Since the role of the adult educator has become so widely accepted as that of facilitator of learning rather than of content-transmitter, educators of adults should enhance their facilitating skills. An important concept for adult education then is self-directed learning, in which the learner plays the central role. The need for self-directed learning is being made greater by the realization that (1) due to rapid change, the main purpose of education must become that of helping develop skills of self-directed inquiry; (2) learning must be viewed as being the same as living; and (3) learning is a lifelong process. Personal qualities needed by effective facilitators include these: empathy, use of reward, respect for the dignity and worth of each individual, a sense of fairness and objectivity, willingness to accept new things and ideas, patience, sensitivity, humility, and commitment to own lifelong learning. The transition from teacher to facilitator of learning is difficult, but these steps can be taken to implement the role of facilitator: (1) climate setting, (2) diagnosis of needs for learning, (3) design of a learning plan, and (4) evaluation of learned outcomes. (YLB)