This chapter focuses on the use of coaching for adult learners, the specific characteristics adults bring to the learning environment, and strategies for dealing with the obstacles adult learners may face.

This article invokes the spirit of "Sophia" as metaphorical guide for an ongoing reclamation of wisdom spaces and describes a path for educators and practitioners that can assist in the recovery of wisdom in the face of increasing pressures of measurable outcomes within the field of lifelong learning. The authors first examine wisdom…

This chapter examines the cultural influences and applications of women's social capital networks on women's knowledge construction, community development, and autonomy within their cultures and the adult learning context.

This chapter examines the potential for personal growth, development, and learning of older adult women who will have many productive years in the workforce. What implications are there for adult education communities who will interact with these older women? How do they adapt to the educational environment, and what social support will enable…

The example of the formation of a learning community in a Yukon Island retreat center demonstrates the influence of context and the importance of community building. Organic learning occurs through the synthesis of the natural environment, the community, and the learning process. (SK)

Summarizes theme articles on learning communities: place is important, learning content is situated in daily life; knowledge is locally produced; and learning communities may be power structures. (Contains 16 references.) (SK)

Group learning can occur only when individuals become a group by developing an internal group environment. The larger institutional and social environment influences, and is influenced by, the learning group. Both members' and outsiders' perceptions of the group affect its functioning. (SK)

A complete theory of adult learning must take into consideration the learner, learning process, and context. Andragogy, self-directed learning, consciousness, critical theory, feminism, transformational learning, and situated cognition contribute to understanding of this complex phenomenon. (SK)

Continuing educators have several options for practice: (1) being clear about the nature of their business; (2) adopting a holistic approach; (3) building better preprofessional programs; (4) moving to where learning occurs; (5) legitimizing practical knowledge; and (6) addressing contextual influences. (SK)

Discussion boards have the unique capacity to support higher-order constructivist learning and the development of a learning community, This chapter provides ten conditions that support the effective use of an online discussion.

For most reentry women students, development entails a shift from identifying themselves in terms of their psychological surroundings to authoring and authorizing their own identity. Reentry women need both self-direction and supports that promote development. (SK)

As communities develop in cyberspace, distance education facilitators should recognize that, although community cannot be mandated, there are ways to foster a sense of community in distance learning environments: focus on human interaction, learning partnership, regular and consistent feedback, and course-based listservs. (SK)

Learning in cyberspace requires participation, motivation, and self-direction; it can be a transformative experience. The context of online learning has an interactive dimension (situated cognition, reflective practice) and a structural dimension (the impact of sociocultural factors on learning). (Contains 16 references.) (SK)

Three strands of practice and theory--adult learning, women's development, and feminist pedagogy--contribute to development of a learning environment attuned to women's needs. Instead of concentrating on information storage/retrieval, alternative education should focus on requiring fourth-level consciousness: ability to choose how, whether, and…

Notes environmental factors affecting adult learning situations: territoriality, seating arrangements, sightlines, and equipment. A checklist for conducting a space audit includes features inside and outside the classroom. (SK)