Adult learning at Penn State, New Kensington Campus, is discussed. The history of adult continuing education is presented, noting the precedent for adults to attend college was set after World War II. The 1980s has been a decade where the trickle of adult students has become a flood with the addition of adult women returning to campuses across the…

An effective method for assessing responsiveness to adult undergraduates in institutions serving primarily traditional-age students is described. Information from previous literature was applied to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in order to gather quantitative data on usage of certain practices plus a sense of campus receptivity to,…

A case study examined how the adult student population redefines the subject of freshman composition; whether familiarity with the traditional student population makes the academic world oblivious to cognitive differences and/or separate learning needs among adult students; and whether the current pedagogy is responsive to the needs of adult…

Adult basic education (ABE) teachers are committed to understanding their students and to teaching something useful, something relevant, and something that will give students more control over their world or community. The goal of ABE teachers must then be to be familiar with their students' understanding of their world. ABE teachers are logically…

This primer aims to help adult educators form a conceptual framework that will enable them to relate their daily activities to overall plans and procedures. Section I presents some definitions of the field of adult education, its development, and conceptual foundations. Section II discusses the clientele of adult education and specific problems…

A post hoc analysis was conducted of a computer-based prototype designed to generate individualized study schedules for learners enrolled in two home study courses at Athabasca University. The project sought to determine the use of such a prototype in home study courses and its effect on completion rates. Learners in the courses were asked if they…

An unsuccessful attempt was made to facilitate study behavior of Athabasca University learners through instruction in behavioral methods of self-control. The general procedure consisted of providing each student with a package containing instructions and materials for the self-application of the strategies of self-monitoring and standard setting.…

Problems of estimating college enrollments are addressed, with attention to shortfalls caused by smaller cohorts of traditional students and attempts to enroll adult students. Emphasis is placed on student credit hours (SCH) generated and on participation rates of adults. Full-time equivalency is defined as 24 SCH per student. Adult enrollment is…

Fircroft's aim is to provide liberal, residential education to mature men who left school at fourteen or fifteen; students' awakening interest in education, however, encourages critical appraisal of their working lives and a demand for more satisfying careers, and many are considering career changes when they apply to Fircroft. (AJ)

Reports on 2 investigations of problems of teaching adults (ages 18-40) vs. teaching pupils 10 and 11 years old. Differences are observed in character, temperament, motivation, work capacity, mental processes. Learning ability increases with degree of education rather than age alone. This fact must be considered in a differentiated methodology.…

Job prospects for college graduates in the face of demographic decline is discussed, including likely increases in opportunities for teachers and maintenance of the status quo for government agency staffs. The following possible ways to alleviate the misallocation between education and job opportunities are examined: (1) the possibility of…

The increase in adult college students who have been away from formal education for several years and who are seeking degrees to match the status level they have achieved in business requires a specially organized composition course. Two strategies will keep the course organization and content professional, yet meet individual students' needs in…

Some of the leading concepts of phenomenology have direct relevance for the practice of adult education. Adults bring to the learning experience a vast stock of assimilated knowledge. Very important to the process is the notion of critical reflection as a constituent of this stock of knowledge--the knowledge is not merely stored but is judged and…

A PHILOSOPHY OF ADULT EDUCATION MUST RECOGNIZE LEARNING AS ESSENTIAL FOR SURVIVAL AND CONSIDER THE NATURE OF THE ADULT STUDENT, THE TEACHER'S SKILLS AND ABILITIES, AND THE SPECIFIC SUBJECT TO BE TAUGHT. THE ENGLISH TEACHER OF ADULTS AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL IS PLAGUED BY A LACK OF APPROPRIATE MATERIALS AND AN UNAVAILABILITY OF LIBRARY FACILITIES,…

FIFTY-ONE SURVEY-TYPE GROUP READING TESTS DESIGNED FOR USE WITH HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE SUMMARIZED AND REVIEWED BRIEFLY. INFORMATION IS GIVEN ON THE RELIABILITY, VALIDITY, CONTENT, NUMBER OF FORMS, GRADE LEVEL, WORKING AND ADMINISTRATION TIME, DATA, PUBLISHER, GENERAL ABILITIES MEASURED, AND AUTHORS OF EACH TEST. COMMENTS ABOUT TEST…