Like adult education, the field of volunteer management shows increasing movement toward professionalization. The establishment of standards--both for the profession of volunteer management and for volunteer service itself--is generating debates similar to adult educators' debates over purposes and objectives. The types of learning that occur in…

Adult educators are recognizing that factors in the learning environment related to psychological, social, and cultural conditions exert a powerful influence on learners' growth and development. Current discussions on learning environments have broadened to include the need to confront issues of sexism and racism, interlocking systems of power and…

Guidelines for teaching early childhood teachers and other adults about computers and their use are offered. Discussion focuses on how attitudes of the adult learner can impede learning, how the trainer can encourage teachers and other school personnel to learn about computers, and the trainers'"invisible agenda" of educational goals…

Museums, zoos, nature centers, science centers, aquariums, and other similar places provide an opportunity for lifelong learning in a nonthreatening setting for most adults. They are places where nonformal learning (outside the formal learning setting and characterized by voluntary participation) can easily take place through such methods as…

The skills of knowing how to learn and apply information, which have been collectively grouped under the heading "learning management," are becoming increasingly important as society progresses farther into the information age. Because adult learning is usually more self-directed and because adults are largely free to determine their…

Popular misconceptions about creativity include the following: it is limited to a few unique individuals, it declines seriously with age, and it is associated with uniqueness or innovation. As the focus of creativity research has shifted from examination of the personality traits of creative individuals to examination of the social and…

A relevant question for educators is how adult learning and education can cultivate change with individuals and groups. M.D. Hohn (1998) identifies four types of change: change by exception, incremental change, pendulum change, and paradigm change. A change agent tries to bring about a change deliberately. The change process is transformative, is…

Journals have a long history as a means of self-expression, and they can be used as learning tools in adult education. Types of journals include the reader response journal or literature log, the learning journal, the reflective journal, and the electronic journal. Journal writing offers several benefits for adult learners: journals are less…

Malcolm Knowles is attributed with developing the most cogent model underlying the assumption that teaching adults should differ from teaching children and adolescents. His andragogical model is based on the premise that adult learning differs from preadult learning. Two studies have examined whether teachers do actually use a different style when…

Videos are a powerful tool in helping English language learners improve their language skills. They provide the learner with content, context, and language, and will play an increasing role in both classroom English-as-a-Second-Language instruction and self-study. Regardless of the quality and sophistication of videos, whether they are in use in a…

A growing body of literature is questioning whether existing models of human development apply equally to men and women. Prevailing theories of human development have been criticized for being based on research with primarily male subjects of similar ethnic, racial, or class backgrounds. Some research supports the viewpoint that women have…

Jack Mezirow's theory of transformative learning has evolved into a description of how learners learn by integrating new knowledge with their existing knowledge, beliefs, and experiences. Centrality of experience, critical reflection, and rational discourse are three common themes in Mezirow's theory, which is based on psychoanalytic theory and…

When considering the role of technology in adult learning, adult educators must determine how to respond to technology and exploit it without diminishing the learning experience. Four approaches to integrating technology into adult learning are currently being used: technology as curriculum (adults not only learn content through technology but…

Until very recently, with the exception of adult religious education, spirituality has been given little attention in mainstream academic adult education. This may be because spirituality is difficult to define and can be confused with religion. The subject of spirituality is currently a theme in workplace and human resource development…

Adult learners, who comprise over half of all students in higher education, are typically part-time students in transition and present special challenges to colleges and universities. These students are primarily seeking to improve their situation through education, and their commitment to self-improvement dictates a different set of aspirations…