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