Analysis of National Longitudinal Survey of Youth samples shows that, for both associate degree and nondegree community college programs, returning adults experience the same earnings increases as continuing high school graduates. Returning males in nondegree programs receive an earnings effect 8-10% above that of continuing students. (SK)

Discusses a program developed to assist displaced workers in a small town in Arkansas after a uniform-manufacturing company shut down and moved to Mexico, leaving nearly 200 unskilled workers unemployed. Reports that almost 100 of the workers became community college students through a cooperative program that involved the schools, the state, the…

Conducted a 6-week course in Web Content Development presented by the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Presented as six Saturday morning workshops, the class was supported by an electronic mailing list and a Web site. Responses of participants (n=25) were generally favorable, and lessons were derived for additional courses. (SLD)

A study of access students in the Open College Network (178 of 776) examined institutional and personal factors that inhibit or enhance program completion. Variations in program organization and delivery among different providers had a significant impact. (Contains 20 references.) (SK)

Composite state-level data from four national sets were used to compare 1991 and 1997 higher education participation of adults over 24. Variations in state structural factors significantly affected participation variance. Factors at one point in time substantially affected future participation. State policymakers had an influence on access and…

Six women aged 20-30 taking an access to allied health professions course were interviewed. Self-efficacy, self-observation, and key life events were significant enrollment influences. Informal guidance during and after compulsory education was also a factor. Few made systematic educational and vocational plans. Most were unaware of available…

Discusses literature concerning why and when adults return to school. Discusses study of 2,000 adults which investigated the concepts of transitions and triggers as possible reasons for returning to school. Findings indicate for 83 percent, learning was a utilitarian means; for 17 percent, learning was an end that justified itself. (JS)

A sample of 36 adult students in New Zealand who returned to secondary school compiled diaries of their experiences. Little support was given to the notion of adult students as highly motivated. Major difficulties were financial dependency, part-time work, and external commitments. Adult students appeared highly individualistic on all…

Proposes framework for planning developmental interventions for adult college students. Outlines developmental tasks and provides overview of transitional processes of adulthood. Compares developmental versus mental health models of intervention. Delineates functional roles of student affairs staff in meeting developmental needs of adult students.…

Structured interviews with a random sample of adult basic education students in Iowa (N=323) and an academic ability test administered to a 50 percent subsample identified reasons for participation. Factor analysis revealed 10 motivational dimensions, and cluster analysis categorized 6 subgroups: mainstream women, the urged, young adults, the…

To examine the outcomes from traditional undergraduate degree programs, 7,577 recent college graduates over 30 were surveyed. Factor analysis structured 24 outcome variables into 5 categories in which adults felt their education had a major impact: self-directed learning, human/artistic development, communication skills, logic/problem solving, and…

Suggests a perspective to help administrators help faculty learn to work more effectively with adult students. Discusses the profile of the adult student, problems faced by returning students, improving the learning environment for adult students, and aiding faculty to experiment with classroom approaches. (MS)

As care in the community has been legislated in Great Britain for people with special needs, concerns in planning educational programs include evaluating the quality, accessibility, and validity of services; creating a policy statement and development plan; mapping needs; and auditing services. (SK)

Explores the possibility of establishing predictability models for interference as well as ascertaining the degree of competence adult second language learners could achieve before being able to eliminate interference in production of the target language. (CB)

Discussion of the use of telecommunications in higher education for the adult learner focuses on a study in Oklahoma that analyzed faculty and administrator perceptions of reward systems for participation in a telecourse. Highlights include the nature of faculty involvement, rewards for and barriers to teaching telecourses, and attitudes toward…