Distance education programs for adult learners have been largely neglected by developers of diagnostic instruments to identify students' level of academic preparedness. The purpose of this study was to modify the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) so that it could be used for learners in distance programs (A-LASSI) and to generate normative information for the adult version of the instrument. Another purpose was to examine the factor structure of the new instrument to determine if the original 10 subscales were preserved. In a sample of nearly 800 adult learners enrolled in a national external degree program, the A-LASSI (modified for adults) generated 7 factors instead of the 10 measured by the original LASSI, revealing that only the Anxiety scale remained intact from the original LASSI instrument. These seven factors did not entirely replicate subscales of the original instrument. Results indicate that adult learners, particularly those who pursue distance or external degree programs, have somewhat different learning needs than students of traditional age in campus-based programs. Norms for the LASSI instrument may need to be adjusted upward for adult distance learners. (Contains 19 references.) (Author/SLD)