Reviews the literature dealing with ways of improving the effectiveness of adult basic education reading instruction in the areas of teacher training, teaching styles, instructional methods and materials, and adult learning patterns. Discusses the implications of the studies cited. (AYC)

A study is reported that explores possible developmental differences in conceptions of learning among people with different learning experiences. The data, obtained from interviews with 90 people from 15 to 73 years old, and with 6 to 17 years of schooling, indicate distinctive differences in conceptions of learning and study methods. (Author/JMD)

The Omnibus Personality Inventory (OPI) was administered to first year adult learners and to traditional age freshmen from the same multicampus university. Older students exhibited more intellectual and social-emotional maturity. Personality functioning of adult learners at the commuter campus was more like that of younger students. (Author)

Presents issues and concerns in education for the older adult. Issues considered are an overview of the aged population, adult education and the older adult, and the older adult's ability to learn. A review of the literature with thoughts for future research is presented. (Author/BEF)

A participatory action research study of male former tradeworkers studying to be teachers showed how their cultural ideology of toughness, racism, and sexism was moderated through reflection on culturally specific narratives that influenced a transformation in cultural beliefs and practices. (SK)

Discussion of women as adult learners focuses on the adult learning theory of transformational learning as a framework to examine how women develop their careers, especially technology-related careers. Highlights include the role of voice; pathways of women's careers; gender and technology career issues; minority women; and suggestions for…

British Petroleum's chief executive officer explains how the organization was redesigned to foster learning. Key topics include clear purpose, shared knowledge, distinctive relationships, breakthrough thinking, and peer team structure. (SK)

Discusses public libraries' imperatives for training older adults in computer use and surveys current literature on older adult learning. Concludes that older adults do learn differently from younger adults; explores how learning differences are relevant to computer learning; and suggests implications for trainers of older adults. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study that evaluated computer games, or components of the games, that would lend themselves for use in an educational setting, particularly with adults. Highlights include game selection criteria; gender differences; motivation; learning styles; game features that were essential and those that were distracting; playing strategies; and…

Reviews current empirical data on the effectiveness of animation in computer-based instruction. Research on static visuals and learning is examined; animation research is described that includes studies with elementary school children, high school students, and adult learners; and implications for current instructional design are suggested. (56…

Adult learning in residential conference centers is enhanced when a philosophical basis underlies their design. Six integrated elements for the development of learning sanctuaries are historical context, educational program, physical environment, support services, technology, and human resources. (SK)

Romero's overview of adult developmental theory stresses the work of Erikson, Havighurst, Loevinger, Perry, Kohlberg, and Cross. Rossman and Rossman discuss the development of their Adult Learning Inventory with an extensive source summary for its 4 factors and a 62-item bibliography. (SK)

Rebutting responses by Guglielmino, Long, and McCune to his earlier criticism of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale, Field reviews the effect of homogeneity in the scale's factor structure and of negatively phrased items and concludes that the scale does not measure readiness for self-directed learning. (SK)

In a community center, older adults developed and presented dramatic sketches illustrating quality of life issues such as health, employment, money, family life, leisure, and aging. The development process enabled group members to put their life experiences in a wider perspective and the presentation served as a tool to open discussion in the…

The biographical method derives information from life histories to understand how and why adults transform themselves. Three types of transformation are (1) old-new, transforming new information to a familiar, safe environment; (2) home-abroad, achieving emancipation by exploring unfamiliar environments; and (3) inside-outside, elaborating a…