Using web-based bulletin boards in classes elicited enthusiastic responses from 109 graduate education students. They felt it enhanced learning, created a greater sense of community and encouraged participation through its use. Some negative aspects of web-based conferencing (need for self-direction and technological literacy, lack of spontaneity…

Used an innovative benchmarking research methodology including surveys and site visits to identify best practices at selected adult-centered institutions. Distilled findings into one overarching theme, "Adult learner centered institutions have a culture in which flexibility, individuation, and adult-centered learning drive institutional practice,"…

An art center for people recovering from mental illness offered a course designed to prepare them for formal art education. A collaboration between an adult education service and the center, the course focused on changing attitudes, self-image, and self-confidence. (SK)

At McMaster University, an increasingly older and well-qualified pool of nursing applicants can complete Year-One requirements in an eight-week summer program. Students are highly enthusiastic and appreciative of the cost savings. Faculty perceive student benefits, but their summer teaching load is heavy. (SK)

Explores the support needs of one dyslexic trainee teacher. She was enabled to pursue her degree and succeed in her training as a result of the support she received from both the university's specialist dyslexia unit and her academic tutor. Examines this success from the perspectives of the student herself, her class tutor and the dyslexia support…

A small-scale project matched 16 new students in the Open University with student mentors. The value of the experience was immeasurable for some. Implementing it on a wider scale might be cost effective in terms of adult student retention. (SK)

A literature review summarizes research on the demography, development, and persistence of nontraditional adult students in higher education. Educational strategies are recommended: developing nontraditional communities on campus, providing appropriate counseling and orientation, training staff to be aware of student backgrounds and needs, and…

Eight adult students who completed experiential learning portfolios reported a marked increase in self-knowledge, greater recognition of the value of learning through work and mentors, improved communication and organization skills, and greater appreciation for the role of reflection. (Contains 73 references.) (SK)

Points out ways in which recordkeeping and methods of counting participants in adult education can be misleading and disempowering. Highlights lack of agreement over definitions of terms, ways in which information is used to allocate funding, and privacy and confidentiality issues. (SK)

A compulsory continuing education program for human services providers began with establishment of learning objectives and measurement of their achievement by pretests/posttests. The data were used by providers to improve courses and by learners to plan future training needs. (SK)

Describes the Linking Individuals to New Careers (LINC) program at Great Plains Technology Center, part of a state network that moves welfare recipients out of poverty through career and technical education. Discusses LINC workshops on job preparation. (JOW)

Interviews and observations of four adult literacy students elicited their experiences with computers and effects of computer use on learning. They found computer-assisted learning challenging and motivating; it enabled them to control their learning experience. However, they may not have access outside the classroom that would enable future…

Adult learners have limited power, privilege, and advocacy in higher education settings. Adult educators should resist hegemonic policies and develop practices grounded in democratic principles. (Contains 35 references.) (SK)

A study of 15 graduate students in distance education applied a transition model charting changes in their coping responses throughout the program and assessed their perceptions of institutional support. Coping moved slowly from stress management to problem solving. Ability to cope was related to perceptions that the institution acknowledged their…

The goal of a successful future may be the same for deaf and hard-of-hearing students as it is for hearing students, but the path they travel to reach that goal has some additional obstacles. In this article, Marles Bradley, an educator with years of experience offers advice and guidance to others who find themselves working with deaf or…