Adult educators are committed to learning that encourages adults to see themselves and the world around them in more complex ways. They have therefore focused their practice on teaching with development in mind (Taylor, 2000; Lamoreaux, 2005). Recently, however, a colleague (Johnson, 2003) pointed the authors to a body of research that examines…

Recent discoveries about brain function explain how best practices in adult learning may lead to adult learners' developmental growth.

Balancing the need for separation and connection is an ongoing challenge for adults. Theories by Erikson, Peck, Kegan, and others attempt to resolve the tensions that have implications for adult learning. (SK)

Three strands of practice and theory--adult learning, women's development, and feminist pedagogy--contribute to development of a learning environment attuned to women's needs. Instead of concentrating on information storage/retrieval, alternative education should focus on requiring fourth-level consciousness: ability to choose how, whether, and…

Self-assessment leads to greater awareness of the methods one uses to make meaning. It enhances responsibility, self-direction, shifts in perception, and self-questioning. (SK)

When assessment of prior learning is used to teach self-reflection, it encourages developmental growth. Techniques that support development include goals statements, autobiographies, and experiential learning essays. (SK)

For most reentry women students, development entails a shift from identifying themselves in terms of their psychological surroundings to authoring and authorizing their own identity. Reentry women need both self-direction and supports that promote development. (SK)