The present study was designed to investigate the relationship of birth order to achievement motivation and achievement-related variables employing a random sample of students enrolled in the courses offered through the United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI) in 1970. (Author)

An analysis of the general conditions and problems involved in independent study systems, restricting discussion to the adult sector, by considering TELE-CNAM. (Author)

Independent study or distance education courses were established in 1973 at five universities in Sweden. Evaluation of the project was planned to include: (1) a description of the student population, (2) a study of the students' use of and attitudes toward distance-bridging aids such as examinations and methods of instruction, (3) a special study…

Open learning is the act or process of acquiring knowledge or a skill that is accessible and available, not confined or concealed, and that implies a continuum of access and opportunity. All open schools have one thing in common: they are to a greater or lesser extent efforts to expand the freedoms of learners. The trend towards open forms of…

Describes the development and evaluation of a project, directed by the College Entrance Examination Board, in which the public library serves as a center for adult independent learners. (PF)

This article argues that self-directed learning should be viewed not as the application of a particular technique but as the capacity of adults for critical self-reflection and for changing their lives. The author speculates on the purposes, processes, and conditions required for learning aimed at such awareness. (CT)

Attempts to define and meet the needs of adults being served by Adult Basic Education programs. (Author/LF)

Analyzes the factors that contribute to the satisfaction of adult learners from an instructional design perspective. A general profile of the adult learner is provided, and the factors that enter into learner satisfaction--including learner involvement, learner challenge, self-direction, and rewards--are outlined. A 17-item reference list is…

Personal responsibility has long been considered an important component in self-directed learning. And yet, a theoretical understanding of personal responsibility that could lead to meaningful instrumentation has eluded the field. The present study considers the merits of the Triangle Model of Responsibility (TMR) (Schlenker, Britt, Pennington,…

To help in the exploration of developments in increasing learning flexibility in Great Britain's further education system, this paper suggests the development of learner flexibility profiles as devices for analyzing and recording the nature and extent of student choice or discretion. The introductory section reviews developments in open learning…

The case for public library support for open university programs. Description of some existing public library projects and discussion of ways in which libraries can participate in adult degree programs. (LS)

In this group of presentations from the 1978 National Conference on Higher Education, three researchers examine the need for the educational community to become more creatively responsive to the learning needs of adults. K. Patricia Cross delineates the difference between "adult education" and "adult learning". She discusses findings on adult…

This booklet is designed to help prospective students, counselors, public agencies, and institutions better understand home study school accreditation. Home study is also known as correspondence or independent study; and most home study is provided by proprietary schools. Because of the student's and the public's need to determine the quality of…

The authors developed an on-campus self-paced system of instruction featuring immediate feedback and tutoring. They then extended the technique to correspondence courses by giving examinations by telephone. Both courses are described, and the results are discussed in this publication. A Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) or Self-Paced…

The library has traditionally been a center for independent learning and individual self-directed education. The Dallas Public Library, in cooperation with Southern Methodist University, set up a library independent study project (ISP). College credit could be obtained through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP); however, learning for…