Adult learning policies, like any other policies, need to be effective: they need to reach their objectives and attain the desired impacts, which should be carefully defined. Understanding the performance of policies allows policy makers to change and improve them. A growing body of research and statistics provides important insights into how…

An interview study examined the assumptions about adult learning held by 28 educational policy-makers, researchers, and staff developers. Fifteen assumptions were inferred from the interview data, each forming a dimension that describes learning as experienced by the participants: (1) Adult learning experiences are envisioned as similar for all…

The current and future role of educational technology in adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction in the United States is examined, drawing on practice, literature, and the experiences of an Arlington, Virginia program. Throughout, policy implications are drawn from the discussion. First, the ESL service delivery system is examined and…

As in other countries, older adults in Australia could benefit from acquiring information technology (IT) skills in many ways, including improved access to information on health issues and development of the skills needed for employment in high-demand IT-related occupations. The research on adult learning and the problems faced by many older…

This report is a synthesis of the Midterm Review of the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA V), a systematic effort to determine how recommendations made at CONFINTEA V in 1997 have been implemented and its commitments met by examining activities carried out worldwide in the field of adult education and learning since…

The different views regarding what constitutes learning success and progression in England's post-16 learning sector and the problem of meeting current policy and funding priorities stressing tangible and measurable outcomes while simultaneously responding to learners' needs and preferences were examined in a discussion that drew upon policy…

An advisory committee was formed to examine the extent of the need for services for adults with learning disabilities in British Columbia, the ways in which these needs might effectively be met, and methods for increasing public awareness of adults with learning disabilities. It was determined that about 15 percent of the adult population of the…

This review identifies where Danish public authorities intend to take their adult education and training (AET) system, main issues in AET reform (VEU-Reform), and recommendations from reviewers. Section 1 introduces the thematic review. Section 2 presents an overview of policy issues, AET, and VEU-Reform. It lists objectives of VEU-Reform (improve…

This paper identifies important knowledge gaps in adult education and training (AET) in Canada and starts to explore strategies to fill these gaps. Following an introduction in English and French, each of the next three sections is comprised of a review of the current state of knowledge on three topics (outcomes of adult learning, motivations and…

In January 2002, Ireland's minister of state announced the establishment of the National Adult Learning Council to take effect in March 2002. One of the council's priorities will be to establish local adult learning boards (LALBs) to oversee development and delivery of adult education. An Irish government white paper recommended that LALBs'…

In England, adult education became widespread as industrialization fed the demand for popular democracy. A marked shift from practical to leisure-based adult education occurred after World War II. More recently, policymakers have acknowledged the broader aims of education, including social inclusion and creation of a learning society. More than…

As exporters of oil in the Middle East and throughout the world, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) must address the following challenges in the area of development and economic growth: (1) an increasingly integrated world economy in which technology and knowledge will be paramount; (2) the need to diversify its economy from a natural resource-based…

European structures of qualification levels were examined through a review of reports on recent developments in Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The examination focused on the following topics: the scope of the national frameworks; the definition of standards and qualifications; the definition of levels in…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on globalization and human resource development (HRD). "Challenges and Strategies of Developing Human Resources in the Surge of Globalization: A Case of the People's Republic of China" (De Zhang, Baiyin Yang, Yichi Zhang) analyzes the challenges and strategies of HRD in China and…

Recent trends and developments related to the structures of qualification levels in Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom were examined in a quasi-experimental study that was part of a more comprehensive study on the same topic. The study focused on standards, qualifications, and classifications at the tertiary level of…