Discusses and reviews eight recent books for parents and teachers, focusing on books that deal with inquiry, reading and writing and classroom settings, critical discovery, and the joy of learning. (SR)

Case study of two community centers through observation, interviews, and questionnaires used Candy's domains of self-directed learning (SDL). Results revealed the potential of community learning, raised questions about the domains and the nature of SDL, challenged the humanist perspective of the autonomous unified self, and suggested the…

A survey of 1,867 Hong Kong adults aged 45-59 found that 38% were interested in formal learning after retirement. Lack of interest or time was the most common reason for no intention to participate in later-life learning. Later-life learning was positively related to education, income, and retirement funds. (Contains 35 references.) (SK)

This essay is about rediscovery and renewal of a paradigm that is deeply rooted in spiritual traditions and the courage needed to reclaim its wisdom and power. "Spirit" refers to the quality that vitalizes individuals to venture beyond self-definition. (JOW)

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of teaching students the use of specific learning and motivation strategies and substrategies to meet the cognitive and motivational demands of college. Findings indicate that training in learning and motivation strategy use contributed to GPA improvement. (Contains 17 references.) (GCP)

Interviews with 20 adult Wiccans explored why they undertook learning that will marginalize them. The Wiccan learning process reflected elements of socially acceptable learning. They were motivated by intense curiosity and the search for meaning; they undertook self-directed exploratory study, focused formal learning, experiential learning,…

Asserts that the problems of struggling university students are neither entirely technical, as suggested by traditionalists, nor entirely social/structural, as suggested by postmodernists. Suggests that these students need an alternative epistemological view, one that enables them to see themselves as creators of personal knowledge rather than as…

Three groups of strategies for overcoming trainee resistance are (1) preventing (distracting, assuming a "one-down" position, baiting, preempting, linking); (2) circumventing (refraining, disengaging); and (3) using resistance (treating it as substantive agreement). (SK)

Specifies language acquisition processes in terms of brain mechanisms to explain the variable success achieved by early and late learners and proposes a brain-based model for language acquisition on the basis of the literature. Two conditions for full acquisition of a language are motivation and grammatical ability. The neural underpinnings for…

Survey of 90 participants in a residential summer school and interviews with 13 aged 62-90 revealed diverse life experiences that correlated with multiple meanings and motivations for educational activity. Low participation of the elderly was associated with early negative experiences. Educational outcomes for older adults did not lend themselves…

This study examines the relationships between four dimensions of the epistemological beliefs of college students (fixed ability, simple knowledge, quick learning, certain knowledge) and eight skill components of self-regulated learning. In general, students with more sophisticated beliefs were more likely to be engaged in a variety of…

Explains the use of instant lessons to quickly create an instructional module. Highlights include content for each type of knowledge needed; what makes a lesson complete; how to develop lesson elements, including motivation; and how to effectively combine lesson elements. (LRW)

A literature review on motivation and cognitive style and a survey of participants in management development suggests that participants' motivation may not be conducive to effective outcomes. In-house programs using workplace learning models in organizations with strong and pervasive cultures may constrain opportunities to put learning into…

Two projects attempted to assess and meet small and medium-sized enterprises' training needs. Britain's Learning support for Small Businesses delivery methods included paper, CD-ROM, and the Internet. The University of Limerick, Ireland, offered face-to-face learning for microenterprises. (SK)

Young British adults (n=47) identified situations for which they needed basic skills and barriers to skill development: low self-confidence, negative learning attitudes, peer pressure, cost, and scheduling. Results suggested the importance of grounding basic skills in everyday contexts; offering accessible classes, small groups, and individual…