This paper reports the results of an initial exploration into the attitudes and practices of some selected Canadian distance educators regarding a learner-centered view of education. Twenty-nine Canadian distance education teachers and administrators responded to questionnaires concerning attitudes toward distance education, student autonomy in…

This study examined the questions of what alterations to teacher preparation programs are needed to better accommodate the older, second career person. Focus of the study was on a group of students who had been recruited from industry into a special science/mathematics teacher preparation program. Recommendations for teacher education program…

A study of active group learning that occurred during 61 state humanities programs in 35 states is discussed, and 11 recommendations to state humanities councils are offered. Information was obtained from a mail survey and review of state council proposals and narrative reports. Definitions of learning and information on the following learning…

Teaching adults more effectively is a concern common to business, industry, professionals, and educators. An examination of research dealing with effective teaching shows that six functions can be identified and followed as steps in the instruction of adults: (1) review of previous learning and skills; (2) initial presentation of material through…

Significant differences in self-concept, levels of experience, readiness to learn, and student motivation make the task of teaching adults quite different from that of teaching children. More than any other academic area, speech communication is uniquely suited and able to incorporate andragogical theory into its teaching methodologies, especially…

This paper focuses on aspects of a process of learning (participation) that emerged in a study of crosscultural experiences. As a phenomenological work, this study brings attention to the possibility that how adults learn in everyday life may actually be a process of experiencing the difference between what is familiar and known, and that which is…

This guide for adult educators is a collection of discussions intended to initiate further inquiry as well as to offer practical suggestions on teaching adults. After a comparison of pedagogy and andragogy, a brief definition of adult education is given. A profile of the adult student is followed by outlines of the importance of guiding and…

The symposium celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Division of Continuing Education at the State University of New York at Buffalo; changes in higher education during those 50 years have moved adult learning into a primary area of attention. Traditional lines of learning are bluring and assumptions about the adult learner are rapidly changing.…

Nontraditional learning environments challenge instructors to develop educational formats responsive to specific objectives and milieu. Competencies related to long-term goal achievement instead of short-term information retention are highlighted. An innovative instructional format presented during an international education semester aboard the…

Discusses facilitative teaching, roles and relationships of teachers and students, and factors in the teaching environment that facilitate learning. Characteristics of facilitative teachers and factors that increase and decrease relevance of facilitation are outlined. Implications of facilitative teaching for training organizations, instructors,…

This study compared two methods of computer instruction for older adults. Elder Computer Instruction was systematically designed and developed according to criteria established by both theory and research in andragogy. This instructional design took into consideration identified cognitive and physical changes that accompany the aging process.…

Most adults are both learners and consumers of goods and services across their life span. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the body of literature that analyzes consumer behavior in the light of lifelong learning. Learning activities, whether formal or experiential, have both costs and benefits. Interviews with hundreds of persons,…

This book explores the connections between art and education and, specifically, the links among the art of painting, the training of artists, and the education of adults. Five chapters discuss moralization, professionalization, aestheticization, musealization, and indoctrination. "Instruction and Diversion: Moral Lessons in Dutch Art"…

Training represents a significant portion of the adult education market, yet many believe the principles of training are not aligned with principles of adult education. A literature review supports the inclusion of training within the adult education field by comparing their respective philosophies and aims, their assumptions about adult learners…

Describes a study of the educational attitudes of faculty and students in the North Carolina community college system, measured in terms of the dichotomy between traditionalism (associated with pedagogy) and progressivism (associated with androgogy). Both faculty and student attitudes represented a moderate position on the androgogy-pedagogy…