This guide highlights certain institutional, research, and policy trends in how educational opportunities for older adults have been evolving--especially during the past 15-20 years. Chapter 1 provides an overview of how older adult education looks today within the context of aging issues and programs. It explores purposes, goals, rationales, institutional relations, motivations and emerging concepts of older adult education. Chapter 2 reviews how older adult education grew out of research on intellectual functioning of the elderly, the tradition of adult education, and forces operating within the relatively new field of gerontology. A review of institutions hosting educational programs brings this historical review up to date. Chapter 3 describes 15 stages or phases of development in older learner programs as derived from a nationwide study of five institutional program types. Chapter 4 is a comprehensive review of the policies of federal, state, and local public as well as nongovernmental organizations. Chapter 5 examines the influence on older adult education of computer technology and forms of distance learning. Chapter 6 considers recent emphasis on intergenerational programming. Appendixes include descriptions of national organizations, organizations that provide resources, a listing of various titles and parts of the Older Americans Act, state tuition-waiver policies, guidelines for library service to older adults, a background paper on Life Enrichment Opportunities, flowchart of agencies in the aging network, U.S. Department of Education organizational chart, and index. (YLB)