Traditionally, teachers of writing have considered it their challenge to prepare students for the workplace. But in growing numbers, students are entering classrooms from the workplace. New trends in the way Americans define themselves as workers and life-long learners call for a redefinition of the role of writing in the academic world. Some…

This study examined the influence of past life experiences and current life biography on the learning of adult students in the undergraduate classroom. A total of 90 undergraduates at least 30 years old who had completed at least 15 hours of academic course work at community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and public universities participated.…

This issue features articles by adult basic education (ABE) practitioners within the field about their approaches to teaching essay writing. In preparing this issue, nine teachers attempted to "catch themselves in the act" of teaching essay writing and subsequently document their approaches and questions. Most of the articles explain how a student…

This report, which maps the range of educational psychology services provided by educational psychologists in British further education (FE) colleges, examines the following topics: qualifications of educational psychologists and their role in the postschool sector; current issues for educational psychology services in FE (the legislative…

The skills and approaches to study were investigated for 549 students from Hong Kong/Macau enrolled in undergraduate distance learning courses with the East Asian Open Institute. The sample included students at all stages in their studies, from those in their first year to graduates with an ordinary degree and honors graduates. Correlations…

In order to help adult readers with problems, it is necessary to develop an approach to teaching them that is sensitive to language and that makes explicit reference to the way language works to make meaning in texts. A language-based approach requires teachers to become more aware of the relatively invisible language system that lies behind the…

A statistical analysis of an adult high school was conducted to determine factors for achievement and enhancement of quality of life of adult learners. Participants were 206 adult students studying English as a Second Language or enrolled in upgrading and business courses at a metropolitan Toronto (Ontario, Canada) secondary school. Variables…

A demonstration project was conducted to develop and pilot test a portfolio-based approach to learning assessment in adult basic education (ABE). The portfolio process and materials were developed under the oversight of a project task force after a review of existing portfolio assessment practices. The portfolio assessment approach was pilot…

A project was undertaken by Capilano College, Okanagan University College, and Selkirk College, in British Columbia, to provide descriptive information on adult basic education (ABE) students, their motives for enrolling, and assess the effects of ABE programs on their lives. Four survey instruments were developed: a point of entry survey,…

Two studies examined why many adults choose not to attend adult basic education (ABE) classes and ways of improving retention in ABE. In the first study, 17 adults from the Pittsburgh area who had recently quit attending ABE classes (termed "reluctant learners") and 20 adults who had persisted in ABE were interviewed. It was recommended…

The adult educator in the non-degree management studies of a university is frequently approached by business managers whose expectations include the obtaining of educational solutions to their career problems. This places a demand not only on the educational expertise of adult educators but also on their educational counselling skills, as compared…

A profile of older college graduates can be constructed from special tabulations provided by the National Center for Education Statistics' 1989-90 Recent College Graduate Survey. Findings indicate the following: one in six bachelor's degree recipients was 30 years old or older; four in five were interested in further education; professional fields…

Assessments are authentic when they have meaning in themselves--when the learning they measure has value beyond the classroom and is meaningful to the learner. Authentic assessments (AAs) address the skills and abilities needed to perform actual tasks. Perhaps the most widely used technique is portfolio assessment. Well-designed AAs demonstrate a…

The question of why some second language learners are more successful than others is examined from two different approaches. One looks at the social distance between the speakers of the target language and the learner's native language and, on one hand, the resulting learner and target-language-speaker attitudes and, on the other hand, the type…

The increase in the numbers of adult students studying on college and university campuses has created a new set of ethical and administrative challenges for those institutions. Projections for the nineties suggest 50 percent of enrollment will be adults. Characteristically, adult students perceive themselves to be responsible for their own lives;…