Mature students may experience dislocation from familiar circumstances, vulnerability, or overconfidence. Some learn nothing from experience or simply enjoy the experience of learning. Humility to learn and the excitement of new learning are needed by both learners and educators. (SK)

Finds that the majority of surveyed adult students taking a class in the three-weekend intensive format were happy with the overall format. Notes how employer reimbursement, gender, and extrinsically-oriented versus intrinsically-oriented motivation affect student satisfaction in this class format. (SR)

In interviews with 38 adults returning to education, many expressed the need to redress a perceived imbalance. Their initial motivation was often vocational, but the experience of transition caused situational or dispositional imbalances in their lives that they sought to correct through education. (SK)

A literature review was used to build a model of college outcomes for adults that depicts six elements: prior experiences; orienting frameworks; declarative, procedural, and self-regulating knowledge; the "connecting classroom" for social engagement and negotiation of meaning; the life-world environment; and types and levels of learning outcomes.…

Young farmers (n=93) were motivated to participate in education by intrinsic and extrinsic factors, especially regarding increased profitability, learning the latest technology, and relevance and accessibility of courses. They preferred hands-on and trial-and-error methods. (SK)

After 20 years on the job, people often begin to count the days until they receive the gold watch and move into their sunset years of retirement. With the ever-changing economy, however, that is not always the scenario that occurs. Instead, many will find themselves back in the classroom preparing for a new career and planning a new future.…

Concept maps are an instructional strategy that promotes meaningful learning. This chapter examines the use of concept maps in online environments through discussion of CmapTools software. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

Possible selves and education are oriented toward future goals. This chapter surveys the literature that links possible selves achievement with motivation toward academic achievement.

Adult-learning theory challenges faculty to adapt their teaching to certain characteristics of adult learners, including self-direction: if adults direct the bulk of their lives outside of school, they should be permitted to direct their own educational experiences. To what extent is self-directed learning an optimal, or even realistic,…

This chapter explores how incorporating the possible selves construct within a supportive and challenging mentoring relationship can assist in personal and professional growth. (Contains 1 figure.)

This study is part of a larger research program investigating conversational practices that are resources for language learning in classroom settings. Using methods from conversation analysis, this analysis describes how low-level adult learners' interactional competence in English develops through their interactional practices in a language…

In 1996, the Kansas City (Kan.) Public Schools, a largely poor, urban system, was facing a crisis. Talk at local and state levels was about closing a number of poor-performing schools. The author discusses how the district took matters in hand to make significant changes. Partnering with the local National Education Association leadership,…

All college students face new challenges and transitions, but for first-generation adult community college students, those challenges are more pervasive than those of their second-generation peers. The problem addressed is that first-generation adult community college students are at greater risk than their second-generation peers of dropping out…

Being prepared with accurate, credible, and timely information during a disaster can help individuals make informed decisions about taking appropriate actions. Unfortunately, many people have difficulty understanding health and risk-related resources. This exploratory, mixed methods study assessed disaster information seeking behaviors and…

Foreign language learning is a challenging task, involving mastering a new sound system, phonological and syntactical forms, vocabulary, and sometimes a new writing system. For the adult second language learner, one of the most frustrating aspects is having an inadequate vocabulary for expressing complex ideas that are so easy to relate in one's…