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Irish public policy strongly promotes greater flexibility in higher education. This review paper examines Irish policy conceptualisations of flexible learning. The review finds that the promotion of flexible learning is positioned within strongly economistic discourses of lifelong learning, and primarily in human capital terms of meeting the skills needs of the workforce. Irish policy largely presents flexible learning approaches unproblematically as positive and beneficial. This paper demonstrates that flexible learning is not an unproblematic concept and reveals some problems and tensions relating to Irish flexible learning policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broad aim of this paper is to track the evolution of adult literacy policy in the UK across three decades, highlighting convergences between policy phases and the promotion of democratic learning spaces. It is anchored onto the argument that, although it is generally accepted that democratic learning spaces are perceived as beneficial to adult literacy learners, policy has often deterred its promotion and, therefore, implementation. The paper identifies three block phases of adult literacy development: the seventies to mid-eighties, the mid-eighties to mid-nineties and the mid-nineties to the Moser Committees. The features of each of these phases are highlighted to map out convergences and divergences to the ethos of democratic learning spaces. The paper argues that, with the evolution of policy in adult literacy, the ethos of democratic learning space continuously diminished, such that as policy evolved year on year, the principle of democratic learning space found itself at counterpoint to policy. We draw on two theoretical frameworks, the NLS view of literacy and Bourdieu's capital framework to explain these divergences and conclude that the dominant perception of literacy and the prioritised capital in the context of policy appear to limit the vestiges of democratic learning spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores recent changes in tertiary education policy in New Zealand, which are designed to address legitimation deficits. By offering an analysis of the making, and the subsequent unmaking, of quasi-markets in tertiary education, this paper attempts to describe how the state dealt with legitimation deficits resulting from providers' of tertiary education use of the adult and community education funding category to increase their revenues. In providing this description, the paper helps to provide a way of understanding how the state in New Zealand has responded to legitimation deficits by introducing a new regime of governance. The paper concludes by arguing that, in terms of its treatment of category 5.1 funding, this regime is supportive of neo-conservative goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors of the present paper conducted a comprehensive analysis of university place in the ecosystem of adult education, based on its characteristic functions, priorities of activity and emerging tensions. The participation of universities in the professional training of adults is analyzed. The research focus is projected on the assessment of the situation at the institutional (a university as a social institution) and organizational level (a university as a specific institution of higher education). A discussion of the prospects for transforming the place of higher institution in the ecosystem of adult education is presented. The study was conducted using a semiformalized interview method (n=36) with representatives of the commercial and public sector occupying key positions (heads and top management of universities, corporate universities, educational consulting organizations, providers of non-formal education services, etc.). Main results. Several points of university positioning in the structure of adult education ecosystem are identified: 1) the university is the core of the educational ecosystem and holds this status; 2) the university occupies the central place of the educational ecosystem, but can lose this status by certain actions or inaction; 3) the university is not the core of the educational ecosystem and should not be; 4) the university is not the core of the educational ecosystem, but could become it. According to most experts, universities occupy a central place in the ecosystem of adult education and have a high potential to retain leadership positions, provided that the educational material is relevant and meets the demands of the labor market. At the same time, it is important to consider that some participants of the educational ecosystem (online platforms, corporate universities and others) are rapidly increasing their influence and implementing large-scale educational programs for the population. Universities, having a high level of public trust and being mainly responsible for fundamental professional education, are interested in accumulating the advantages of other participants of the educational ecosystem. It is optimal to present the university as a central hub of educational practices for the population, accumulating the advantages of other actors of the adult education ecosystem. The article is addressed to administrative and managerial staff of universities, representatives of executive authorities and the real sector of the economy, scientific and pedagogical staff and graduate students seeking to study lifelong learning of adults.

