Learning to be literate involves understanding unequal power relations that privilege some literacy practices over others. A deficit model associates literacy with skills and motivation, emphasizes standardized literacy accomplishments, and prescribes outcomes. These practices discount the validity of individuals' definitions of and uses for…

The extent to which practitioner inquiry groups function as democratic learning communities depends on how facilitators negotiate power relations. Negotiation issues include social, organizational, and group identity as well as the public identity of practitioner inquiry. (Contains 24 references.) (SK)

Develops a framework listing ways to create learner connections that includes (1) formative processes initiated by the institute or the learner; (2) aspects of connected learning (curriculum, program design, interpersonal and individual elements); and (3) outcomes (learning, growth and development, institutional). (Contains 54 references.) (SK)

Discussion of online learning focuses on a study that was conducted among adult learners to investigate learners' interaction with online communities. Highlights include the concept of community; online learning communities; the importance of meeting face to face; building and maintaining community; and implications for future research. (LRW)

A survey of Georgia physical therapists received responses from 74.7 percent. Results identified the following motivations for continuing education: knowledge, meeting licensure requirements, and advancing in the present job. (SK)

Three popular theories of adult learning have not been fully exploited: (1) Cross' Chain-of-Response Model; (2) Knox's proficiency theory; and (3) McCluskey's Theory of Margin. (SK)

Adult education research and theory largely ignore or neglect the relationship between spiritual values and adult education. Individual spirituality and spiritual tradition influence adult learners' participation, interpretation, motivation, and success. (SK)

Summarizes themes of this issue on the Internet and adult learning. Discerns new directions as more adults gain access, technology improves, and learning systems become more distributed. (SK)

Use of videotapes and questions from a trained inquirer can help reduce memory distortion that can occur in reflection. The Interpersonal Process Recall approach increases the reliability of memory and the exploration of events in depth when ambiguous interpersonal interactions are involved. (Contains 29 references.) (SK)

Andragogy and self-directed learning were early attempts to define adult education as a unique field of practice. Both have been criticized for focusing on individual learners while ignoring sociohistorical context. Both continue to contribute to adult education theory and practice. (Contains 44 references.) (SK)

This summative chapter reviews the models and theories of adult development discussed in this issue. Adult educators are challenged to see what has been less visible, hear what has not been heard, and think creatively about the connection between development and learning. (SK)

The following is a summary of the authors five-stage model of adult skill acquisition, developed in collaboration with Hubert L. Dreyfus. An earlier version of this article appeared in chapter 1 of "Mind Over Machine: The Power of Human Intuition and Expertise in the Era of the Computer" (1986, Free Press, New York).

This brief examines the research on learner interaction and summarizes the positive effects of classroom interaction on language learning. The brief also describes areas of focus for teachers who want to promote successful language learning interactions, provides examples of activities that can be used to structure and enhance classroom…

The Breaking Through (BT) initiative of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation seeks to prepare low-skilled adults, adult learners who are below college-level in reading, writing and/or mathematics, often lacking a high school diploma, and frequently low-income, to be successful in college and the labor market by strengthening and expanding policies…

The application of Communities of Practice (CofP) can potentially serve as an effective learning strategy for higher education classrooms by contributing to student professional development while fostering a desire for life-long learning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to assess the effectiveness of this learning strategy and help…