Critical pedagogy in the UK has traditionally been practised in the Lifelong Learning sector. However, the sector has become constrained by funding cuts, instrumental curricula and accountability measures, and teachers can feel that they have little room for professional autonomy and therefore the practice of critical pedagogy. Yet some do…

Laclau and Mouffe have long argued the democratic possibilities of 'left populism' underpinned by their agonistic critique of liberal democracy. We are currently witnessing the attempted application of their theories by European political parties. However, there remains very little international scholarship taking up the challenge of situating…

How can social media help transform a student's learning experience and promote active engagement with learning content and peers? "Social Media for Active Learning" helps instructors achieve this goal. Many people use social media in their everyday lives, seeking information and informal learning opportunities via their online networks.…

The American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) is dedicated to the belief that lifelong learning contributes to human fulfillment and positive social change. The mission of the AAACE is to provide leadership for the field of adult and continuing education by expanding opportunities for adult growth and development; unifying…

Based on a model developed by Brookfield (1995), a deliberately reflective approach is taken in this paper to the relationship between the author's earlier work in a department of adult education and her current teaching on a course for new university lecturers. As increasing numbers of mature students are being encouraged into universities, she…

Since the role of the adult educator has become so widely accepted as that of facilitator of learning rather than of content-transmitter, educators of adults should enhance their facilitating skills. An important concept for adult education then is self-directed learning, in which the learner plays the central role. The need for self-directed…

Presents an integrated generalized model of education, called Holistic Education, which the author feels is equally relevant to all adult educators regardless of their area of specialization. The author describes those characteristics which distinguish the Holistic Education model from other approaches. (CT)

Popular misconceptions about creativity include the following: it is limited to a few unique individuals, it declines seriously with age, and it is associated with uniqueness or innovation. As the focus of creativity research has shifted from examination of the personality traits of creative individuals to examination of the social and…

The author comments on the theory of adult education as a scientific discipline and the establishment of a special academic discipline in the university for teaching and doing research in adult education. Focus is on the interrelationships between the fields investigating adult and youth education. (MF)

Most instructors of adults continue to use pedagogical models devised for teaching children, adolescents, or college students. Instructors must be prepared to meet the special demands and needs of adult learners. Five recommendations for stimulating research in this area of teacher education are given. (PP)

Addressed to politicians and policy makers who allocate resources among competing programs of education and extension, practitioners who make day-to-day program decisions, and the scholarly community, this document on trends and issues in adult education around the globe consists of 14 chapters, each with notes and references. The purpose,…

In this age of rapid technological and economic change, life-long learning is becoming a way of life. The average age of students will become greater. Participation in learning activities by learners 18 and over increased from 38 percent in 1991 to 50 percent in 1999 (U.S. Department of Education, NCES, 1999). As the population seeks more…

Two articles are presented relevant to media and adult learning. In the first article, "The Pedagogy of Communication: Conscientization through Mass Media," David G. Gueulette sets forth ideas derived from Freire's theory of literacy training and suggests means by which effective teaching strategies can be developed through popular mass…

This learning packet consists of a leader's guide and handout materials, for conducting inservice workshops on adult learning for adult educators. Twelve modules are included in the binder. Each of these modules is a separate workshop training activity, most of which will take no more than one hour to conduct. Each of the modules includes a…

This collection of readings was compiled to provide background information on adult education in Australia, as well as to indicate future aims. The papers discuss goals in adult education; the government's part in adult education; and institutionalizing adult education in universities and in other bodies. Institutions that offer adult education…