Research since 1980 on gender and learning styles of students over age 18 is reviewed for commonalities in theory and research methodology. In addition, a quantitative meta-analysis was undertaken on two measures of learning style and study behavior to determine the direction and magnitude of gender differences in various samples. (Author/MSE)

The results of a survey concerning the learning experiences of 740 university and community college adult students in western Manitoba are analyzed in terms of adult learning theory, and the importance of intellectual maturity as a guiding principle in organizing learning experiences is examined. (MSE)

A study assessed the validity of the hypothesis that offshore drilling personnel would independently study important material if they knew that they would eventually receive formal training on the topic covered in the material. Eighty-one crew members on an offshore drilling rig were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Those in…

A study was conducted to compare adult learning experiences within formal educational programs in rural areas with those in urban areas, predominantly at the postsecondary level. It focused on the phenomenon of adult learning in rural settings by analyzing participation rates, needs assessment data, interest inventories, program evaluations, and…

Three techniques have been found to be helpful in using dramatic techniques to provide motivation, self-confidence, and self-esteem to students of English as a second language at Hostos Community College. Strategic interaction is a technique based on the open-ended scenario, in which students are free to respond to the problem presented in the…

Andragogy has been posited as a theory of adult learning that provides a unifying concept for the practice of adult education. Because the assumptions of andragogy only indirectly adduce the needs of society and do not purport to accommodate the proprietary interests of institutions at all, it would seem that andragogy would not be appropriate as…

Although it is clear that adult education has existed much longer as a field of practice than as a field of study, little research exists to identify the contribution that an understanding of the field of adult education, particularly adult learning and techniques for teaching adult students, makes to the effectiveness of an adult educator. To…

In this chapter, the author explores the overlap between adult literacy programs and community colleges by examining the literacy skills of postsecondary education students, the remedial/developmental programs that serve them, and the effectiveness of these programs and adult basic education in helping students succeed. As he notes, to obtain…

This document is an overview of the projects conducted in England and Wales as part of the European Year of Lifelong Learning. The document begins with an overview of lifelong learning that outlines the United Kingdom's educational attainment targets for the year 2000 and the six strands of the United Kingdom's lifelong learning policy framework…

A study was conducted to examine the characteristics of adult education in rural areas, to determine the differences between adult education in rural and urban settings, and to explore possible barriers which prevent rural residents from seeking further education. The investigator analyzed existing literature on participation rates, needs…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on recruitment and training. "College Choice: The State of Marketing and Effective Student Recruitment Strategies" (Fredrick Muyia Nafukho, Michael F. Burnett) reports on a study of the recruitment strategies used by Louisiana State University's admissions office and College of…

The relationship between adult educators' disciplinary and pedagogic identities was explored through case studies of two adult educators. Both were males. One became an adult educator after spending 15 years as a social worker and social work trainer, and the other became a part-time adult educator after being a chartered surveyor. The former…

This document is designed to introduce practitioners in the United Kingdom's learning and skills sector to the principles and practice of benchmarking. The first section defines benchmarking and differentiates metric, diagnostic, and process benchmarking. The remainder of the booklet details the following steps of the benchmarking process: (1) get…

This document contains summaries of the presentations and discussions that were part of a conference on human resource development (HRD) research and practice across Europe that focused on the theme of creativity and innovation in learning. The document begins with summaries of the following presentations: "Introduction" (Jim Stewart);…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on organizational culture and climate that was conducted as part of a conference on human resource development (HRD). "A Comparative Profile of Workgroup Climate in Different Organizational Settings" (Allan H. Church) reports on a comparative analysis of climate data on more than 5,000…