The theoretical framework of the research integrates contemporary theories of adult learning, concepts of learning in digital environments, as well as approaches to sustainable development and Wikinomics, jointly providing a coherent basis for interpreting the determinants of adults’ evaluations of online learning as valuable yet realistically appraised. 

Our research problem is to reconstruct and analyze how adults learn online as a hybrid process—one that unfolds at the intersection of virtual participation (platforms, networks, digital tools) and real-life experience (work, family roles, biography, social position, emotions, everyday constraints). We treat online learning not simply as information acquisition, but as a process in which adults reinterpret experience and reshape their ways of seeing themselves and the world while moving between digital and offline contexts.

Drawing on Misawa’s (2024) view of transformative learning as a “living theory,” we focus on learning as a constantly evolving, lifelong trajectory grounded in experience, reflection, and action. In this framing, the key issue is how online encounters and practices can become catalysts for perspective transformation: adults face tensions or “disorienting” moments, engage in critical self-reflection, negotiate meanings through dialogue and exposure to diverse viewpoints, and work through the emotional dimension of change.

We analyzed survey data from 1,088 respondents collected with the questionnaire. To identify which variables most strongly explain adults’ online perceptions and activity, we applied Bayesian Averaging of Classical Estimates (BACE), which averages model estimates across many possible model specifications to account for model uncertainty and highlight robust determinants.

Our analysis identified five key areas critical to explaining the degree of adult engagement and openness to networked learning. We present the nonlinear dynamics of these five pivotal factors, which interconnect real-world experiences with participation in non-formal online learning: 

• Openness to Change and New Experiences (as a driver of online educational/professional activity)

• Resource Sharing Orientation (as a driver of online educational/professional activity)

• Higher Economic Status (as a determinant of engagement in learning spaces)

• Access to Educational Services (area of recent online activity)

• Perceived Impact of AI Tools on Personal Life (expected change in activity)

The research is situated within the andragogical tradition, which underscores adults’ autonomy, accumulated life experience, and intrinsic motivation, mirrored here in the analysis of developmental, economic, and professional drivers of participation in online learning. The contributions of Knowles (1980), Jarvis (2004), Merriam, and Bierema (2013) make it possible to conceptualize nonformal online learning as a process anchored in adults’ educational biographies, their needs, and the socio-professional contexts in which they operate. 

Tapscott and Williams’ concepts of Wikinomics (2008), alongside Benkler’s notion of networked social production (2006), allows the field of inquiry to be construed as a “Wikinomic space” in which knowledge emerges through large-scale collaboration, open participation, and systematic sharing of resources. Theories of nonformal and self-directed learning emphasized autonomy, flexibility, and the embedding of learning in everyday practices, which closely corresponds to the forms of online engagement examined in this research. The use of digital tools and educational platforms is interpreted as an expression of self-directed construction of learning pathways, while the findings indicate predominantly pragmatic, moderately enthusiastic evaluations of the value of such learning, rather than unreservedly celebratory assessments

References to UNESCO (2015) and European Commission (2010, 2020) digital education strategies position the research within the broader paradigm of sustainable development, in which digital competences, lifelong learning, and equitable access to online education are framed as elements of a global common good. 

The questionnaire The diffusion of personal and professional development of adults in the open space of Wikinomy comprised nearly 29 questions, designed to provide a broad overview of both the demographic situation and the experiences and attitudes of the study participants. Respondents answered questions about their basic socio-demographic characteristics, such as gender, age, level of education, place of residence, and occupational status, which allowed for the characterization of the study group. An important part of the survey concerned digital activity. Questions also addressed motivational factors, such as openness to change, willingness for professional development, the need to improve economic status, and the tendency to share knowledge and resources. In addition, barriers to virtual activity were included, such as family and professional obligations, costs, or health conditions. The survey also touched upon issues related to the rapid development of new technologies, including artificial intelligence, and its anticipated impact on respondents’ professional and personal lives. The survey (CAWI) was conducted on 19-28 December 2024. A total of 1088 respondents participated in the study. Women accounted for 52.3% of the sample, while men represented 47.7%. The age distribution showed that 8.2% of participants were between 18 and 24 years old, 29.7% were aged 25–34, 32.4% were aged 35–44, and 29.7% were aged 45 or older. In terms of education, the largest group consisted of respondents with higher education (46.1%), followed by those with secondary education (38.5%), while a smaller proportion had vocational or primary education (a total of 15.4%). The structure of residence was also diverse: 27.4% lived in rural areas, 19.6% in small towns of up to 20,000 inhabitants, 22.1% in medium-sized towns (20,000–200,000), and 30.9% in large cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants. Occupational status also revealed considerable diversity: 41.2% were white-collar workers, 18.7% blue-collar workers, 14.3% students, 8.9% self-employed, and the remaining 16.9% were unemployed, retired, or otherwise inactive. We employ the Bayesian Averaging of Classical Estimates (BACE) approach, which provides an effective framework for dealing with model uncertainty in high-dimensional settings (Raftery, 1995; Sala-i-Martin, Doppelhofer, and Miller, 2004). Rather than relying on a single preferred specification, BACE explicitly accounts for uncertainty by combining information across a large set of competing models. This approach enables the ranking of the most plausible models, the computation of weighted average parameter estimates, and the assessment of the relative importance of individual regressors.

The conducted survey, covering 1088 adult respondents (Cronbach’s α = 0.96), provided a broad perspective on socio-demographic characteristics, digital activity, and attitudes toward online and informal learning. The analysis, based on an ordered logit model supported by the Bayesian Averaging of Classical Estimates (BACE) method, identified that factors such as openness to change, professional experience, intensity of online activity, perceptions of artificial intelligence, as well as economic motivations and willingness to share resources, are associated more with moderate than with highly enthusiastic evaluations of online learning. Respondents perceive digital education as a useful tool, but they assess it in a balanced way, recognizing both its benefits and its limitations. The prevailing approach is pragmatic: learning is viewed primarily as a means to achieve specific goals rather than as an experience of exceptional intrinsic value. This realistic perspective fosters the development of sustainable and more enduring attitudes toward education in the digital environment. Our analysis identified five key areas critical to explaining the degree of adult engagement and openness to digital learning. We present the nonlinear dynamics of these five pivotal factors, which interconnect real-world experiences with participation in non-formal online learning: Openness, Resource Sharing, Economic Status, Access to Services, and AI Impact (Personal). Nonformal adult learning within the Wikinomic space constitutes an important factor supporting sustainable social development. Determinants such as openness, collaboration, accessibility, reflexivity and adaptability enable the development of key competences in a dynamically changing world. Educational models inspired by Wikinomics align with the assumptions of the 2030 Agenda, particularly in the areas of ensuring high-quality education, strengthening social equity and promoting active citizenship.

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