In adult numeracy instruction, the gap between current and potential instructional realities is of great concern. Narrowing that gap might best be accomplished with creative, sly, and surprising combinations of practice, research, theory, and/or policy. This paper describes current policies, practices, and research connected with adult numeracy…

Discusses the need for, philosophy, and strategies of instructional gerontology and its application to the education of older adults. (SK)

The growth of educational programing for older adults will depend on decisions made on several issues. The issues of purpose, content, methods, clientele, providers, financing, and knowledge require the continuing search for better ways to meet the educational needs of this population. (SK)

Shows that adult education objectives must be evaluative propositions rather than descriptive propositions; as evaluative propositions they cannot be used as "evidence" to defend the cancellation or repetition of programs. Presents a possible solution to the "is-ought-is" dichotomy as it relates to the use of evaluative…

The arguments for the monitoring and evaluation of adult literacy and basic education programs are no different from those justifying monitoring and evaluation of any other educational program. The priority and status accorded different programs are likely to determine commitment to their internal and external evaluation and the form that these…

The aged are generally identified by such criteria as chronological age, economic condition, physical appearance, psychological behavior, mental conditions, and social roles. While the present population of aged is characterized by lower educational and economic levels, it is anticipated that as the number of aged grows, the educational and…

Between-group designs constitute the experimental methods traditionally applied in the field of education. Another level of analysis, however, is commonly used in clinical psychology but seldom applied in educational settings: single-subject designs (actually applied to small groups). This design allows a researcher to evaluate the influence of an…

The author studies the effects of using educational media in training and students' fascination with the new visual techniques. He presents the changes that have occurred over the past one hundred years in the methods and techniques of teaching adults. (SSH)

Writing instructors at the School of New Resources (SNR), a Bachelor of Arts degree program designed specifically for adults over 21, follow a student-centered philosophy marked by students' responsibility for and participation in their own learning through small, interactive seminars. English courses are infused with a sensitivity to the special…

Addressed to professionals involved in program evaluation, this working paper covers various aspects of evaluation planning, including the following: planning as a sociotechnical process, steps in evaluation planning, program planning and implementation versus evaluation planning and implementation, the literacy system and its subsystems, and some…

The process of developing indicators, measures, and standards of program quality can be considered a tiered, four-step process consisting of the following: (1) identification of topic areas important to program quality; (2) establishing the indicators that reflect quality for each area; (3) determining measures of the indicators; and (4) setting a…

A participatory approach to adult literacy education aims at getting the learner to function at the highest level of responsibility possible regarding program activities; it demands an active approach. Characteristics of a participatory literacy program include the following: activities that emphasize what learners already know, learners…

Career counseling is a particularly critical need for blue collar men, displaced workers from the declining industries of manufacturing. This article uses developmental theory based on the model of adult development of Daniel Levinson (1978), "Seasons of a Man's Life," to discuss the difficulty of blue collar men in attaining developmental…

This issue contains five articles about assessment in adult literacy programs. The first article, "Living Literacy: Rethinking Adult Learner Assessment" (Susan L. Lytle), focuses on developing alternative forms of assessment such as literacy portfolios to identify changes in four dimensions of adult literacy over the course of literacy…

Drawing from a review of the literature, this paper explores the role of university and community college faculty in teaching the growing number of adult students and potential adult students. First, section I offers background on the growth in adult enrollments at Fullerton College (California). Next, section II profiles the adult college…