The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of older adult students who learn in a community college academic environment. The rationale for the study stemmed from a lack of knowledge regarding this group's experiences. The research question asked in this study was the following: "How do older adult students in a community…

The terms "mindfulness" and "meditation" often are used synonymously. In Western cultures, mindfulness and meditation practices are primarily utilized for the purpose of stress reduction. Through this study, researchers and practitioners who employ these practices in their academic work at a singular state university reveal…

Many adult second and foreign language learners have insufficient opportunities to engage in language learning. However, their successful acquisition of a target language is critical for various reasons, including their fast integration in a host country and their smooth adaptation to new work or educational settings. This suggests that they need…

Over the course of several decades, a large body of research written with a focus on community colleges has accumulated based on the high need for remediation in mathematics, and has been associated with high attrition rates at that level. Reform efforts have been largely unsuccessful. This qualitative study was conducted so that the phenomenon of…

This article describes how adults learn to self-manage chronic bodily symptoms, a complex and costly health problem. It proposes a theory of learning for an innovative, research-informed intervention, The BodyMind Approach® (TBMA) aimed at developing confidence, competence, skills, and knowledge and understanding for self-management for people…

For the forty-first time, 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 Kansas City, Missouri. The Proceedings of AECT's Convention are published in two volumes. Volume 1 contains twenty-seven…

"Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments" provides students, faculty, and instructional designers with a clear, concise introduction to the major pedagogical and psychological theories and their implications for the design of new learning environments for schools, universities, or corporations. Leading experts describe the most…

It is generally well accepted in health professional education that self-assessment is a key step in the continuing professional development cycle. While there has been increasing discussion in the community pertaining to whether or not professionals can indeed self-assess accurately, much of this discussion has been clouded by the fact that the…

In distance education both the physical separation between learner and instructor, and the use of technology create an educational environment that is characterized by learning autonomy and the learner's active involvement. Because of these, self-regulated learning constitutes an inseparable concept of distance education. This study explores the…

This study explores the web-navigation practices of adult learners in higher education and re-conceptualizes the concept of the organizing circumstance of self-managed learning, originated by Spear and Mocker (1984). The theoretical framework draws on funds of knowledge theory from a cultural historical perspective and elaborates a Vygotskian…

Whether in traditional or virtual classrooms, non-traditional learners come equipped with an eclectic blend of characteristics and past experiences, which serve to either facilitate or hinder their academic pursuit. Adults who possess a strong sense of efficacy, employ a wide range of self-regulatory strategies and maintain high motivational…

Effectiveness of a self-monitoring procedure was evaluated for increasing work task completion and verbal requesting in two young adult men with autism and severe mental retardation. The study was conducted in a vocational training program at times when the men were expected to complete vocational tasks independently. A changing criterion design…