Attendance at conferences provides opportunities for developing listening, notetaking, and questioning skills as well as confidence and self-esteem. Planning conferences provides other experiential learning through such roles as entrepreneur, administrator, troubleshooter, and organizer. (SK)

Heuristic research is a highly autobiographical investigation of one's experience with a question or problem. This article examines the basic concepts and processes of heuristic research (in adult education), including self-dialog, tacit knowing, inverted perspective, intuition, indwelling, and focusing. Heuristic research design phases involve…

Cooperative extension agents in four areas (agriculture, 4-H/youth, family living, county directors) completed Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (n=211) to identify learning style preferences to develop the best ways to present state-level inservice education. (SK)

Effective learning environments for older learners should (1) be based on constructivist principles; (2) recognize adults' attachment to their world view; (3) realize they are accustomed to setting priorities; (4) involve facilitating and coaching; and (5) introduce newer teaching-learning methods. (SK)

ExecutiveLink(TM) is a learning community of farm businesses engaged in nonformal education. Social capital is developed through shared language and experiences, the building of trust, self-development, and identification with the community. (SK)

An action research project sought to create a learning culture in a hospital. Adult learning principles and facilitation of learning at and from work were emphasized. Although the hospital's top-down management eventually ended the project, active staff participation in learning was begun. (SK)

Constructivism is congruent with adult learning theory and has potential for self-directed learning and development of metacognitive skills. Nursing education within a constructivist framework can help nurses develop into experienced practitioners by tapping their knowledge base from life experience. (SK)

Lists resources on African-American adult education in three categories: 12 in history, 6 in philosophy, and 8 in adult learning and development. Suggests using the sources to provide culturally grounded African-American perspectives in adult education. (SK)

Examines differences among types of critical reflection, the role of critical reflection of assumption (CRA) in the transformative theory of adult learning, and philosophical foundations of CRA. (SK)

Women participating in a management development program (n=25) and 19 of their mentors identified the dynamics of the mentor relationship and positive/negative outcomes. A conceptual framework for mentoring was developed, including statement of objectives and processes of selection/orientation, goals/tracking, networking, and closure. (SK)

A British project to develop a learning community had to overcome challenges of trust, lack of participation by young men, and the tendency to be led by funding. Project lessons include the following: community learning is community development; providers are co-learners; and information technology is an inspirer and an equalizer. (SK)

From a literature review, the following principles for facilitating adult learning in continuing education were derived: (1) promote positive relationships; (2) gain learners' attention; (3) ensure that content is relevant; (4) provide support and challenge; and (5) ensure learner satisfaction. (Contains 55 references.) (SK)

Presents three perspectives on power in an adult education course--learner, teacher, and manager--that illustrate how, regardless of role, each holds multiple positions in power relationships. Discusses power issues in terms of democratic teaching practices, language, and culture. (SK)

Compared the effects of fluency training, a component of precision teaching, versus training to accuracy on the acquisition and retention of a composite skill. Results show that for skilled adult learners, fluency training can aid the acquisition and retention for both the component and composite skills. (Contains 52 references.) (Author/LRW)

Social learning involves action, reflection, cooperation, and communication. The collective efforts of partners in social learning depend on the roles they play and on the intertwined issues of creativity, power, and responsibility. (Contains 39 references.) (SK)