Over a three-year period, from 1971 to 1973, a series of three experimental intensive language sessions was held in Malta for university professors and researchers who wanted to improve their knowledge of English as a second language. Each session consisted of from 20 to 30 participants and lasted 2 weeks. The general objectives of these courses…

As one of the technical reports resulting from a study of postsecondary alternatives in California, this report proposes that the state give serious consideration to the provision of a variety of noninstructional services to adults in the state, based only on people's interests and needs. These services include: diagnostic counseling; educational…

The Swedish policy that work experience can be used as a substitute for formal academic entrance requirements for higher education is assessed. The social and economic background of introducing work experience in higher education policy is described, and the significance of work experience to enrollment patterns and for the form and content of…

Designed specifically for adult students in continuing studies, the sequence of core courses described in this paper reflects an interdisciplinary approach to humanities instruction that places the writing process within the broader context of critical thinking and liberal arts core instruction. The paper describes two course levels: the one entry…

Teaching English as a second language (ESL) to competencies requires that the instructional focus be on functional competencies and life-coping skills while developing the spoken and/or written English structures necessary to perform these skills. A step-by-step approach to develop and implement a competency-based approach to ESL for adults is…

This guide is intended for Adult Basic Education (ABE) practitioners, specifically Texas ABE cooperative directors, who wish to increase recruitment and attendance among undereducated older adults. General information may be used for all older adults, but two age categories (age 45-64 and age 65 and older) are distinguished in instances seemingly…

This paper presents a personal approach to the special pedagogical requirements of teaching writing courses for elders and specifically examines courses in poetry writing, expository prose, and prose fiction, taught to persons over 55 under the auspices of the Institute of Lifetime Learning, a nonprofit, self-supporting institution associated with…

This volume reviews literature and current practices in both the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) and adult education that are pertinent to development and implementation of a PSI program for nontraditional adult learners. Chapter 2 provides a review of literature and current practices of PSI, especially that research providing evidence of…

This module on characteristics of adults as learners is the ninth of 11 modules in the set, Introduction to Teaching Adults. Designed to meet the learning needs of part-time continuing education instructors, these modules can be used as resource materials for local workshops or study-discussion groups, as self-instruction (each module takes…

This report provides a synthesis of the major findings and implications from the full two-phase statewide study to determine the perceived needs of present and potential adult learners in New York State. Chapter 1 briefly overviews the study. Chapter 2 presents survey information about adult learning interests and discusses it in relation to its…

Designed for college instructors and administrators, this 14-chapter monograph discusses the education of adult learners who are returning to school and working toward undergraduate or advanced degrees. Chapter I examines the number of adults who are returning to college, trends since 1945, and the information sources used in preparing the…

The Community College of Vermont (CCV), which was established in 1970, is described. CCF is a community-based, competency-based college without a campus directed primarily to adults who previously have found access to postsecondary education to be difficult. Classes are offered in various types of locations in the community, and instructors are…

A model to describe how adults work on university courses at a distance from campus was developed at an Australian university. The model was designed to describe how students define the task/goal and plan their study, based on G. Ploya's (1957) Heuristic and A. Newell's and H. A. Simon's (1972) General Problem Solver. Verbal reports were obtained…

Trends in college enrollment patterns, along with reference to the historical development of the university, are considered, and the university's response to population shifts and the role of life-span development in that response are addressed. It is proposed that the response of higher education to declining number of youth should not be simple…

The effectiveness of open admissions and delivery of educational services at a distance in serving adult learners enrolled at Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada, was studied in 1979-80 through an analysis of demographic and geographic information on 2,491 students. Information was gathered on the following characteristics: sex, age, number of…