Adult education instructors frequently attend both required and elective professional development events and seminars to gain and maintain proficiency. However, as prospective learners, do instructors know exactly what the training will be about? Are the takeaways, or training outcomes, clearly stated beforehand? The answer seems to be, sometimes.…

This article emphasizes the need for adult educators to adapt to the constantly evolving digital landscape. Traditional methods of professional development (PD) no longer suffice, so PD courses should strive to foster a lifelong learning mindset and encourage a culture of experimentation. The article outlines three strategies for creating an…

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a research-based educational framework developed almost 40 years ago by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). While the framework has been utilized by adult educators to design inclusive learning experiences that support "all" learners (CAST, n.d.), the framework has yet to be explored…

Using data collected through a survey on professional development in adult education (AE), Elevation Educational Consulting Group (EECG) and Research Allies for Lifelong Learning provide the field of AE with an analysis focused on two aspects of the survey. The data were collected from separate surveys, for administrators and instructors, with a…

The importance of professional development to the success of adult education cannot be emphasized enough. In a field with many part-time educators, and where recruitment and retention of adult educators is an ongoing challenge, professional development plays a critical role in attracting, retaining, and developing teachers, administrators, and…

The benefits of informal mentorship have been robustly documented. This article makes an argument for formalizing mentorship as professional development in the adult education space so as to capture the advantages of informal mentorship for the success of classrooms, programs, organizations, or institutions. It offers examples of two types of…

Through assigning one-on-one instructional coaches, the Teaching Skills That Matter (TSTM) initiative successfully supported teachers in 33 states to integrate the skills that matter into instruction using effective approaches in five topical areas: health literacy, civics education, digital literacy, financial literacy, and workforce preparation.…

Although the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected communities across the globe, it also led to the expansion of digital learning opportunities for all. Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) service providers in Texas utilized this opportunity by creating a Distance Education Professional Development Center (DEPDC). This article discusses how the…

Cognitive biases restrict and even prevent the acceptance of new information, but the introduction of critical thinking may help control bias. The subject is a case study of how educators with adult students use critical thinking to control cognitive bias. The topic of cognitive bias is well researched, with over 150 different types of bias…

Apprenticeship is an internationally recognized model of learning receiving increased attention as it evolves to meet the needs of modern workers, employers, and the labor market. As apprenticeship expands, and new industries explore the model, adult educators are being asked to help develop programs and pathways, write curriculum, serve as…

Collaboration is a practice that many providers say they are doing but rarely do we see it translated into the actual work that staff connected with our learners--our customers--do. Our customers face multiple barriers in their desire to succeed and move forward. Leadership with a focus on creating partnerships to address the multiple barriers of…

Faced with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, California's adult education programs found innovative ways to pivot and continue serving students. With the support of the California Department of Education and its state leadership projects, adult educators embraced new technologies, virtual modes of professional development, and adapted…

Few researchers have empirically investigated online instructional practices within adult basic education. Our aim was to review the available research on the intersection of effective instructional practices for online education "and" effective instructional practices for adult learners. The purpose of this manuscript is to present the…

California leads the nation in advancing equity and integration initiatives. Through the creation and dissemination of professional development specific to equity in California, adult educators are encouraged to work with state and local governments to advocate for policies, regulations, and laws that support immigrant and social justice…

Many adult education providers are developing career pathways (CP) programs, which are viewed as an important workforce development and poverty alleviation strategy in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, by state and local governments, and by private funders. Based on a three-year researcher-practitioner partnership, this paper uses…