Drawing upon a case-study of the students and teaching staff of an Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education (AVCE) in Travel and Tourism, this paper examines the effects of the institutional habitus of a Further and Higher Education (FHE) college upon the higher education choices of a group of ethnically-mixed, working-class young people. The study focuses upon two of the three aspects of the institutional habitus: the expressive order (teacher-student relations) and educational status (curriculum offerings and reputation). Evidence indicated that both aspects exerted a distinct 'college-effect' upon the students' decision-making. Among staff, however, there was a strong degree of ambivalence regarding the effects of supportive teacher-student relations on the students' educational development and choice-making. This ambivalence relates, in turn, to staff perceptions of distinct FE and H.E teaching and learning cultures within the College - or, in effect, a belief that there is not one institutional habitus but two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study that shows the use of professional standards in field experience assessment in initial teacher education. A Professional Development Progress Map was developed in field experience assessment in a teacher education institution in Hong Kong. The study enriches our understanding of the holistic nature of assessing professional competence in teaching, problems of using the Progress Map in summative assessment, and the enhancement of professional learning in field experience assessment. While the discussion cautions the limitations of professional standards, it advocates the empowerment of the assessors and the assessed to be agents striving for good assessments. Suggestions on engaging supervisors and student teachers in 'assessment dialogue' are proposed for this empowerment - making explicit judgments on professional competence in teaching and sharing supervisory practices among supervisors, engaging student teachers with the assessment criteria, and reframing supervisory practices to empower student teachers to take an active role in supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The curtain has come down on the first year of the new social work degree in England. This paper presents the findings of a survey of social work educators in academic and practice settings to find out how practice learning in this year has been experienced and the shape of plans for the rest of the new degree. The paper reflects on the enormous diversity of arrangements for practice learning, in terms of patterns of delivery, assessment, funding, and service user and carer involvement. One pattern that is emerging strongly is a more experimental flavour to this first year, with new practice learning sites being developed, and the use of group arrangements to supervise and support students. However, there is also the potential for inconsistency in standards, especially in the ways that students are judged as 'fit for practice learning'. There are concerns that the new partnerships are increasingly driven by universities and colleges, with some agency partners unclear about what is happening and why. There are also indications that the postgraduate programmes will have less room for experimentation than the three-year undergraduate courses and this may become a source of divergence between the two routes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education for older adults is increasingly becoming a global phenomenon. Taiwan, a small island in the western Pacific Ocean, has responded to the educational needs of its aging population with the development of its version of the University of the Third Age (U3A). However, the title of U3A has never been used in Taiwan. Taiwanese people call their U3A the University for Older Adults (UOA). This paper traces the creation of UOAs in Taiwan and explains why UOAs are as they are. Hence, there are 3 main sections in this paper. First, the researcher briefly explores the context of Taiwan, in terms of historical, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds in relation to this study. Second, this paper aims to trace the historical development of UOAs in Taiwan in order to reveal their developmental processes. Finally, the researcher explains UOAs are as they are in the historical, socioeconomic, and educational context of Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciência em Extensão is the property of Revista Ciencia em Extensao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article presents the life histories of two "nontraditional" college students—Demetrius and Christine—as a means to explore the concept of "outsiderness" and its impact on undergraduate student success. Through multiple interviews and observations conducted over the course of a full year, the article first outlines the life circumstances that compelled both students to leave formal education during adolescence. Then, the article details how Demetrius and Christine managed to return to college despite formidable personal and financial challenges. Although both students demonstrate tremendous promise in their college-level coursework, they are wary of their own college readiness, primarily due to their "nontraditional" educational trajectories and a lack of clarity about instructors' expectations. Hence, the article concludes by considering the forms of support that might help similar nontraditional students succeed in first-year coursework, and eventually graduate from college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a model developed by Brookfield (1995), a deliberately reflective approach is taken in this paper to the relationship between the author's earlier work in a department of adult education and her current teaching on a course for new university lecturers. As