At Northern Kentucky State University, the Peer Support Organization offers older students, especially women, peer counseling and a chance to discuss problems. The organization was introduced to help these nontraditional students adjust to their unique demands that often include husbands, jobs, children, and school. (JMD)

Rather than being concerned with basic teaching methods and techniques and how to handle hardware and software, those preparing experienced teachers to work with adults should stress the clientele's characteristics and specific, appropriate techniques, with emphasis on recognizing common difficulties and creating an appropriate adult learning…

A study of the abilities, interests, goals, perceptions and other characteristics of 17,137 two-year college students was conducted utilizing data collected at entrance, after one term, at graduation, and three years after graduation. Differences by sex among four age groups, where three of the groups were older students, were ascertained. (JG)

Design of student-centered instruction for telecourses must take into consideration the variables that contribute to meaningful and motivated student learning: clarity; connections; teacher immediacy behaviors; and active learning. Unlike much conventional instruction, telecourse teaching isn an intensive and demanding team process requiring…

A survey of 194 adult community college students and potential students in Ontario (Canada) investigated factors in education decision-making, for purposes of student recruitment. It was found that the Latent Variable Partial Least Squares model of analysis highlights best the important factors. (MSE)

Investigates adult second language learners' processing of English syntactically ambiguous sentences in which a prepositional phrase is interpreted as either a noun phrase or verb phrase attachment. Results reveal lexical, syntactic, prosodic, and contextual constraints on processing ambiguous sentences. (87 references) (Author/CK)

Proposes a neurobiological model in which a greater number of brain structures than previously indicated are involved in language functions, with particular reference to second language learning. The study examines three areas of the brain rarely associated with language: the anterior cingulate gyrus, the prefrontal cortex, and the basal temporal…

Thirteen Kaska Elders took a leading role in a University of British Columbia Kaska language course held in three locations in Kaska territory in the Yukon. The elders conducted a variety of cultural activities, and entire families participated, creating an environment in which the language was constantly spoken and relevant to the activities.…

Describes a project that explored the use of Web sites with adults with learning disabilities. Highlights include advantages and weaknesses of Web-based learning for adults with learning disabilities; creating multimedia work related to the Web sites; motivating effects; and Web site access difficulties for people with low literacy levels.…

Explores English-as-a-Second-Language students' introspective accounts of perceived underlying second language production processes for the purpose of discovering folk models that may impact on pedagogy. Findings reveal that the pervasive image emerging is a translation schema with a subcomponent of conscious grammar rule application. (19…

To reach older, nontraditional students and alumni, alumni associations must offer a different type of programming Suggestions include ignoring class years of alumni, bringing current and former adult students together, emphasizing career connections, supporting networking, featuring a college speaker to satisfy lifelong learners' hunger for…

In a study involving three diverse computer assisted learning (CAL) experiences and different learner populations (13- and 14- year olds, 19-21- year olds, and adult education majors), a general shift in learning style (Kolb) was observed. The magnitude of the shift appeared to vary with learner ability and exposure to CAL. (PEN)

There is evidence to suggest that mature students learn particularly effectively in a problem-solving environment, and that they appear to be especially responsive to analogies and metaphors. Three examples are given of domains where the student has to convert a formulation into an equivalent diagram. Arguably, the process of performing this…

Theory and research provide insight into the characteristics, needs, and teaching preferences of adult learners in the college classroom. This chapter provides an overview of the literature on adult learning and education theory, along with recommendations for practice. (Contains 46 references.) (Author)

Discusses the following factors influencing learning: (1) environment; (2) emotional makeup; (3) persistence; (4) timing of learning; (5) teaching method; (6) cognitive style; (7) food intake; and (8) psychological factors, including the difference between analytical and global thinking. Discusses how to get a sense of one's personal learning…