With a declining pool of youth to draw from, community colleges need to be concerned about what can be done to serve the needs of a burgeoning older adult population. Recent research on the educational needs of older adults reveals that they are interested in: (1) information on such personal business and financial topics as social security…

This annotated bibliography of suggested materials is intended to assist program directors and classroom teachers in determining appropriate materials for teaching legalization and citizenship candidates. The bibliography is a selected list of materials on the subjects of citizenship, government, and United States history identified for use with…

A multifaceted approach to adult development was empirically tested with 449 adult students enrolled in a large metropolitan community college system in the midwest. This approach suggests that most adults assume multiple life roles (relationship with self, with work, with others, and with family). The Adult Life Roles Instrument was designed to…

Implemented in September 1989, the Parents and Children Together project was intended to engage approximately 30 adult basic education (ABE) students in schooling to improve their skills as learners and, at the same time, involve them in the learning activities of their preschool children. A process and product evaluation was carried out on the…

Empire State College (ESC) is an alternative college that uses an individualized degree plan, assessment of prior learning, and a learning contract arrangement. Data were collected from 4,543 entering students at ESC between fall 1974 and January 1977 on a Student Biographical Inventory (SBI). The SBI included items on the students' background,…

This paper discusses a study on the composing processes by which native Japanese, Japanese Americans, and native Americans write technical or business English. Results of the study revealed a specific preference by students for one of the three general phases of composing: pre-writing, writing, or rewriting. Although the process preference did not…

Adult literacy programs in New York City serve persons with a wide range of employment needs and expectations. Information from the Literacy Assistance Center provides the following impressions about the adult learner population: (1) approximately one-half of the students attending programs are working, but lengthy periods of unemployment among…

Case study methodology was used to provide an in-depth examination of influences on distance learners' achievement attributions in order to gather data about educational orientation, study approaches, and beliefs about success and failure. The four subjects were drawn from 15 first-year distance learners pursuing degrees at Anadolu University's…

This guide is designed to help disabled students of all ages who are thinking about continuing their education after high school. It contains practical suggestions to assist in managing the daily challenges that arise. The guide focuses on expressing one's needs, being open to change, practicing self-advocacy, planning ahead, looking for the best…

Proceedings of an international conference on adult and external degree programs are presented. Selected papers are drawn from the areas of distance learning, support services, intra-institutional, curriculum, and teaching. They include: "Uses of Distance Education for Graduate Professional Degrees" (Ruth J. Person and Raymond Vondran); "Library…

The literature on the field of older adults in higher education is fairly new. Until 1975 almost all of it was normative or speculative. With the publication of the first volume of the journal "Educational Gerontology" in 1985, however, the amount of literature in the field increased dramatically. The literature on older adults in higher education…

Noncredit continuing education activities of the University of British Columbia are reported for 1985-1986. For various faculties, schools, and departments, information is provided on objectives of the sponsoring unit, progress toward achieving objectives, types of offerings and enrollments, and staff members. Information is presented on: the…

Attrition among students in adult basic and secondary education programs has been a perennial problem. Conducting research on this population is also problematic once they have dropped out of a program. A study surveyed 76 dropouts and 35 General Educational Development (GED) program completers from two large, multisite programs about factors…

At each age learning is a complex interaction of motivation, cognition, and development. In older adults, motivation is often related to a lifelong personality construct or personal meaning that an older individual will seek to play out when given the opportunity in late life. The needs of the older adult learner can be discussed in terms of…

Barriers faced by 42 nontraditional age women (age 35 or above) enrolled as freshman in four state institutions in Oregon were studied, based on a demographic survey and interviews. The following types of barriers were identified: (1) social barriers, constraints brought about through economics, age, family or community attitudes, or sex-role…