Broad changes in the academic culture and the curriculum since the 1960s are reviewed, and the need is emphasized for a re-formation of the curriculum to bring the student back into focus and to rebuild the humanities. (MSE)

Increases in the number of older students are prompting some colleges to reconsider the purpose of undergraduate liberal education and adjust curricula and teaching methods to accommodate the more eager, active learners. Adult students may be more directly motivated by rising job requirements and a readiness for liberal arts. (MSE)

The problem of adult illiteracy in Canada is now accepted as socially significant, whether defined in terms of numbers, impact on the economy, or implications for the future. A reasonable estimate would be that one in five Canadian adults has a severe enough problem with reading, writing, or arithmetic that his or her functioning in society is to…

In a second edition, this book reports on the Aquinas College, a Catholic, coeducational, liberal arts college in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The original text on the steps taken by the college to remain viable during the difficult circumstances of the seventies is supplemented by an epilogue in which the results of the Aquinas College reassessment of…

This review of academic programming considers changes that have occurred as a reaction to real or perceived shifts in institutional and social conditions and values, program design, and program approval, review, and evaluation. Among the conditions influencing programming decisions in the late 1970s are open-access policies, affirmative-action…

There are more than 60 million U. S. adults who lack a high school diploma. Their employability is decreasing, due to the upswing in white collar occupations. Also, they are often barred from the skilled and unskilled labor market; on-the-job training is increasingly academic; General Educational Development (GED) examinations are rigorous and the…

"Focus on Basics" is the quarterly publication of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. It presents best practices, current research on adult learning and literacy, and how research is used by adult basic education teachers, counselors, program administrators, and policymakers. "Focus on Basics" is…

This manual is designed to help further education colleges in the United Kingdom devise strategies to meet adult learners' needs. The opening section identifies the demographic and labor market changes that necessitate service to adult learners. Key characteristics of effective college programs for adults are highlighted: institutional…

While technology has for many years been a critical component in programs for adults and calls to mind sophisticated gadgetry with expensive price tags, it is often the nexus where technology and humans intersect that proves most critical to the success and quality of adult degree programs.

Trends in projects to improve women's education submitted to and supported by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (Fund) from 1976-78 are analyzed, and comparisons with experiences by the Fund from 1973-75 are made. The majority of Fund grants remain geared to serving adult women students, enhancing the career aspirations of…

Papers from the 1979 conference of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia, whose theme was the promotion of higher education research and development, are presented. Specific topics were staff development in higher education, field experience, assessment and evaluation, teaching methods and curriculum design, and the…

The growing number of youth enrolling in adult literacy education is a little-documented trend across the nation that is having a major impact on programs in some areas but appears to be unnoticed by educational policymakers and researchers. A central question is whether youth enrollments provide an opportunity for adult literacy education to…

To support schools and colleges across England in implementing Curriculum 2000, England's Learning and Skills Development Agency worked with more than 40 schools and sixth form and further education (FE) colleges to identify the challenges institutions will likely face when preparing for the second year of advanced-level Curriculum 2000 programs…

It is increasingly necessary to encourage lifelong learning in order to keep pace with the Information Age. As learners increasingly take charge of their own learning, however, they will require support to enable them to achieve their goals--and a variety of learning opportunities will need to be created. Learners' interests, imagination, and…

Demographic and institutional factors responsible for the large variations of student retention and achievement at further education (FE) colleges throughout the United Kingdom were examined. Data from individualized student records were analyzed, and 10 FE colleges identified as serving areas of deprivation were visited to assess the extent to…