Using the Los Angeles Community College (LACC) District as a model, looks at the profile of its student population and finds the most outstanding change to occur is the greater number of mature adults enrolled in the college. Discusses a recent LACC workshop entitled "Effective Strategies for Teaching Older Adults." (SED)

Examined predictors of academic achievement of 111 adult female students to provide information fo reentry admission criteria. Results showed self-confidence and past academic records, even when dated, offered a sound basis for predicting performance. Age, children, and years away from school were unrelated to success. (JAC)

Describes a study that found that adult basic education (ABE) and general educational development (GED) students have low self-concepts and unrealistic career aspirations. Indicates the need for emphasis on building positive self-concepts and better career education programs for ABE and GED students. (JOW)

Reports a survey made to determine the needs, services, and problems encountered by Wisconsin's handicapped consumers of vocational education. Problems identified were defining who is handicapped, locating them, communication about services offered, and placement of program completers. (WL)

In the context of home economics education for adults, the authors discuss the definition of need and how to assess needs in ways useful for program development. (JT)

The author notes that methods for teaching adults require more than those designed for high school classes. After briefly characterizing the adult learner, some practical advice is presented for teachers about to take on these no nonsense, goal-oriented learners. (Editor/HD)

Free schools as an educational form are remarkably similar to the best educational pattern of the culturally more mature countries of the Western world. This similarity should be recognized by U.S. leaders for what it signifies--that free schools are the opposite of disruptive and radical education, and represent the true university. (Editor/LBH)

This article examines five factors which appear to contribute to learning disabilities among adult basic education (ABE) learners. While the research literature does not provide a comprehensive basis for describing how the disadvantaged learn, it does lead the authors to make eight helpful suggestions for the ABE teacher. (JDS)

Concerns have been raised that adult undergraduates, those 24 and older, receive inadequate assistance in meeting the costs of postsecondary education, especially those who take one to five credits per term, or less than halftime. Less-than-halftime students are not eligible for the Stafford loan programs and are eligible to receive only one of…

Educational credentials are used as a yardstick with which to measure the knowledge, skills, and abilities of adults, regardless of actual workplace abilities. With this pressure to earn a credential, adults are returning to higher education in vast numbers. Unlike students in traditional age ranges, adult students have multiple roles they must…

Whether be it in traditional or virtual classrooms, non-traditional learners come equipped with an eclectic blend of characteristics and past experiences, which serve to either facilitate or hinder their academic pursuit. Adults who possess a strong sense of efficacy, employ a wide range of self-regulatory strategies, and maintain high…

This practicum report describes the development of a student assessment survey to evaluate whether the liberal arts programs at Northeastern University (Massachusetts) were meeting the needs of the adult student population. Emphasis was on determining appropriate content and format design for a student assessment survey. A student outcomes survey…

This paper studies the influence of question-related variables (closed/open and predictable/unpredictable) on a Web user's choice of search strategy in the initial stage of a search. Search strategies considered include direct address, subject directory, and search engine. Objectives were to determine the adaptiveness of Web users in choosing an…

This digest reviews some of the recent literature about adult female students at community colleges. Their motivations, unique needs, and barriers to entry are discussed, as well as ways institutions can enhance the educational experience for adult women. Female students have outnumbered male students in higher education for nearly 30 years. In…

Projections of college attendance over the next 15 years reveal that higher percentages of Americans will attend college, the student body will become more diverse, and the costs associated with the challenges of higher education will challenge state governments in particular to secure higher funding. In the next 15 years, approximately 1.6…