This guide assembles a helpful set of inexpensive ideas based on sound learning theory and successful classroom experience. Two major concepts are developed: (1) the learning center and (2) contract teaching. Learning centers are characterized by their flexibility and numerous opportunities for student involvement. They may be used for the…

This study focuses on Thornlea Secondary School's social relationships and the way in which they affect the implementation of innovation. The study is largely descriptive and utilizes taped interviews of students, teachers, administrators, and citizens of the community as the primary source of information. The study's concern about innovativeness…

A survey of 1,500 Canadian adults looked at the full range of adults' learning activities, including informal learning related to employment, community volunteer work, household work, and other general interest. Findings indicated those in the labor force, or expecting to be in soon, participated in informal learning related to current or…

Informal learning by Canadian seniors was examined through semi-structured interviews with a purposefully selected group of 51 older Canadians (28 women and 23) who ranged in age from 58 to 95 years (average age, 73.7). All were retired or semi-retired, and all had engaged in several learning projects over the previous year in topics such as the…

Self-directed learning (SDL) is among the most productive areas of research in adult education. Malcolm S. Knowles is credited with a comprehensive synthesis of adult teaching and adult learning principles. Andragogy, the art and science of helping adults learn, lies at the heart of Knowles' work. Lucy M. Guglielmino theorized regarding the…

Three presentations are provided from Symposium 18, Instructional Technology, of the Academy of Human Resource Development (HRD) 2000 Conference Proceedings. "Strategies for Facilitating Interaction When Using Technology-Mediated Training Methods [TMTM]" (Jeffrey S. Lewis, Gary D. Geroy, Orlando Griego) focuses on differences between…

Describes development and design of the University of Delaware's faculty development program, which uses a variety of technology applications and resources to encourage individual exploration of technology, develop teamwork skills, adapt to fast-changing content, accommodate diverse learning styles, use asynchronous communication options, provide…

This article presents an overview of online learning, particularly for elementary- and secondary-school students. Online learning has much to offer certain students under the right circumstances. However, questions remain about policies regarding online learning and the suitability of the approach for younger students. (Contains 6 online…

In the current economic situation, most academic institutions would like to plan new courses to increase enrollment. Often, these changes do not follow with a proportional increase in cost or staff numbers to the institution. For cost-efficiency reasons, a reduction in student contact hours is most desirable, providing that this can maintain the…

"Focus on Basics" is the quarterly publication of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. It presents best practices, current research on adult learning and literacy, and how research is used by adult basic education teachers, counselors, program administrators, and policymakers. Articles appearing in this issue…

Biology I students (n=166) in a high school in southern Mississippi completed the Learning Styles Inventory, a 45-item instrument designed to measure preference for channel of learning (visual, auditory, or kinesthetic), sociological environment (individually or in groups), and mode of expression (oral or written). A three-way analysis of variance…

The conference proceedings reported in this publication represent the deliberations, problems, and prospects associated with adult education as a field of academic inquiry. The following papers or summaries are included: "Adult Education Research: Issues and Directions" (Deshler, Hagan); "Comparative Perspectives for Research about…

This book examines embedded support in course material. The focus is on self-study and associated concepts such as independent learning, distance education, and open education, and the general context is adult and higher education. The seven chapters cover: (1) general introductory material, including a description of the future, distance…

In order to assess the feasibility of a technologically enhanced education delivery, a Canadian community college offered an online course on HTML authoring. The instructor designed a Web site, which functioned as the "textbook", and updated it periodically according to lesson plans and student feedback. An electronic mailing list…

There are three challenges academic institutions must address in order to achieve the goal of ensuring that distant students are afforded the opportunities of independent learning: (1) academic libraries must effectively utilize technology to make the information resources in their research collections accessible to distant students; (2) academic…