Reviews the history of the term andragogy and compares concepts in Germany, France, Holland, Britain, Finland, the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and Yugoslavia. Delineates five differing schools of thought. (SK)

Recounts one teacher's experience at unsuccessfully solving spatial problems in a workshop experimenting with individualistic and cooperative learning approaches to problem solving. This humbling experience reminded the author that failure is humiliating and can arise from simply not knowing how to think about a task. All humans are "at-risk"…

Comparison of nineteenth- and twentieth-century promotion of self-help learning shows that the aim and outcome can be socialization and order rather than social advancement and autonomy. Successful self-help schemes are rarely based on self-help alone, which calls into question the morality and financial wisdom of promoting a concept without…

New social movements--ecological, peace, feminist, and personal autonomy--share several basic principles: ecology, social responsibility, grass-roots democracy, and nonviolence. The realization of their visions may require the greatest mobilization of imagination and learning potential yet known. (SK)

Includes "Intelligence Is More than IQ" (Sternberg); "In Search of Intraterrestrial Intelligence" (Wagner); "On Changing Fundamental Conceptions of Undergraduate Experience" (Guskin); "Experience and Intelligence" (Gotlieb); "Assessing the Value of Cooperative Education" (Williams et al.); and…

Accreditation of adult learning raises two issues: (1) whether accrediting processes are the right ones and (2) which educational values and principles underlie them. Accreditation based on flexible accumulation and transfer of achievements is needed to document the vital learning outcomes of adult education. (SK)

People learn to learn as they develop their concept of knowledge. The heart of the learning process is self-awareness, self-monitoring, and active reflection. Teaching and learning should be an interactive process, which should involve both learning and learning how to learn. (SK)

According to a study of 20 outstanding principals, administrators valued as instructional leaders value their role as staff developers, view their key function as facilitator, and are driven by a clear vision for the school. These principals view themselves as role models for continual growth, are self-assured, and open to change. (eight…

Recapitulates the theory that adult learning involves projection of value-laden symbols into sense perceptions to extract meaning from experience. Responds to criticism by emphasizing that critical reflection and rational discourse are manifestations of culture. (SK)

Adult learners bring a greater background of life experiences to the learning situation; may experience diminished learning rates, if not ability; and approach learning from personal or professional needs, not compulsion. Effective adult learning requires time for reflection and for application and manipulation of ideas. Principals dealing with…

Although computer-based training for adults has some disadvantages, it is useful for individuation, cost effectiveness, and interactivity. Computer instruction for adults must be designed carefully, considering content organization, learner control, practice, feedback, reinforcement, and assessment. (SK)

To remain viable, classrooms must be transformed into learning communities wherein deep ideas are developed. A Pennsylvania superintendent (Owen J. Roberts School District, Pottstown, PA) describes how discussions of great literature among administrators, faculty, and board members have helped forge shared understandings as they tackled thorny…

Examines adults from China and Canada solving single-digit multiplication problems. Reports that Chinese adults were faster and made fewer errors than Canadian adults, and Chinese adults made more errors that reflect verbal-production processes that may occur after retrieval whereas Canadian adults made more errors that reflect retrieval…

A teacher developing a method to teach spiritual care to nursing students over age 25 used a journal to record and reflect on experiences. The importance of a safe and open learning environment, use of adult-learning principles, and immediate recording of journal entries was underscored. (SK)

Adult learning for citizenship (ALC) represents a necessary challenge to the dominant discourse of lifelong learning for economic development. ALC consists of four dimensions of social purpose learning: learning for inclusive, pluralistic, reflexive, and active citizenship. (SK)