A study investigated the relationship of learning to problems that occur in the lives of adults. Of special interest were the dynamics of learning in natural/nonformal settings and the role of literacy in learning. Examination of research in reasoning and problem solving revealed two trends: increasing realization that much of what people do is…

Following a brief section on definitions of politics, political systems, and educational policy, the article reviews major systems for thinking specifically about adult learning: continuing, recurrent and nonformal education, and lifelong learning as related but distinct concepts, and the question of central control by national government.…

Describes the Colonial Junto organized by Benjamin Franklin in 1727 as a discussion club to debate politics, morals, and natural philosophy, and the later American Philosophical Society which extended (and continues) the subject knowledge. The present-day Junto Center for Continuing Education in Philadelphia is an adult education information…

The learning that parents accomplish through informal involvement in running preschool learning groups was examined through a survey of adults who were actively involved in a Pre-School Learning Alliance program in 1 of 10 locations throughout England. Of the 632 adults contacted, 311 (nearly 50%) completed questionnaires. Approximately 60…

The extent and distribution of self-reported learning activities in the current Canadian adult population was estimated on the basis of data collected during a 1998 telephone survey of a sample of 1,562 Canadian adults. Random digital dialing was used to give all provinces, households, and individuals within households an equal chance of…

Discusses a program in which adult groups (that meet regularly for educative discussion in settings other than educational institutions) can be given support through an academic department's provision of resource materials. Provides an example of support provided to the National Housewives Register, a group which discusses issues and social…

Designed to consolidate information about adult educational activities in colonial America, the publication covers self-directed learning, public lectures, apprenticeships and evening schools, education of women and girls, and leisure education. Advertisements and announcements from colonial newspapers published from 1765-1776 constituted the…

This paper sets out an agenda for higher education that will create a society in which lifetime learning is encouraged, valued, and rewarded. The paper presents five key issues that must be defined in order to achieve these goals: (1) the role of higher education; (2) the role of public policy; (3) how resources and intellectual property are to be…

Describes the American lyceum movement in the nineteenth century, which embodied many principles now included in adult learning theory. The lyceum was a sort of adult learning center, mostly at the village level, which used the lecture-teaching-learning approach with community study circles to share experience and knowledge. (MF)

Through their own inventiveness and persistence, adults are circumventing institutional indifference and creating alternative educational networks to teach themselves art. Problems that must be overcome are as follows: inadequate instructor preparation, a generally narrow array of programs in most community centers with the preponderance of…

During 1996, the Center for Adult and Continuing Education (CACE) at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, was in a process of rapid transition. Staff participated in a retreat during which a vision of CACE's work was rebuilt. CACE staff were closely involved with the Western and Northern Cape Provinces Departments of Education in the…

In the U.S.S.R., the trade unions see the continuous growth of the general educational, cultural and technical level of all workers as one of the conditions of social and scientific progress in the interests of the working class. The role of the unions in the lifelong education of the population is determined by their status in the political…

This Peace Corps Nonformal Education (NFE) training module provides training ideas for volunteers. This module contains 10 sessions, each designed to fit into a 3-hour period: (1) What is NFE? (2) adult learning; (3) helping people identify their needs; (4) facilitation skills--part 1; (5) facilitation skills--part 2; (6) NFE materials…

Across the nation, colleges are discovering a new group of students: retired learners. Special programs are emerging to meet the unique needs and interests of this mature population. This booklet describes these programs under the generic title, College Centers for Older Learners (CCOLs). CCOLs offer a stimulating college environment for older…

Patterns of adult development and the role of educational programs to facilitate growth throughout adult life are discussed. The importance of understanding the life-cycle through various concepts of time, socialization, and social rules is emphasized. A review of the literature and past studies on stages of adult development is presented. It is…