increasing numbers of mature students are being encouraged into universities, she wonders whether the principles and practices of adult education have a place in the pedagogic practices of higher education. She summarises the development of adult education departments in British universities, and draws attention to different pedagogic approaches in adult and higher education. Looking through various 'lenses', the author concludes that there is a need for a new professional agenda in higher education - where commonality and difference provide the starting points for mutual exploration and self-understanding - and that the traditions of adult education have a significant contribution to make to this agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to examine how students from foundation degrees (FDs) run at local further education colleges coped (academically and to a lesser extent psychologically) with the transition to a final year honours degree at a university. Design/methodology/approach - This paper is based on the experience of FD graduates who joined the final year of a full-time BSc (Hons) in Business and Management at Edge Hill University. The study utilised questionnaires and focus groups with the FD graduates. It also involved interviews with the lecturers at Edge Hill and the programme managers of the foundation degrees. Findings - The study found that the transition from foundation to honours degree created considerable levels of stress for the students. This largely arose because of the different approaches to teaching and learning adopted in further and higher education. In particular, Edge Hill adopted a more academic approach; there was less support; and there was a greater emphasis on independent learning. This paper identifies the need for more support for students making the transition from foundation to honours degrees. It also discusses different options for improving the transition process and highlights issues requiring further research and debate. Originality/value - The experience of students making the transition from foundation degrees to honours degrees is under-researched. This paper addresses this gap in the research. It will be of interest to policy makers, those involved in delivering foundation degrees and those recruiting FD graduates on to their honours programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common outcome of entering post-compulsory education as a mature aged learner appears to be development and growth of the self. However, this is often only viewed as an outcome or considered an added benefit, rather than an integral part of the academic process itself. This paper explores the relationship between academic growth and personal growth, arguing that they are not mutually exclusive categories, but inter-related ones. Using a grounded theory approach it is suggested that a 're-negotiation' of the self was evident amongst a group of 31 mature students at different stages of their further and higher education courses. The reasons why this might be such a salient issue for mature aged cohorts is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the first phase of a study of the experiences of a small group of students (35) that have entered an ‘elite’ Scottish university directly from Further Education (FE) colleges where they have studied Higher National Certificate and Diploma courses. Students’ experiences were gathered through in‐depth interviews and a standardised questionnaire on entry to the university. Students typically reported positive experiences of their previous courses, with good support from staff. A key concern was balancing study and other commitments, with support from families particularly important. Despite these concerns, the students’ responses to questionnaire items on their approaches to learning in FE were similar to the patterns of responses reported by successful Higher Education (HE) students in other studies. The students’ hopes and fears about HE encompassed both a sense of excitement about this stage as well as considerable anxiety at leaving the highly supportive FE environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper provides an overview of studies that integrate adult learners’ perceptions on e-Learning courses related to healthcare, by identifying and describing characteristics and key factors of these courses and by delineating factors that should be considered when designing e-Learning courses for healthcare practitioners. Methods: A scoping review was conducted of studies evaluating university level e-Learning courses in healthcare disciplines (2010–2020), following the PRISMA-ScR method for data identification, screening, selection and extraction. The data was prepared according to the study, participants, and course characteristics as well as the evaluation of learners’ success, engagement and perceptions. Findings: Of the 246 identified studies, 12 met the inclusion criteria for this study. The evaluation of the e-Learning courses in the sample was generally positive for both online and hybrid models for all outcome variables. Three factors influencing the structure, process and outcome quality of e-learning courses stood out: the functionality of the learning management system (LMS) (i.e., structure quality); the importance of real-time interaction and feedback (i.e., process and outcome quality); and the influence of initial expectations on process and outcome quality. Originality: A substantial body of research has addressed issues related to outcomes and course design across e-Learning courses. Yet, there is no consensus on what can be defined as a successful, high-quality e-Learning course from an adult learner’s perspective. This research highlights factors to consider when designing e-Learning courses for healthcare practitioners that integrates the adult learner’s perspective.

