A survey conducted at the University of Warwick revealed that many adult students experience some financial difficulty, in some cases severe. Financial hardship is an increasing problem, and access to financial aid is inadequate. (SK)

Case studies of six adult literacy students revealed that overt literacy action--conscious effort to use new skills in authentic situations--was a key element in learner success. Most of the overt actions took the form of writing rather than reading. (SK)

A survey of 224 Canadian distance education students indicated that 81% were women, 70% enrolled for career reasons, and most were age 24 to 50. Desired support services included information about getting started in distance education, communication with instructors and students, a learning center, and career assistance. (SK)

Examines the attitudes of mature British women's studies students, exploring personal meanings given to education and kinds of knowledge appropriated. Their perspectives reveal dichotomies taken for granted throughout the university (experience versus theory and research versus teaching) which are structurally embedded in the current practices of…

Statistics on university students in Finland, where one-third of students are 30 or older, reveal changing patterns in students' course of study. Prolonged studies, returning to studies, starting studies as an adult, or studying for a second degree indicate a trend toward lifelong learning. Changes in the age structure and study patterns of…

Interviews at three British further education colleges demonstrate that the meanings of impartiality in preentry adult guidance change with the context. Impartiality is challenged by lack of statutory provision for adult guidance, lack of outreach, and the question of whether impartial guidance is more likely in high-demand courses. (SK)

The student experience involves displacement of the self into an epistemological framework, beginning a trajectory that can either rise with increased confidence, or fall with diminished interest. The learner becomes a new, authentic self through the process of becoming a student. (SK)

Through partnerships with a university, employers sponsor employees in work-based learning. Employee-students negotiate learning agreements that customize their studies for maximum work relevance that benefits them and employers. (SK)

An action research project investigated the features of critical theory that were useful for teaching everyday mathematics in an evening course for five Australian adults. The development of a positive, cooperative learning environment, as discussed by M. Frankenstein (1989) and O. Skovsmose (1994) proved to be key in increasing mathematical…

Concept maps created by 21 adult students at 3 points were scored and students were interviewed. Maps developed thinking skills and fostered understanding of knowledge construction. Most continued to use maps after 1 year. Even those who did not continue to use them reported changes in their thinking. (Contains 15 references.) (SK)

Studied adult participation in formal learning activities during the 1990s, focusing on trends in participation over time and patterns of participation in 1999. Data are from the National Household Education Surveys Program. While the increase in participation is not new, the breadth of the increase in participation is a new trend. (Author/SLD)

The concept of diversity should include special needs and differences of learners in terms of disability, ethnicity, culture, language, age, gender, experience, and geography. A range of instructional approaches and technologies should be used to help each person learn effectively. (Contains 20 references.) (SK)

Interviews with 8 distance course developers, 22 tutors, and 14 students in Hong Kong found that coordinators agreed that values education should be incorporated into distance education through counseling, support services, specific courses, or appropriate examples. Coordinators and tutors thought adult students might resist, but students appeared…

A survey of 116 London Open College Network programs found that 53% of enrollees in Access courses completed certificates; 51% progressed to higher education. Partial completers were often able to apply credits to higher education later. Subjects with the highest Access completion rates did not necessarily have the highest progression to…

Discusses student writing as it relates to adult literacy education and describes "Write First Time," a newsletter of adult literacy students' writings. Suggests that having writing published gives learners a different view of other printed texts. (JOW)