For the thirty-sixth year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. Papers published in this volume were presented at the annual AECT Convention in Anaheim, California. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two…

The purpose of this study was to investigate how Canadian adult students collaboratively learn with peers in both formal and non-formal adult literacy programs. A multisite case study research design was used involving several local literacy organizations. Data collection occurred over a four-month period and focused on nine different program…

This article provides guidance for meeting the educational needs of "learners on the periphery"--those learners who traditionally have been disenfranchised by formal education because of the structure and nature of face-to-face courses but who now may be returning to higher education due to the promises of the online classroom. The guidance comes…

More and more, adult learners are finding the convenience and flexibility of online learning a match for their learning goals and busy lifestyles. Online degree programs, courses, and virtual universities targeting adult learners have proliferated in the past decade. Although students can easily locate an online course or degree program that's…

The greatest impediment to the provision of adequate and appropriate campus services for commuter students is their diversity. It is important to identify the needs of commuting students since they may have little interest in traditional campus programs and services. Though they are an extremely diverse population, nontraditional commuting…

This guide, part of a Mexican series of instructional materials, is intended for advisors of students participating in an adult education program offered through public and private organizations in communities in Mexico. The first part of the program comprises Spanish and math; the second, education for family life, education for community life,…

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. This document describes the concept of a model for community adult education for the purpose of supporting local educational committees…

A study determined differences, if any, in attitude toward reading between remedial reading adult learners and reading proficient adult learners. Subjects, 129 adult learners from both the high school and college populations in New Jersey, completed an attitude survey using a Likert scale. Subjects were identified as remedial or proficient readers…

This brief report describes a 1-year project to develop a curriculum on career exploration for adult basic education (ABE) students. The project components included developing and administering a needs assessment, developing and testing a curriculum during six workshops, and revising and packaging the curriculum. The curriculum was used with 35…

As part of a project to improve professional development for adult basic and literacy educators in Pennsylvania, a literature review was conducted of studies of professional competencies needed by adult educators. Extensive review of previous studies showed that hundreds of competencies had been identified. Some states also had generated their own…

Adult educators' philosophies of learning and teaching have a major impact on their evaluations of students. The evaluation methods used by adult educators are often incongruent with their apparent teaching-learning philosophies. Effective evaluation must be intricately woven throughout the teaching-learning process. Teachers must look at their…

This book deals with various aspects of learners' engagement with open and distance education using biographical material. The book begins with two chapters that cover the diversities that open and distance teachers can expect in learners' backgrounds. The first thoughts of enrollment through the issues involved in students' experiences of open…

Case studies examined how two communities--Miami and Los Angeles--with large immigrant populations had responded to the educational challenge posed by adult immigrants. Each case study had three components: interviews with education policymakers and practitioners, community leaders, and others; limited survey of adult immigrant students in the…

A project explored the reading comprehension skills and strategies of adult basic education (ABE) students. The target population was 55 students from 2 ABE programs in central Pennsylvania. They responded in interviews to a questionnaire that measured their knowledge about reading and reading comprehension strategies, and they participated in…

Effective student retention strategies involve creating a vision and committing to that vision, ensuring that processes are applied systematically, providing support, and offering high quality instruction. Creating an effective program means having a real sense of what "program completion" is, how the state and programs define and measure…