This chapter presents five case histories that describe literacy education practices in rural areas of England. All programs include the use of action research and the concept of open learning. Open learning is a nontraditional approach to education that includes the use of learning centers, computers, audio- and videotapes, and distance education. Tutors are available, but do not generally work one-on-one with students. They are seen as a shared resource, along with printed and electronic materials. Programs include an adult basic education group in west Dorset, a community education project in Suffolk involving peer tutoring with young adults, a core skills workshop at North Devon Tertiary College, a program that works with ethnic minority adults in a rural area of Cambridgeshire, and a program that works with unemployed adults in west Cumbria. Programs emphasize partnerships between the learners themselves, the importance of linking literacy with vocational studies, the relevance of peer tutoring, and the necessity of partnerships among local agencies for program implementation. This paper also addresses literacy education issues related to the need for partnerships, organizing resources, training and support of staff, relationship between students and tutors, respecting and responding to different cultures, and funding. To ensure that adult basic education programs in the United Kingdom produce more general social benefit, the funding targets set by all authorities must change to include the fostering of a community development approach. (LP)