This manual is part of a Mexican series of instructional materials designed for Spanish speaking adults who are in the process of becoming literate or have recently become literate in their native language. The manual describes a carpentry course that is structured to appeal to the student as a self-directing adult. The following units are…

Thirty-one female psychology students with a mean age of 31 years (all enrolled at a public liberal arts institution at which 49% of all students are over the age of 25) were invited to participate in a focus group to discover their perspective of the college experience and identify their concerns as nontraditional students. The group moderator…

Although adult learners are similar to their younger classmates in many ways, they have some particular characteristics that have implications for teaching them. For example, adults have multiple roles, and classes sometimes cannot be their first priority. Adults also have more life experiences, which can provide foundations for learning or create…

Information about the participation of adults in basic skills education was gathered in the 1995 National Household Education Survey, which investigated participation during the 12 months prior to the telephone interviews. Of the 23,969 adults sampled for the adult education component, 80 percent completed the interview. Key findings included the…

The Success Stories project provides assistance to the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) in selecting and recognizing 10 outstanding ABLE students via Midwinter Conference awards ceremonies and publication of their stories. Project staff edited the Success Stories nominations, made…

This Digest focuses on using the language experience approach for teaching adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners. The language experience approach (LEA) ia a whole language approach that promotes reading and writing through the use of personal experiences and oral language. It can be used in tutorial or classroom settings with…

Many colleges and universities lack a comprehensive, fully integrated marketing plan to combat high attrition rates in programs offered to non-traditional students. A clear understanding of the needs of the marketplace is crucial to an effective marketing program. Research suggests that life transitions are what motivate adults to pursue…

Evaluative information is provided on 18 completed workplace literacy classes conducted in the Seattle-King County, Washington, area for 218 limited English proficient workers. The programs were operated by the Employment Opportunities Center and the Refugee Service Federation. Participants were members of the following ethnic groups: Vietnamese,…

Adults have specific and unique motivational needs in instructional settings. As a result, motivating instruction for adult learners should be designed with special considerations. This paper uses an adult motivational instructional design model to demonstrate the application of prescribed strategies into instructional software designed to teach…

The Program for Adult College Education (PACE) at the University of Missouri at Kansas City offers a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree. PACE faculty believe in writing as a learning tool. One course in the program is "Culture of the Working Class," which uses a variety of sources to examine how working people have lived from the turn of…

A study compared adult learners and traditional undergraduate students in terms of three communication traits that may affect the quality and quantity of communication in the classroom. The study investigated whether adult learners differed significantly from traditional undergraduate students in terms of communication apprehension, willingness to…

More adult learners than ever are enrolling in postsecondary education. A review of literature found that more than half of all college undergraduates are women, one of six is a member of a minority group, two of five are over the age of 25, and fewer than three in five are full-time students. A study at Empire State College showed that their…

The number of adults with learning disabilities (LD) is difficult to estimate. They may comprise as many as 80% of adult basic education students, but a smaller proportion of students in other adult education settings. Many adults with LD exhibit strengths that enable them to compensate for their disabilities and perform successfully without…

Volunteer teachers working with the Oregon State University Extension Service Home Economics Program have found the feedback lecture method of instruction to be effective in reaching nontraditional adult students ranging in age from the mid-40s to the mid-90s. This method provides guidelines for the volunteer-teacher--who may or may not have…

This assessment survey is intended to provide adult educators with some insights into the real and perceived stresses felt by their adult basic education (ABE) students. The test consists of 35 questions dealing with such items as failure in general, specific subject area, test taking, health, personal and marital problems, financial problems,…