This paper reports a critical comparative analysis of two popular and significant theories of adult learning: the transformation and the deep approach theories of learning. These theories are operative in different educational sectors, are significant, respectively, in each, and they may be seen as both touching on similar concerns with learning…

Language, literacy and numeracy are necessary for greater workforce participation, productivity and social inclusion. Being able to measure the level of proficiency in these skills, and any changes in the level of skills, is important for getting a sense of how well language, literacy and numeracy programs are working. Two measurement tools used…

A study comparing performance of college students in three age groups developed a strong case for admitting students 26 years or older. The 22-25 group also showed better results than the under-22 group but had the lowest degree-completion rate. Little correlation was found between adult student performance and high school examination results. (JT)

The article presents a comparative analysis of educational policy and provision in Sweden and Australia, with particular emphasis on the relative investment in continuing and further education in both countries. The authors investigate the extent to which further education opportunities provide a "second chance" at learning for adults…

Comparative international adult education, defined as that field in which adult educators from various countries compare their own institutions and practices with those of their counterparts in other nations, is examined. Provided is an account of adult education in nine European socialist countries (including the Soviet Union), as well as…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on organizational culture and climate that was conducted as part of a conference on human resource development (HRD). "A Comparative Profile of Workgroup Climate in Different Organizational Settings" (Allan H. Church) reports on a comparative analysis of climate data on more than 5,000…

Four models of online teaching are currently being used within the Faculty of Informatics and Communications at Central Queensland University in Australia. The naive model, which is the most widely used, may be characterized as "putting lecture notes on the World Wide Web" with no opportunities for interaction or feedback. The standard…

The effectiveness of Australia's Adult Learners' Week campaign was evaluated before the event in August, 2001, and 2002, and after the event in September, 2001 and 2002. Each of these stages in the evaluation involved a random telephone survey of approximately 1,000 Australian residents over the age of 18 years. In addition, focus groups were…

The research implications of the concepts of working knowledge and work-based learning were examined. A research agenda for work-based learning arising from the analysis of "working knowledge" was presented. The agenda listed questions pertaining to the following areas: (1) the conditions bringing about work-based learning; (2) the…

The determinants of successful training practices in large Australian firms were examined. The study's three phases were as follows: (1) a review of existing literature; (2) a meta-analysis of previously conducted case studies of 49 large Australian firms in 14 industrial sectors; and (3) a comparative analysis of the findings of the past studies…

This document explores the question of how the United Kingdom can attract more people into education and training. The introduction discusses the international seminar on which the document is based. "What Triggers Participation?" offers a conceptual framework for the seminar's findings. "A Comparative Perspective" examines…

The methods used by Australian farm managers to obtain the skills and knowledge needed to manage their businesses were examined. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 85 farm owners/managers from South Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, Tasmania, and New South Wales. The farmers interviewed identified a wide range of…

Of the 477,800 students reported to Australia's national vocational education and training (VET) data collection in 2000, 237,900 were enrolled in a vocational adult and community education (ACE) program. More than 70% of the latter individuals undertook informal training. Vocational ACE programs accounted for 49.8% of all ACE students and nearly…

Data from the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) were analyzed to compare the incidence and volume of continuing education (CE) and training among adults in the following countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The following were among the…

Data drawn from 3 cycles of data collection for the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) were analyzed to identify the levels and distributions of literacy skills in the adult populations of 20 countries. The following were among the main conclusions: (1) in 14 of the countries, at least 15% of all adults have literacy skills at only the…