Describes special pre-academic course for ESL Students at Alberta Vocational Center designed to develop English skills to enable students to compete on equal basis with Canadians in academic or vocational programs. (BK)

College-based adult learning programs are beset by low status, lack of institutional support, cash-cow syndrome, lack of faculty investment, and the dichotomy of traditional/adult students. The academy should embrace an entrepreneurial mission in order to adapt to the challenges of the 21st century. (Contains 15 references.) (SK)

Describes characteristics of the "new" college student, who may be an adult learner from the Baby Boomer era, a high school member of the "Millennial" generation, or a "Gen-Xer." Explores the learning styles of each type of student and discusses the importance of technology to each group. (SLD)

Describes the field testing of the Mississippi Assessment Technique for Identifying Learning Disabilities in Adults (MATILDA) with 97 inmates, 50 undergraduates, and 8 students diagnosed as learning disabled. Reports how the test can be used as a preliminary screening device in adult basic education. (SK)

A learner-centered approach to adult group instruction involved learners in investigating 20th-century events. The approach allowed learners to concentrate on different activities according to their abilities and gave them opportunities to develop basic skills and practice teamwork. (SK)

Online (n=40) and face-to-face (n=60) adult learners completed the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire and a survey of class experience. Online students rated themselves as more introverted, serious, and shy; less independent; and more tough minded. Results showed how personality characteristics may be a factor in predicting attrition from online…

Adult learners, long the stepchildren of colleges and universities, have nearly become the norm, and they spend billions of dollars each year on education. This chapter takes a customer-oriented approach to recruiting and retaining adult students in higher education. (GCP)

Changing clienteles challenge institutions to respond to their needs. Today's adult graduate student requires expanded attention from student service providers as they move into, through, and out of their graduate experience. Examples of services for the new graduate student are discussed. (Contains 29 references.) (Author)

Discusses how adult basic educators can respond to the mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Addresses remediation versus accommodation, disability identification, and how to choose and evaluate the effectiveness of accommodations. (JOW)

Refutes myths about adult learners: (1) adults require less instructor time; (2) adults desire to return to school; (3) adults are capable decision makers; (4) adults bring valuable experiences to the classroom; and (5) adults know what they want. (Contains 26 references.) (SK)

Analysis of speech data from three adult elementary Spanish students, focusing on the acquisition of noun-phrase agreement and the copulas "ser" and "estar," revealed that learners could be classified as either form based or meaning based in terms of their strategic orientation to acquisition of the target language. (CB)

Describes categories of special-needs learners: cognitive disabilities, physical disabilities, sensory disabilities, emotional disabilities, medical impairments, and homeless persons. Makes suggestions for adult educators dealing with the learning needs of these groups. (SK)

Summarizes the special issue on resistance to self-direction in learning by enumerating sources of resistance (learners, facilitators, institutions) and presenting strategies for overcoming barriers. (SK)

"Structured flexibility" is a way for educators to create a mutually conducive learning environment for adult self-directedness. Issues to be addressed include a change in instruction for adult educators, teacher empowerment, and a shift from thinking of adult education as adding content or skills to developed persons to adult education…

Adult students attended classes in one of four formats: noncohort nonintensive, noncohort intensive, cohort nonintensive, and cohort intensive. Responses from 174 showed that more group interaction and cohesiveness occurred in the 2 cohort groups. Intensity of scheduling did not have a clear relationship with interaction or cohesiveness. (SK)