This report is the third in a series published by the IDEAL (Impact of Distance Education on Adult Learning) project. The IDEAL project ran from October 2013 to September 2015 with financial support from the EU Lifelong Learning Programme. The project aims to: (1) offer insights on the needs of adult learners to both policymakers and distance…

As I approach my thoughts on faith and the adult learning I will concentrate my deliberations on faith, spirituality and dissonance, and the adult learner as reported in in-person dialogs selected from four studies (Shirk, 1990, 1998, 2005). Consideration will be given to the sociopsychological aspects of and the costs and benefits related to…

My interviews in this study are a continuation of research into adult learning (Shirk, 1984, 1986, 1996. 1998). Based on personal interviews with 198 respondents, I attempted to portray the states of mind most adults face when learning something new. Now, in these twenty-nine interviews, I continue that process, focusing more intently, however, on…

This document is the interview schedule which was used to collect the data reported in "The Adult's Learning Projects" (see note), a research study conducted to determine the basic characteristics of learning projects in several adult and youth populations. The document consists of the following: six pages of script for the interviewer…

This report provides data on programs for adults in public library outlets, based on a survey conducted in Fall 2000 by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education (ED). The results are based on questionnaire data for 954 public library outlets in the United States. Responses were weighted to produce national…

The Self-Knowledge Inventory of Lifelong Learning Strategies (SKILLS) was developed to measure adult learning strategies in real-life learning situations. SKILLS consists of a series of 12 scenarios from real-world situations that reflect Shirk's (1990) nine general categories of learning for real-life situations and that necessitate various types…

This paper on adult informal learning is divided into four sections. Section 1 examines different conceptions of informal learning and the issues and limitations associated with alternative definitions of informal learning. Section 2 is a review of empirical research on the estimated extent, role, and outcomes of informal learning and posited…

This study of social capital employs data from the Longitudinal Study of Adult Learning (LSAL), funded by the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) and conducted at Portland State University to increase understanding of the learning process of adults with limited formal education. It provides longitudinal data on…

The use of learning technologies in the workplace and their impact on lifelong learning were examined. Data were collected from three sources: the literature on learning technologies and labor market trends affecting the adoption, implementation, and success of learning technologies in the workplace; case studies of 8 Canadian firms with 100 or…

Participation in sport or fitness activities in Great Britain was examined through a survey of more than 6,000 adults throughout Great Britain. As of April 2001, 35% of adults surveyed were currently participating in sport or fitness activities. Those most likely to participate in sport or fitness activities were male, young, in high social…

This book contains 10 papers based on a data set from the 1994 International Adult Literacy Survey, which collected data from more than 20,000 individual respondents in samples representative of the adult populations in 6 countries: Canada, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. The papers are: "Foreword"…

A three-year national study of adult museum programs used a qualitative research approach and naturalistic inquiry and interviewed 508 museum program participants, 75 instructors, and 143 museum program planners in all types and sizes of museums, including art institutes, natural and cultural historical museums, science centers, historic houses,…

This document, which was developed for the orientation component of the adult education program at New River Community College in Virginia, contains lessons, forms, and other materials intended to assist teachers looking for orientation ideas that are clear, attractive, and easy to use and that integrate the goals of Virginia's Equipped for the…

Trends in using computer technology for career development and human resources development in companies in the United States and worldwide were reviewed, and the possibilities of adapting the latest advances in digital technology-based training delivery systems in school-based contexts were explored. A model was proposed that entailed having chief…

The extent to which vocational education and training policy is nurturing lifelong learning in Finland was examined. The analysis focused on the following issues: the political and structural framework of education in Finland; mechanisms supporting lifelong learning; and pedagogical solutions and learning environments facilitating lifelong…