This study developed an online role-playing history education game with real-person NPCs (Non-Player Characters). The game features real people playing NPC characters, and provides a multi-dimensional scaffolding mechanism with realistic story and historical scenes, allowing learners to engage in strategic planning and problem solving during a…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a period of unprecedented uncertainty, profoundly affecting societies worldwide. Older adults often faced heightened risks of isolation and health complications. As research in the aftermath of the pandemic has sought to understand its multifaceted impacts, there remains a notable gap in examining older…

Mahatma Gandhi famously said that serving others without expecting anything in return is the most meaningful approach to find one's own self. As I volunteered as an ELI (English Language Instruction) teaching assistant and learned more about the distinctive culture of the non-profit interfaith and refugee center community, this remark struck a…

The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has transformed international research and policy debates on the assessment of adult skills. Although research using PIAAC data is accumulating, little is known about how these data are used and what…

This practice-based paper provides a case study of a College of the Future in Wexford. The SOLAS (2020) Future FET: Transforming Learning Strategy created a vision of a College of the Future which is an integrated model where apprenticeship and further education are provided together under one roof. In 2023, Waterford and Wexford Education and…

Purpose: This research was carried out to create a new realistic speech-in-noise test designed to be sensitive to several causes of difficulty understanding speech in noise. The test, conducted under headphones, simulates listening in a typically reverberant classroom. It comprises a frontal target talker speaking high-context sentences and six…

The 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, a product of the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), provides a comprehensive overview of adults' literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem-solving skills -- skills that are fundamental for personal, economic and societal development. These key information processing skills…

Input-based tasks have shown promising outcomes for teaching concrete notions (i.e., vocabulary items and number marking) to beginner students in varied educational contexts, including with second language (L2) adults with little to no schooling experience. However, neither the teaching of more abstract notions nor the learning outcomes generated…

Background: People with intellectual disabilities are rarely involved in end-of-life decisions. This study investigated and further developed approaches and resources to enable inclusive end-of-life care planning. Methods: A multi-centre, multi-method four-phase study, involving 195 researchers, participants, advisors and co-design members,…

Evaluation data helps inform decision-makers about the time, human capital, and funding required for professional learning to be effective. Evaluation data also guides program improvement and sets leaders' expectations for ongoing monitoring and accountability. The complexities of the educational systems in which professional learning happens mean…

This is an Open access book. This work addresses the presence and participation of adults in play with children. Rather than discussing this issue on ideological ground, the international contributions build on empirical data and report research conducted in many different contexts and settings around the world. Responding to the many forms it…

This article explores the framing of youth and adult education (YAE) policies in two Latin American countries, namely Chile and Peru. It takes their participation in PIAAC as a contextual starting point to unravel the problems explicitly or implicitly framed in YAE policies and their root causes, as understood by key policy stakeholders. We found…

Spinal alignment can be assessed without radiation using three-dimensional ultrasound imaging (3DUS). Reliable measurements could inform the ideal arm position for scoliosis radiographs. This study determined the inter-evaluator reliability of axial vertebral rotation (AVR) measurements and sagittal curve angles in healthy females from 3DUS spinal…

The purpose of this study is to understand the ways in which meditation practice can be used as an online pedagogical method based on adult learners' experiences with various forms of meditation practices. To arrive at this purpose, the researcher found it necessary to gather data about frequency of use, preferences, and related transformative…

Remote or online education has progressed learning opportunities for higher education and training. This study reviewed this gap by surveying experienced students considered non-traditional adult learners and examining their satisfaction regarding adult learning theory. Using surveys and interviews, this qualitative research study consulted a…