This document contains three papers from a symposium on self-directed learning and self-management. "Validating a More-Dimensional Conception of Self-Directed Learning" (Gerald A. Straka, Cornelia Schaefer) discusses the development and validation of a conception of self-directed learning as a dynamic interplay between behavior,…

This document is a guide to workplace mentoring that is intended to assist individuals who are interested in or involved in placing students in work-based learning experiences as part of Connecticut's school-to-work initiative, Connecticut Learns. The following are among the topics discussed: (1) the purposes and principles of workplace mentoring;…

This document critiques various discourses about mentoring within the context of adult learning environments in general and adult literacy programs in particular. Mentoring is defined as an enabling or developmental relationship that occurs in partnerships wherein experienced individuals kindle knowledge and offer support to protgs in joint…

These eight papers are intended to help prepare trainers of mine safety for an expected influx of younger workers as experienced miners retire and acquaint the trainers with strategies they can use to enhance their training effectiveness. "Principles of Adult Learning: Application for Mine Trainers" (Kathleen M. Kowalski, Charles Vaught)…

This book presents systematic guidelines and practical tools to assist adult and continuing education program coordinators in planning and conducting successful program evaluations. Chapters 1-3 explain how to accomplish the following tasks: (1) assess their existing experience and familiarity with evaluation concepts and procedures; (2) identify…

A somatic approach to education implies education that trusts individuals to learn from and listen to the information they are receiving from the interaction of self with the environment. Somatic or embodied knowing is experiential knowledge that involves senses, perceptions, and mind-body action and reaction. Western culture has been dominated by…

This document focuses on Ohio's need for a skilled workforce. It begins by introducing the Specialization Ohio Integrated Technical and Academic Competency (ITAC) profiles. Each Specialization ITAC represents a profile of the professional or occupational competencies deemed essential for a person to perform proficiently when graduating from the…

Intended to help business-led coalitions master the seven principles of success in education and workforce development, this primer begins with a discussion of the problems stemming from the structural transition underway in the U.S. economy, an overview of the 21st century workforce system, and the potential role of business-led coalitions in…

Computer-mediated instruction is particularly well-suited to typical community college students because it offers an alternative to the time and place constraints of traditional classrooms. Key characteristics of computer-mediated learning are as follows: instructors and students are separated by distance; instruction is delivered via computer…

To commemorate 2002 as the centennial year of America's 4-H Movement, the National 4-H Council held a national conversation to identify ways of improving youth development programs. The conversation process included the following activities: 1,577 local conversations that yielded more than 10,000 specific action items; a review of those items at…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program for increasing student engagement and retention through the use of authentic assessment and cooperative groups. The targeted population consisted of one sixth grade class in an elementary school and two ninth grade classes in a high school located in different communities in the far…

This ethnographic study investigated why so few women become scientists or mathematicians. The study followed the lives of two groups of women, one black and one white, all with strong academic records, who were attending two southern U.S. universities, one predominantly black and the other predominantly white. The study was initiated in 1979 when…

This symposium report contains 10 papers on educational issues related to research and practice: "Collaborative Research: Using Adolescent Literature to Develop Student Pride in Rural Living" (Lisa A. Spiegel); "Perceptions of Mentoring Practices by Interns and Mentors in a Professional Development Center" (Sharon Ross and Lana…

This document contains materials about and from the Planning for Change (PfC) project, which was conducted to accomplish the following objectives: (1) further develop and document a comprehensive community planning process across Pennsylvania's workforce investment board (WIB) regions; (2) pilot the comprehensive planning project; and (3) expand…

The General Accounting Office examined existing and anticipated concerns related to the recruitment and retention of nurse and nurses aides. Special attention was paid to the following aspects of the problem: (1) factors contributing to the current and anticipated shortage among nurses; (2) what is known about the current and projected supply of…