Critical problems and functions of the Swedish system of higher education in dealing with adult learners are summarized in this workshop publication. Various institutional responses to the growing body of nontraditional students are discussed and it is suggested that the overwhelming reaction of Swedish higher education has been to incorporate…

A survey of 83 nursing and midwifery education institutions in Britain collected information regarding assessment of prior learning (APL), i.e., certificated learning, and assessment of prior experiential learning (APEL), i.e., noncertificated learning. Follow-up interviews took place in 10 institutions. All nursing and midwifery education…

Describes two Educational Testing Service projects conducted to identify skills that women acquire through life experiences which are helpful to success in occupations and vocational programs, and to develop materials for experience-job linkages: Project ACCESS (Assessing Competencies Concerned with Employment and School Success) and Project HAVE…

Students can markedly enhance their learning if they are prepared to take initiative in choosing learning goals and methods. They do so best if encouraged to be self-directing and acquire the skills for clarifying goals, finding resources, selecting learning tasks, and appraising progress as they go. (Author/MLW)

Describes study of Israeli secondary school students that was conducted to determine the extent to which gender and prior computer exposure affect students' attitudes toward computers prior to computer instruction in school. An attitude questionnaire designed to measure affective and cognitive attitudes toward computers is described, and results…

A perspective on teaching and learning in higher education that regards the learner's experience as primary is outlined. Some propositions about learning from experience are made, a model of learning from experience is discussed, and implications for instructional design are examined. Major areas for curriculum development are identified.…

Recent discoveries about brain function explain how best practices in adult learning may lead to adult learners' developmental growth.

This paper briefly identifies a number of contemporary pressures for change which condition the way universities will behave and which provide both opportunities and threats for the future; it then goes on to consider the implications for distance education universities. Pressures on universities include such factors as the growth of other…

This guide to developing a prior learning portfolio was prepared to assist students in the Credit for Lifelong Learning Program (CLLP) at Sinclair Community College (SCC) in Dayton, Ohio, through the process of identifying college-level prior learning, matching their learning to specific courses, and articulating and documenting their learning.…

In view of the importance of recognizing and documenting the prior learning of adult students returning to higher education, a project was undertaken to research, construct a system, and write materials for use in assessing the experiential learning acquired by students seeking access to higher education. An extensive research effort was…

Recent research suggests that information must be made meaningful to students before they will comprehend and remember it. However, because so much curriculum is learned in isolation, many students miss the connections between such disciplines as literature and history. One solution is to connect the teaching of history and literature to a focal…

Adults learn from many sources, such as volunteer work, community services, homemaking, jobs, and other activities, and they increasingly want this learning to be recognized so that they can reenter the job market, get a promotion, or return to college. Therefore, scientific methods have been developed to help adults document their experiential…

Models for assessing prior learning or noncollege learning are discussed. The increasing variety of interests, ages, and levels of maturity among prospective college students requires that higher education institutions face the issue of granting credit for noncollege learning. It is suggested that the key issue for colleges and universities is how…

A key concept underlying Equipped for the Future (EFF) relates to its contextualized approach to curriculum and instruction. While drawing on the body of cognitive research, research on the transfer of learning is of key importance for this principle. Effective learning requires not only acquisition but also active application of knowledge,…

Critical reflection blends learning through experience with theoretical and technical learning to form new knowledge constructions and new behaviors or insights. Through the process of critical reflection, adults come to interpret and create new knowledge and actions from their experiences. It is generally agreed that critical reflection consists…