Despite its continuing popularity as both a practical and theoretical basis upon which to ground pedagogical practice, experiential learning is nonetheless recognised as a difficult concept to "pin down." One serious attempt to schematise and systematise the specific components of the learning process has been made, however. Jarvis's model…

This paper represents the text of a presentation given by the author during a panel discussion on "Paving the Way towards CONFINTEA VI: Balance and Challenges on the Side of Civil Society," in Montevideo in June 2006. The author argues that adult learning, instead of inciting general interest and concern, tends to be forgotten in public…

Emotion-laden images that arise within adult learning provide a symbolic language for helping teachers and learners understand and facilitate transformation at both the individual and group levels.

National attention to a possible superintendent shortage has created concern about the changing nature of the superintendency, particularly new challenges, and how superintendents are prepared. Through 23 focus group interviews, superintendents across the country described the challenges they faced when new, how these have changed in recent years,…

As the population of older adults increases, the field of adult education needs to respond accordingly. The study reported in this paper examined motivations for learning among older adults actively engaged in formal lifelong learning. One hundred eighty-nine members of a Learning in Retirement institute were surveyed using Boshier's Education…

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have changed many aspects of the society in which one lives. The initial impact was centered on the workplace, but subsequent effects have begun to transform communication, leisure, entertainment, information, education and training. Given the transformational impact ICT has had on many aspects of…

People are used to hearing about the rapid pace of technological and organisational change and the fact that there is no longer such a thing as a job for life. It is not so long ago that the main, if not the sole, focus of a person's career was on initial education and training. Too many professionals were lulled into believing that their first…

In the November issue of "Adults Learning," Kathryn Ecclestone questioned whether developing self-esteem and emotional well-being were progressive roles for educators. Her article provoked a good deal of reaction, including responses from Allen Parrott and Terry Hyland. In this article, Ecclestone debates the issues raised in her article with…

How does one count the most organic and authentic moments where an adult educator helped facilitate a learner's epiphany? One minute all the letters on the blackboard seemed jumbled and the words were unidentifiable, and then suddenly, with a blink of an eye, all of the letters now make words that have meaning and enter the mind to make deeper…

A greater acknowledgment of relational interdependence between individual and social agencies is warranted within conceptions of learning throughout working life. Currently, some accounts of learning tend to overly privilege social agency in the form of situational contributions. This de-emphasises the contributions of the more widely socially…

In this article, I describe the personal challenges encountered in making the transition from a long career in management to teaching. Through this experience, I came to construct my own meaning of student centeredness, learning to examine many of my assumptions about teaching and students. Drawing from my experience and the literature on adult…

Details how a high technology "pod" is being used to bring online learning into small and medium size firms in the UK's East Midlands for employees to use when and where it suits them. Describes how the so-called "Learning Works" project has been made possible through the partnership and support of organizations ranging from…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to differentiate effects of phonotactic probability, the likelihood of occurrence of a sound sequence, and neighborhood density, the number of words that sound similar to a given word, on adult word learning. A second purpose was to determine what aspect of word learning (viz., triggering learning, formation…

This training guide was created by the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) to help connect research and practice in the field of adult education and family literacy. A Health and Adult Literacy and Learning (HALL)/NCSALL Health Literacy Study Circle+ is a professional development activity for adult basic education…

Primary health care nurses are frequently overlooked when delivering services to children with developmental disabilities, despite the fact that they are often the first contact many primary caregivers have with rehabilitation professionals and usually remain the bridge between caregivers and professionals. A time series one group design with…