In leadership academy for community college employees, teams used problem-based learning to build leadership skills while addressing community college problems. The program's success was attributed to proactiveness, responsiveness, constituent buy-in, and use of authentic problems and evaluation methods. (Contains 47 references.) (SK)

Interviews with 17 graduate school faculty indicated that 71% experienced changes in perspective and practice using technology, including stimulation of students' critical thinking, increased class dialogue, more student-centered teaching, awareness of technology issues, and student engagement in constructivist learning. Learning and using…

Responses from 179 prosecutor-based and domestic violence victim assistance programs indicated that 67% of practitioners had college degrees, 68% belonged to professional associations, and more than one-third participated substantially in continuing education. Type of organization, gender, and age were not related to professional attitudes;…

Interviews with African-American adult students at four universities and four community colleges showed that past and current collegiate experiences and personal supports create congruence or lack of congruence between students and college cultures. Fragile and intermittent involvement, limited learning engagement, and cultural dissonance were…

Concept maps created by 21 adult students at 3 points were scored and students were interviewed. Maps developed thinking skills and fostered understanding of knowledge construction. Most continued to use maps after 1 year. Even those who did not continue to use them reported changes in their thinking. (Contains 15 references.) (SK)

Continuing educators must consider the impact of technology on group processes, including ways in which it affects group pressures, communication patterns, and social and emotional components of learning. Administrators and faculty should integrate group process frameworks with educational technologies in order to provide effective learning…

Interviews with 17 Dutch higher education stakeholders found that, although lifelong learning is increasingly important in policy, government and institutional initiatives do not seem informed by strategic understanding of social, economic, and cultural changes. Adult learning experiences and trajectories are not considered. The needs of part-time…

A British Columbia off-campus program enables cohorts of adults to undertake graduate study at a distance. Groups promote transformative learning and continuing professional development. Key principles include adult-centered learning; diverse, inclusive groups; learner participation in program design; and collaborative learning. (Contains 49…

Analyzes the relationship between megatrends (technology, demographics, globalization, branding, consolidation, outsourcing) and use of technology in higher education. Considers how the university's historic mission is eroding and suggests possibilities for both a commitment to that mission and use of high-tech distance learning in the global…

Provides guidelines for comprehensive outcomes assessment of accelerated degree and nontraditional adult programs. Illustrates common assessment practices used to document program efficacy, develop formative evaluations, and provide information for accreditation. (Contains 33 references.) (SK)

Reviews issues associated with continuing professional education in the areas of professionalization, preservice education, workplace learning, and acquisition of professional expertise. Addresses the goals of continuing education, evaluation processes, credentials, accountability, and quality control. Recommends a long-term, integrated…

Registered nurses (n=344) rated the following as most influential on practice change after continuing education: potential benefit to patients, nature of the proposed change, and relevance to practice problems. A multivariate model of practice change was validated. (Contains 49 references.) (SK)

The life experiences of an adult learner, aged 62, are analyzed using theories of participation, andragogy, transformative learning, and constructivism. (Contains 26 references.) (SK)

A study of 1,031 full-time workers in Iowa found that those with more education, especially four-year degrees or graduate education, spent significantly more time on work-related learning, were more predisposed toward it, were more aware of employers' training policies and benefits, and more likely to use them than were adults with high school…

Discusses the mix of features in the learning environment that must be considered for adult learners: visual environment, acoustics, temperature, lighting design, and layout. Addresses the interplay of these features with the learner's behavior in the space. (Contains 41 references.) (SK)