This article narrates the rise and fall of a notable adult education programme at Laval University in Quebec City, Canada. The Centre for Adult Education and Community Development was established in 1951, replacing the External Service for Social Education. In the 1950s, the Centre gained an international reputation for excellence in adult…

Research in extension education is a serious and challenging task facing Nigeria today because of new trends that keeps on emerging continuously. This paper seeks to examine some of the common research techniques used in extension education and describe their applicability and workability in helping people to help themselves. Most of the…

Extension professionals facilitate community development through the strategic manipulation of learning and power in peer-to-peer learning partnerships. We discuss the relationship between empowerment and power, highlight relevant literature on the difficulties power presents to learning and the efficacy of service learning tools to facilitate…

This article examines the lessons from a collaborative project that worked with women agricultural leaders in Papua New Guinea. The project sought to build the capacity of these leaders as trainers in a way that would enable the development of a sustainable community of practice and worked within a critical and place-based pedagogy underpinned by…

Extension services face an increasing challenge as the state of Australia's environment declines. It is, therefore, opportune to explore some innovations in the way extension is traditionally delivered. This paper introduces the concept of the visual and performing arts being useful in extension of natural resources management issues such as land…

In March 2006, Premier Wen Jiabao acknowledged that the situation in the Chinese countryside is desperate and claimed new resources would be devoted to healthcare and education. This announcement should have pleased architects of the Chinese "learning initiative" who are building learning cities and villages. The authors describe why…

From 1912 to 1975 the Department of Extension at the University of Alberta provided an impressive range of programmes and services to people across the Canadian province of Alberta. The four Directors of Extension at the University of Alberta during this period became leading figures in the history of adult education in Canada. They positioned…

Interviews with 120 rural Nigerian women found that 96% participate in self-help community development projects and 68% were engaged in farming. Constrains on participation included domestic responsibilities, lack of funding and resources, male domination, and politics. There was a significant relationship between their sociocultural beliefs and…

The Community Land Use and Economics Simulation was tested in a U.S. and a Slovak university. Cultural differences in players' approaches appeared: the competitive aspects came more naturally to U.S. players; resource inequities, planning, and visioning were addressed differently. Materials developed for use in cross-cultural contexts should have…

The Antigonish Movement, Farm Radio Forum, and Centre for Community Studies were three Canadian community development programs that supported adult education's social change mission. Current extension practice focuses on cost recovery and marketing courses to those who can pay; these historical examples show a way to renew the mission and vision…

A study examined the academic, research, and extension programs of selected agricultural institutions in the Asia-Pacific region in order to determine the extent of their involvement and participation in promoting rural development. Questionnaires were mailed to 65 institutions in 16 countries; 28 (43.1 percent) were returned from 10 countries:…

Case studies of the University of Leeds' action research projects in the local community illustrate the use of mainstream and other sources of funding to fulfil a social purpose agenda. Recent funding changes may jeopardize community-based adult education, despite rhetoric about universities and their communities. (SK)

A university extension project designed to help communities provide a setting for lifelong learning opportunities and for community improvement planning was begun in New Zealand in 1975 and continues through 1977. Procedures, programs, needs, and evaluation are presented and future activities are touched on. (MF)

This newsletter describes development projects that utilize varied media, including microcomputers, videotape, and print materials, and discusses development communications issues. Specific articles are as follows: "Microcomputers for Education in the Developing World" (Kurt D. Moses); "Social Marketing: Two Views, Two…

"International Programming Issues for Extension Education" (Rosson, Sanders) describes a survey of extension personnel identifying global competition and agriculture as a key issue. "Expanding Our Horizons Internationally" (Richardson, Woods) discusses North Carolina Extension's staff development on global issues. In…