Adult students have different backgrounds, knowledge, experiences, abilities, interests, and learning needs. Hence, teaching all learners the same way is not the most effective. Individual differences should be considered. Exposing a whole class to one set of content, exercises, and assessment activities is unrealistic. In other words, to learn…

Adult student transition programs (also known as 18+ programs, 18-21 programs, adult transition programs, and community transition programs) are educational programs that provide instruction in age-appropriate community environments to adult students who have met the state credit and assessment guidelines for graduation but who still require…

This monograph focuses on adult education programs and (1) why needs assessment is necessary, (2) how to assess needs, (3) how to assess the needs of special groups, and (4) how to assess program needs. In the first of four sections the administrator's role is described, and the term "needs" is defined. Models are proposed for individual and…

This paper is a research proposal for the development of a process model which addresses several of the fundamental questions involved in the community needs assessment process used as a prelude to program development by the community adult education program planner. The questions of what information should be gathered, where this information is…

Monette divides the definitions of needs into four categories. Basic needs are caused by a deficiency and lead to gratification-seeking behavior. Felt needs are self-defined wants or desires which, when expressed, suggest an unmet need and a means of gratification or imply ultimate goals. A normative need refers to a deficiency between the present…

This guide is intended to assist in identifying the nature and extent of learning needs within the community and determining program priorities consistent with those needs. It is designed specifically for developing Community Instructional Services, a Florida program that addresses the in-life learning needs of adult citizens that are…

Because General Educational Development (GED) graduates in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, were in need of an association to encourage their further educational development and enhance their newly established feelings of self-worth, an alumni association was formed. Within this peer group, alumni vented frustrations, obtained special training,…

A model program was developed to find ways to bring illiterate and undereducated adults into Massachusetts adult education programs. Prospective program clients (young adults) who will be identified by such organizations and agencies as schools, courts, welfare offices, and veterans and civic groups will be contacted by outreach workers to…

The Work Again Project entailed development and implementation of a center to place adults aged 58 and above into a variety of paid and volunteer positions, investigation of the effect of such placement on the self-image of participants, and education of the community as to the working needs of older adults. A project staff consisting of five…

Three papers discuss the needs, interests, and participation of adults in learning activities. Generally, the papers deal with influences upon the possible demand for lifelong learning in the future. In the first paper K. Patricia Cross synthesizes findings from thirty-one state and national studies concerning the patterns of participation and…

This document describes the development of the Eldercollege program at Iowa State University and the demonstration program in spring 1979 and also contains various program materials as appendixes. The narrative portion begins by focusing on the assessment of college-level education needs for older and retired persons in central Iowa, one of the…

This manual describes three instruments that can be used to inventory elements related to adult education and career development: (1) the Adult Education Program Survey, which is designed to examine the concerns of adult learners in the community regarding their prospective participation in adult education; (2) the Inventory of Community…

The result of a study on adult literacy undertaken by World Education, this book places the educational problem of adult literacy into the larger context of a changing society and offers a fresh perspective and a new way of thinking about the phenomenon. After defining functional literacy as the possession of skills perceived by particular persons…

Adult education programs should be based on the intelligent application of information gained from studies investigating adult motivation and participation in other programs. The paper consists of a selected review of the literature on motivation and participation in adult education. Insights and conclusions drawn from these studies are offered as…

This monograph for community educators is intended to provide a basic background in adult education and some of the basic principles of adult learning that will assist in development of more effective adult education programs. Section 1 focuses on the role of adult education, especially lifelong learning, and the community educator's role in adult…