IN 1964, NORTH CAROLINA ESTABLISHED A SYSTEM OF "FUNDAMENTALS LEARNING LABORATORIES" WHERE ADULTS MIGHT OBTAIN PROGRAMED SELF-INSTRUCTION AT MINIMAL COST (A $2.00 REGISTRATION FEE). IN A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF THE 17 LABORATORIES OPERATING IN 1965, DATA WERE GATHERED BY QUESTIONNAIRES AND INTERVIEWS. FINDINGS INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING-- (1) LABORATORIES HAD NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED IN ALL AREAS OF THE STATE, (2) LABORATORIES TENDED TO BE SIMPLE, CONTAINING ONLY THE ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT AND FURNISHINGS, (3) THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE LABORATORIES VARIED, (4) WRITTEN STATEMENTS OF PHILOSOPHY AND OBJECTIVES WERE NOT COMMON, (5) STUDENTS' FORMAL EDUCATION RANGED FROM NONE TO ADVANCED DEGREE LEVEL, (6) MOST STUDENTS WERE WORKING FOR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS OR EQUIVALANCY CERTIFICATES, (7) APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF OF THE STUDENTS EARNED LESS THAN $3,000 PER YEAR, WITH FEWER THAN 10 PERCENT RECEIVING OVER $5,000, AND (8) MOST STUDENTS FELT THAT THEY COULD LEARN MORE EFFECTIVELY IN THE LABORATORY THAN IN THE TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM. THE AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATION INCLUDED EVALUATION OF THE SUCCESS OF THE LABORATORIES. THIS ED.D. DISSERTATION IS AVAILABLE AS DOCUMENT NO. 66-12,743, FOR $3.00 (MICROFILM) OR $9.25 (XEROGRAPHIC COPY) FROM UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS, INC., P.O. BOX 1346, ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN 48106. (WO)