Responses from 157 of 592 architects who used a self-assessment instrument showed that (1) the instrument helped identify professional learning needs; (2) consensus is lacking regarding professional knowledge; (3) instruments raise legal issues for individuals and organizations; and (4) self-assessment is perceived as an educational activity in…

International examples of professional learning demonstrate the need for (1) recognition of political, economic, and social trends and issues; (2) attention to emerging knowledge and technology; (3) analysis of work settings as learning enterprises; and (4) appreciation of the abundance of providers/opportunities. (SK)

Institutionally sponsored mentoring programs benefit organizations by aiding retention of employees or students. A successful program must have endorsement from top administration and a designated coordinator who is sensitive to organizational goals and objectives as well as the varied needs of mentors and proteges. (SK)

Philadelphia's Sponsor-a-Scholar program pairs high school students with adults who guide them in preparing for the future. The program shows that there is little certainty about what constitutes best practice; that the complex task of mentoring requires a gamut of skills; and that support services for both mentors and proteges are essential. (SK)

The mentoring relationship can enhance mentors' own psychosocial development and growth; proteges gain from the synergy that results. Organizational benefits include improved recruitment and induction, better staff planning, and increased communication. Society at large benefits from maximized human capacity, strengthened networks, and increased…

Institutions and individuals must explore their cultural assumptions and develop strategies for mentoring in a multicultural society. They must decide whether mentoring is to be a vehicle for assimilation or pluralism. (SK)

Identifies strategies involving professional associations, mentoring associations, networks, and electronic communications to support the mentoring process. Includes an annotated bibliography of 34 resources. (SK)

Explores cultural institutions as educative environments for adult lives and situations for cognitive apprenticeship. Suggests ways that cultural institutions can be subject to the designs of reflective educators. (JOW)

Provides descriptions and analyses of the learning patterns exhibited by older adult learners, giving evidence that older adults have considerable potential for structuring meaning. (JOW)

A comparison of learning in multiple contexts and an analysis of the interactive process between the learner and these environments reveal behavioral patterns that lead to personal development and social change. These processes and patterns provide insight into motivational factors of adult learning and suggest practical implications for adult…

Current applications of experiential learning in higher education include field-based experiences, credit for prior learning, and classroom-based programs. In the workplace, action learning, future search, and outdoor education are among the forms of experiential learning being used. (SK)

The first part of the process model for experiential learning (EL) includes student characteristics and needs (role of experience and prior knowledge, different learning processes, active involvement, affiliation needs, life context) and conceptual foundations of EL (definitions of knowledge, elements of cognition, constructivist teaching,…

Part of the process model of experiential learning (EL), this article presents tables of methods and techniques for engaging learners in EL in class and in the field. Suggestions for coordinating and integrating in-class and field-based experiences are made. (SK)

The first step in portfolio construction is building a folio--accumulation of all possible materials documenting a person's learning. Materials may include artifacts created by the learner and attestations from other people and organizations. (SK)

A portfolio is a carefully edited collection of artifacts and attestations selected from a folio. It serves as a documented history of learning and a structured record of accomplishment. It may be used for self-evaluation, for progress assessment in adult education, or as a vehicle for engaging learners in active reflection on experience. (SK)