The multimedia self-instructional systems approach to reading instruction utilized at Wascana Institute in Canada has helped a growing number of adult learners succeed in their career training courses. The self-paced program involves sequential instruction in perception and conception, focusing on the minimum essential skills assessed by the…

An study was conducted in an adult education center and a community school in Scotland to determine the perceived effectiveness of a range of methods for teaching English. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, observation of teaching, course documents, and informal conversations with 47 students and 2 teachers. Findings included…

Six of 11 papers presented at a symposium on language aptitude testing are included in this document. "Cognitive Abilities in Foreign Language Aptitude: Then and Now" (John B. Carroll) reconsiders language aptitude testing 30 years after publication of the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT). "Preliminary Investigation of the…

Several factors to take into account when assessing the effectiveness of programs for teaching educational administration are reviewed in this paper. Three of these factors relate to those engaged in learning: their stages of individual development, their tendency toward initial dependence, and their needs to master and to belong. Three more…

This literature review traces the evolution of community colleges from institutions for recent high school graduates to learning centers for the entire adult population; describes the various learner needs that are met by community colleges' collegiate, vocational, and community education curricula; and discusses the contributions of a study being…

This report provides an abstracted review of 75 available sources on the subject of adult learning problems, disabilities, development, and solutions in adult education. Documents from many levels of education are included; most of the works cited are unpublished reports, papers, and dissertations. Entries are arranged in chronological order…

Andragogy has been posited as a theory of adult learning that provides a unifying concept for the practice of adult education. Because the assumptions of andragogy only indirectly adduce the needs of society and do not purport to accommodate the proprietary interests of institutions at all, it would seem that andragogy would not be appropriate as…

A one-week, five-hour course in survival Spanish taught at an Elderhostel at Winthrop College included in its content the process of introductions and courtesy expressions, numbers and counting, telling time, days of the week, months, seasons, colors, cognates for describing people, talking about jobs and hobbies, verb forms for questions and…

Results of a survey of 91 innovative state humanities projects are presented, and the literature and theories about how adults learn are summarized. The representative sample of 91 public humanities projects are covered in alphabetical order. Most of the projects were selected because of their good humanities content and their success in…

In March 1959, Howard McClusky introduced his Power Load Margin (PLM) theory and proposed that it be used for studying the adult years and for developing and building realistic educational programs for adults. His formula, which states that the key components of adulthood are load (the demands made upon the individual by self and society) and…

In traditional education, the teacher is responsible for the students' learning. The teacher lectures to the students who take notes and then regurgitate the material for examinations to earn grades and diplomas. This type of learning situation may not be appropriate in a community college, where many students are adults who bring life skills and…

Designed for adults entering college after having been out of school for some time, this book provides information about succeeding in school while meeting family and work obligations. Chapter 1 offers words of encouragement; chapter 2 offers advice on confronting and eliminating many fears and concerns reported by older than average students.…

Designed to help instructors create a supportive learning environment for older than average students, this guidebook outlines the special needs of adult students and offers advice on instruction and course management. Each chapter of the instructor's manual corresponds to a chapter in "Time for College," a book designed to teach adult students…

Based on a statewide adult education correctional project in Texas, this handbook is designed to assist adult educators in providing continued adult education services to releasees and probationers, including jail populations. The handbook is organized in nine sections. The first section explains the background and purpose of the handbook. It is…

This booklet is intended to help individuals teaching in extension programs understand the special needs of adult learners and use teaching techniques that have proven effective with adult learners. The first group of chapters deals with the importance of self-motivation to adult learning, the importance of taking the time to outline the goals of…