Considering the significance of lifelong learning in advancing active aging in aging societies, the ability to engage in self-directed learning plays a crucial role for adults. There are many self-directed learning (SDL) tools available that measure the SDL abilities of nursing students and healthcare professionals. However, fewer SDL tools…

Prior research has demonstrated beneficial outcomes for learning new skills in older adulthood, including increased cognitive and functional abilities, which help prevent age-related declines and foster healthy aging. However, these studies largely have included participants not typically considered at risk for cognitive and functional decline…

Participation in adult education and training (AET) programs is increasingly important for people of all ages and is necessary to remain competitive in a world experiencing rapid technological advances. Lifelong learning activities are especially important for middle-aged and older adults who intend to work at older ages to ensure they have the…

We investigate how the mental lexicon changes over the life span using free association data from over 8,000 individuals, ranging from 10 to 84 years of age, with more than 400 cue words per age group. Using network analysis, with words as nodes and edges defined by the strength of shared associations, we find that associative networks evolve in a…

This study explored drivers of participation in job-related lifelong learning (LLL) among low-educated mature-aged employees and compared them across four Nordic countries. Workplaces can be low-threshold, effective arenas for development of their skills in work and learning. The paper builds on the Bounded Agency Model and theories of learning…

The Commission on International Adult Education (CIAE) of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) provides a forum for the discussion of international issues related to adult education in general, as well as adult education in various countries around the globe. These papers are from the CIAE 2020 Virtual International…

Foresight reports are meant to help "decision-makers" understand the possible future effects of their decisions. "Visions of the future", based on "robust science", should be used by policymakers "to inform government policy and strategy, and to improve how science and technology are used within government and by society". They are also intended…

Gender and age differences in the effects of e-learning, including students' satisfaction and Internet self-efficacy, have been supported in prior research. What is less understood is how these differences are shaped, especially for higher aged adults. This article examines the utility of family support (tangible and emotional) and Internet…

Recommendations presented in a report published by the National Manpower Institute (which focused on the relationship between education and work) are discussed as well as the Lifelong Learning Act (which is also concerned with meeting the employment and educational needs of adults and the elderly). (EC)

Theories of social interaction and lifelong learning have been advanced by K. Lewin, J. Moreno, T. Sarbin, J. W. Thibaut and H. H. Kelley, R. S. Perinbanayagam, and B. Dervin. From this research lifelong learning can be seen as an affective and cognitive activity that occurs in the life-space of the actor in response to positive or negative field…

Designed for both experienced and novice adult educators who want to improve their own communication and that of their students, this essay presents information on communicative competence and its importance for lifelong learning. First, communicative competence is defined as the ability of persons to be adaptive, flexible, and sensitive to the…

Most adults are both learners and consumers of goods and services across their life span. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the body of literature that analyzes consumer behavior in the light of lifelong learning. Learning activities, whether formal or experiential, have both costs and benefits. Interviews with hundreds of persons,…

Describes a theory of grandparent development. African-American (n=777), Caucasian (n=1086), and Hispanic (n=672) subjects of a three-generations study were administered the Grandparent Strengths and Needs Inventory. Perceptions of each generation about the attitudes and behaviors of grandparents were examined. Results showed significant…

This book contains edited versions of papers from a symposium on adult development and a final integrative chapter. The following papers are included: "Introduction" (Jack Demick, Patrice Miller); "Influences of World View on Personality, Epistemology, and Choice of Profession" (Melvin Miller, Alan West); "Developmental Conceptions of Good Work: A…

Research is examined on learning and memory from text across the adult life span. The outcomes of the extant studies are contradictory. Clarification of these confusing findings is obtained by examining variations in the learner variables of education level and performance on vocabulary tests. Problems are considered in equating the learner…