In connection with recent researches on the educational development of faculty members both national and international, this paper presents a pilot training programme to improve faculty members teaching skills at the University of Milano-Bicocca, called “Teaching large classroom”. It started in 2016-2017. This project, structured in a 12 hours workshop, is linked to the studies on primary school teacher training and educational development conducted by the author and also to the francophone tradition on educational development in higher education. The paper shows the theoretical framework of the training, its methodological premises and the first results of the pilot programme. Apprendere per insegnare: il progetto pilota di formazione didattica ai docenti dell’Università Bicocca Il presente contributo, ponendosi in continuità con gli studi sullo sviluppo professionale dei docenti universitari in ambito italiano e internazionale, si propone di descrivere il progetto di formazione didattica rivolto ai docenti dell’Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca e denominato “Workshop di didattica per la grande aula”, avviato nel corso dell’anno accademico 2016-2017. Tale progetto si iscrive nella traiettoria di ricerca avviata dall’autrice nel campo della formazione degli insegnanti e, facendo riferimento alla tradizione francofona sulle metodologie di formazione dei docenti nell’higher education si struttura in un workshop intensivo di 12 ore. In questa sede si illustrano le premesse teoriche e metodologiche del presente progetto e si presentano i primi risultati dell’edizione pilota.

In the paper we present progress of a research project that aims at studying the political-pedagogical project and actions of popular education with youth and adults in the Department of University Extension of the University of Buenos Aires which ran between 1956 and 1966.The Department of University Extension attempted to articulatethe university with the people. The focus of its actions was in the Maciel Island. There, for ten years, they developed educational, health and welfare actions in order to solve the problems of the inhabitants of the island, from a joint effort between the university and the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past four decades, the number and percent of adults attending colleges and universities has significantly increased. During this same period, corporate and business training for adult employees has grown to as much as $200 billion a year. Research suggests some important differences between adults and their younger counterparts. Due to extensive research in both higher education and corporate training, it is now clear that our understanding of how adults learn has reduced barriers to their success. This paper will explore the implications of applying educational best practices for adult learners to work-related training, and vice-versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to present a praxis-based pedagogy in the classroom teaching of spirituality and work to working adult students. The article provides an overview of classroom scholarship that illuminates activities for transformational learning and emphasizes the importance of four key dialogues: self-dialogue, dialogue with co-workers, dialogue with classmates, and dialogue with the teacher. Such dialogues provide a pathway through the challenges of teaching/learning about spirituality and work by making available an open space for meaning-making and critique around spiritual experiences of work. The author’s metalogue throughout provides a parallel dialectical structure relating to the core content; a faithful demonstration to walk the talk of praxis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education is the property of Canadian Association for University Continuing Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the conceptions of teachership among graduates (n = 126) from a Finnish higher education study programme called Pedagogical Studies for Adult Educators. The conceptions of teachership comprise notions of teaching and of oneself as a teacher. Accordingly, the conceptions of teachership are viewed as one element in the process of constructing teacher identity. Currently, we have little knowledge about the professional identity construction of adult educators, even though there is a growing need for adult pedagogics in the changing professional life. Based on a qualitative thematic analysis of open-ended questionnaire data, three main conceptual categories were identified: (1) teachership as an activity, (2) teachership as a personal disposition, and (3) teachership as a process. It was concluded that in studying teacher identity it is essential to focus on the interplay between the personal and the social. Thus, the findings suggest that in understanding and supporting the construction of teacher identities, one should pay particular attention to the intertwined relationship between individual and collective needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a mobile media art curriculum for engaging at-risk students with their schooling and with civic engagement. The pilot study was conducted with at-risk youth who were seeking their high school diplomas. The curriculum encouraged participants to use mobile media in school and outside. Students examined aspects of their neighbourhoods and sometimes explored themes suggested by the workshop leader. Data consisted of participants' images, their posts and interview responses. We noted that civic engagement grew out of participants' initial interest in, and concern for, the formal, technical and aesthetic aspects of their images. Our participants recognized that, if an image is well made, it will be that much more effective in communicating its civic message. In this article, we will consider the primacy of the aesthetic as a promising principle for developing curricula that reorient at-risk youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many