This book is designed to provide pragmatic guidance to those who assume responsibility for the mentor role so that they can function as more significant influences in their mentoring relationships with adult learners (as students or employees). Intended audiences include the following: two- and four-year college faculty, counselors,…

At each age learning is a complex interaction of motivation, cognition, and development. In older adults, motivation is often related to a lifelong personality construct or personal meaning that an older individual will seek to play out when given the opportunity in late life. The needs of the older adult learner can be discussed in terms of…

This book is designed to provide a foundation in adult learning theory, a knowledge base that will increase understanding of what works and what does not work with the adult learner. It is written for practitioners who work with adults in nearly any setting. The book is both theoretical and practical. It provides a foundation in adult learning…

This book, which is about five alternative points of view or perspectives on teaching adults, is the result of several years of teaching and research in Canada, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States. The perspectives were obtained through a study of 253 teachers of adults. The book is organized in three sections. Section 1 contains…

Some factors that should be considered when administering tests to adults include the following: (1) adults have a difficult time adapting to new things; (2) everyone resists change to some degree; (3) change requires new learning; (4) various things influence a person's ability to learn new things and make changes; (5) childhood events can…

The increase in the numbers of adult students studying on college and university campuses has created a new set of ethical and administrative challenges for those institutions. Projections for the nineties suggest 50 percent of enrollment will be adults. Characteristically, adult students perceive themselves to be responsible for their own lives;…

This publication is a guide for those planning and facilitating a "Helping Adults Learn" Workshop designed to assist higher education faculty and staff in promoting greater access and success for adult learners in higher education. An overview of the workshop describes the purpose, goals (to increase understanding of theory and research…

When adult learners come to the learning program, they bring the individual "baggage" that they carry around--such as home problems, time constraints, employment problems, and positive or negative feelings about self. The baggage of an adult's life contains all that adults are, have been, and hope to be, as well as all that life means to them.…

This document contains the 1998 Florida adult education program courses standards (curriculum frameworks and student performance standards) for major adult and literacy programs, as well as programs for workplace readiness skills, and special programs for the diverse population served in this area. Each program courses standard is composed of two…

A progress report on "Building Work Skills through Volunteering," a demonstration project designed to use the volunteer experience to develop and practice work skills, is presented. The initial section describes the participants, methods, and materials at each of four sites: a private corporation, a suburban school district, a voluntary…

Maintains that adult students have distinctive learning characteristics. Briefly discusses these characteristics, their relationship to learning the musical keyboard, and pedagogical approaches that accommodate these characteristics. Interviews several teachers and recounts their specific techniques. A selected resources list includes methods and…

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…

This book is designed to influence adult educators to make more intentional choices toward developmental growth in their work with adult learners. Part 1 provides a rationale for attending to developmental growth of adult learners and a framework of intentions to encourage such development. Chapter 1 describes characteristics of adult learners and…

This training packet on the adult learner is 1 of 10 developed by the Study of Adult Basic Education (ABE)/English as a Second Language (ESL) Training Approaches Project to assist ABE instructors, both professionals and volunteers. The packet is intended to stand alone and encompasses a three-session workshop series with activities scheduled for…

This planning guide and collection of resources is designed to help higher education faculty become more aware of current research and thinking on adult learning and to participate actively in institutional changes that make campuses, particularly in the California State University system, better able to meet the needs of adult students. Each of…