Members of a subgroup of the European Training Foundation's Advisory Forum were surveyed regarding their perceptions of problems and priorities relating to initial and inservice vocational teacher and trainer training and innovation in the European Union (EU). Advisory Forum members from 10 EU countries completed the questionnaire. Priorities…

Contextual learning is rooted in a constructivist approach to teaching and learning. According to constructivist theory, individuals learn by constructing meaning through interacting with and interpreting their environments. Current perspectives on what it means for learning to be contextualized include the following: situated cognition, social…

This symposium on learning organization consists of three presentations. "Perception of Learning Culture and Concerns About the Innovation on Use of Innovation: A Question of Level of Analysis" (Rebecca Fatima Sta. Maria, Karen E. Watkins) reports a study of the relationship between organizational members' perception of learning culture…

This document contains four papers concerning collegiate aviation research and education solutions to critical safety issues. "Panel Proposal Titled Collegiate Aviation Research and Education Solutions to Critical Safety Issues for the Tim Forte Collegiate Aviation Safety Symposium" (Brent Bowen) presents proposals for panels on the…

A study evaluated the impact of Farmer Field Schools in Indonesia, an intensive participatory training program emphasizing integrated pest management. Focus was on whether program participation improved yields and reduced pesticide use among graduates and neighbors who gained knowledge through informal communications. It used a modified…

The roles of spirituality and spiritual learning in transformative learning are discussed. The discussion was initiated from an anti-colonial perspective on engaging spiritually in the political project of transformative learning, and it is grounded in issues of African education and in the principle of teaching critically so that education serves…

The objectives of adult civic education were examined, and recommendations for its effective practice were offered to educators. The following purposes of adult civic education were discussed: inform learners of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship; explain how citizens participate in building a society by making informed decisions; and…

This document contains outlines of 14 presentations at a roundtable discussion on theory, policy, and practice in lifelong learning that was held during a conference on human resource development (HRD) research and practice across Europe. Outlines of the following presentations and discussions are included: "Discourses on HRD and Lifelong…

The concept of organizational culture has been central to the development of concepts, such as the learning organization and organizational learning, which are important within the field of adult education. However, the functionalist models of organizational culture, which have often relied on ethnographic and/or anecdotal studies of organizations…

In order for learning providers to become learning organizations, their services must be delivered effectively. The Learning PROBE (Promoting Business Excellence) was created for the learning and skills sector and was in use by nearly 100 colleges and work-based learning (WBL) providers by April 2003. PROBE has assisted 3000 organizations across…

Program and professional development staff in adult education currently employ a variety of strategies to select professional development materials, but generally lack a systematic selection approach. Selections are often based on familiarity rather than quality or how well-suited the materials are to the learning goals of instructors and the…

To benefit from the support of public and private sector leaders and to ensure that all students receive effective services, the adult education system must identify program models that have empirical evidence to support claims of effectiveness. The U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences defines evidence-based education as…

In a series of mathematics education workshops in which teachers from adult basic education and vocational education worked together to design teaching situations on particular contents in mathematics in order to make explicit and bring into reflection the teaching strategies used by each group. The workshops constituted a common space of…

This document explains how agencies serving recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) can use videoconferencing as a tool for welfare and work force reform. The document begins with a brief overview of how videoconferencing and other communications technologies can be used in designing and delivering welfare and work force…

The four issues of this newsletters are designed to promote the effective dissemination and utilization of disability research outcomes. The first two newsletters include parts 1 and 2 of "Disability, Diversity and Dissemination: A Review of the Literature on Topics Related to Increasing the Utilization of Rehabilitation Research Outcomes…