Within this "Adult Education Quarterly" ("AEQ") forum, the authors call for a dialogue and examination of research methods in the field of adult and continuing education. Using the article by Boeren as a starting point, the authors analyze both qualitative and quantitative research trends and advocate for more methodological…

It started with a dream: to create a national best practices teaching and learning center that would not only provide the best available care and education to children ages 0 to 5 years old, but would also serve as a model for adult learners and like-minded entities and individuals in the early education arena. Committed to elevating the quality…

Beyond 3Rs to learning within political action to functional literacy to life skills, the discourse on adult literacy has primarily been defined by civil society organizations. This article presents thoughts on adult literacy programs coming from educators and advocates and the underlying dilemmas of autonomy and collaboration with government for…

America is becoming a less educated nation (National Commission on Adult Literacy, 2008). While this is frequently measured through comparisons of the number of adults with college degrees, strategies to address sagging educational attainment statistics in the United States are typically focused on K-12 reforms--mostly through expanded definitions…

The author discussed the role of three international organizations--UNESCO, Council of Europe, and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development--in the development and diffusion of knowledge of educational thinking. Three conceptual models (lifelong education, permanent education, and recurrent education) associated with these agencies…

Describes a model for the selection of instructional materials for adult basic education programs. Reviews the model's seven stages: identifying learner problems; defining objectives; prescribing learning experiences; selecting instructional materials; selecting appropriate deliveries; evaluating and planning improvements; and reorganizing,…

The Equipped for the Future (EFF) project of the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) helps adult learners (and their tutors) develop literacy skills with a focus on "real life" lessons. This paper discusses projects in California public libraries that use EFF. A sidebar describes LINCS (Literacy Information and Communication System)…

A marketing model is described as a framework for applying major marketing management principles to public school business management and is illustrated with the case of a hypothetical district's use of the plan. (MJL)

The director of the Queens Borough Public Library (Jamaica, New York) examines the role of the public library in helping to prevent illiteracy and discusses innovative ways libraries can serve adult readers and learners, using the Queens model as an example. Includes a sidebar by Audrey Gorman "Toward a New Definition of Literacy." (AEF)

The task of monitoring an agency's regulatory environment is defined, the utility of policy analysis for local administrators is argued, and suggestions for incorporating policy analysis assignments into fieldwork instruction are offered. A distillation of four policy analysis frameworks is applied to a series of Senior Aides guidelines.…

This paper describes the conduct and the results of an evaluability assessment of the Adult Education Program, PL 91-230. It presents the findings on the intended program, the actual program, the plausibility of the objectives, the measurement of the objectives, and the program evaluability and options for improvement. (Author/LMO)

Describes a writing program that addresses adult students' limited access to computers and the program's effect on a pilot group of students. Offers some preliminary conclusions about the effects of computer availability on teaching methodology. (MS)