Mentoring in occupational therapy is a crucial role that many practitioners undertake and there is a paucity of mentor education specific to occupational therapists. Authors present an innovative approach to mentor education through a novel three-part online mentor training series. Developed by faculty teaching at Northern Arizona University's…

Social presence is the feeling of connectedness among learners. In this article, the authors explore the theory and practice related to social practice in online adult learning environments.

OpenStax Kinetic is an innovative research infrastructure that aims to transform education and learning research in the digital age. With its access to large sample sizes, authentic learning environments, experimental control, scalability, security and privacy protection, Kinetic provides an unparalleled opportunity for researchers to study the…

The incorporation of digital technologies into adult education classrooms has seen steady growth for over two decades. Many computer-based applications are used for skills development, practice, and other activities inside and outside the classroom. Despite such integration, the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected in-person learning, catching…

Self-directed learning (SDL) has become increasingly important in today's fast-paced and ever-changing society. This paper explores SDL's historical evolution, theoretical foundations, and practical applications, particularly in online environments. SDL is defined as a personal attribute and a process that empowers learners to take the initiative…

This article provides an overview of Extension's Military Families Learning Network. The network is an example of Extension's commitment to building virtual learning networks in the support of targeted professional and lay audiences. The network uses well-established and emergent pedagogical approaches focusing on adult-centered learning while…

The community of inquiry (COI) model identifies elements which are fundamental to a successful online learning experience, namely, teaching presence, cognitive presence, and social presence. The model has received empirical support as a useful framework for understanding the online learning experience. A limitation of the model is its…

As the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning and services across communities, the Upgrade program in San Antonio, Texas, was able to continue serving adult learners through preestablished service delivery methods. A case management approach to advising set the foundation for the program to build upon established relationships with students to help…

There has not been ample recent research on teaching older adults. However, as described below, there is mounting research in how and why older adults want to learn. This brief discussion is derived from work undertaken for a workshop in Hong Kong on issues in teaching older adults. It combines recent research on learning and teaching in higher…

The Education and Training (ET) 2020 Working Groups (WGs), involving over 400 experts from Member States' administrations and other stakeholders, are one of the main instruments in the toolbox of the Strategic Framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020). Through mutual learning and the identification of good practices,…

This paper highlights the design and development process that two academic business librarians employed to create an online toolkit of eLearning supports for business students. After receiving funding from their institution's internal teaching innovation fund, they hired and worked with two eLearning design companies to produce the toolkit. The…

With innovations in technology, adult educators can begin to create learning opportunities in very expansive terms. But, innovative, technologically advanced learning environments still benefit from a solid foundation in adult learning theory, instrumental theories like John B. Watson's Behaviorism, Lev Vygotsky's Social Development Theory, Jack…

The Department of Aging and Geriatric Research at the University of Florida College of Medicine has established online education programs to provide healthcare professionals with advanced training in the field of gerontology to establish proficiency in providing quality care to older individuals. A major barrier to creating our online education…

For school librarians, being part of a "connected" community provides support for getting specific needs met, solving personally relevant and meaningful problems, and developing professional expertise. AASL provides many avenues for members of the profession to learn with and from one another. These include AASL and subgroup electronic…

In accelerating fast changing knowledge-based and information societies such like the European Union technology dominates most facets of our everyday lives, and learning activities as well. Unfortunately, particularly seniors and elderly people suffer the risk to be left behind, and that the digital divide becomes bigger. This is problematic…