nation-states have realized the importance of tertiary education and the world has seen a corollary increase in tertiary education enrollments. Using Berry and Berry’s event history model as a framework, this study tests both the internal features of each country and the influence that nation-states have on each other with regard to setting tertiary enrollment policies. As expanding tertiary education is an important policy worldwide, we use Trow’s classification to define two levels of tertiary education expansion: first, increasing gross tertiary enrollment rates above 15% (from elite to massified), and second, above 50% (from massified to universal). Analyzing a unique cross-national panel dataset, which spans the time period from 1999 to 2005, our findings show that both internal determinants (secondary education participation rates and the political landscape) as well as diffusion factors (proximity to a pioneering nation and regional variables) influence nations in setting tertiary enrollment policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we describe the multiple phases of a teaching project that was constructed around an actual request by a Muslim community in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) to establish an Islamic cultural centre. The request provoked a sometimes heated discussion among politicians and citizens that was published in daily newspapers. A large number of the arguments that appeared in the newspapers failed to meet fair argumentation standards and strategies. The teaching project described here therefore aimed to sensitize future teachers to issues of argumentation integrity in dialogues, especially between persons with different religious and ideological convictions. The project was subdivided into three main phases, which treated the topic from different perspectives and with different methods: a simulation game dealing with the request by the Muslim community, a theory-based phase in which participants became acquainted with a construct of argumentation integrity and from this deduced standards and strategies relating to unfair argumentation, and an application phase in which the participants had to examine published arguments by politicians relating to the request by the Muslim community in order to identify rule violations in argumentations. The empirical results suggest that the project promoted insight into unfair argumentation. Such insight can improve interreligious and intercultural communication processes at school. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses the highlights of the one-day workshop which explored the position of Medieval French Studies in the Great Britain and was held at the Maison Française d'Oxford in June 2013. The opening and closing remarks were delivered by Simon Gaunt from King's College in London. The sessions focused on topics including the place of Medival French in the curriculum, the required tools to teach Medieval French language and literature, and the possibilities for pooling resources.

The article focuses on the education and training pathway system in South Africa. The pathway model is comprised of elements such as the General Education and Training (GET), Further Education and Training (FET) and Higher Education and Training (HET) bands. It looks into the problems of articulation, progression and mobility presented by the pathway model. One proposed change to the pathway model is the introduction of community colleges that cover basic and post-basic education phases.

For the past 20 years, researchers worldwide have shared a consensus that tracking leads to failure in school. But educational systems continue to use this practice for many reasons. One argument used to support the practice is that students who enter the vocational track early in their careers tend to enter the labour market more quickly. Data show, however, that when these people are in their 40s, they become the most vulnerable to poverty, especially during periods of economic recession. In addition to moving towards more comprehensive educational systems as the best long-term way to improve the chances of all future adults, our research demonstrates that schools can play a key role in preventing and reversing the risk of unemployment and poverty of low educated youth. The INCLUD-ED project has analysed effective actions in eight European countries (Slovenia, United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Romania, Belgium, Finland, and Spain) that respond to the educational needs of those who have experienced tracking. These effective alternatives are vocational programmes that include an academic-type of curriculum and allow students to move to higher education, as well as adult education programmes in schools which meet families' training needs, improving their opportunities in the labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to a body of work that addresses the process of 'becoming a teacher' and focuses on the relationship of the higher education (HE) (theoretical) component of the teaching qualification to the (practical) placement experience that student teachers undertake. This study approaches the data through the concept of 'community of practice' aiming to interrogate its usefulness as a theoretical idea that can illuminate the experience of student teachers studying on a Post Graduate Certificate in Education, Post-Compulsory Education (PGCE PCE) for teachers of adult literacy course in the UK. The 'community of practice' concept has been widely used to describe the process whereby student teachers gain entry into a professional identity via 'situated learning'. The idea is attractive, suggesting as it does that there is a strongly communicative dimension to learning how to teach and that an apprenticeship-type relationship - in which culture and values are shared - is possible. This article originates from a small-scale research project that used a collaborative methodological approach. It considers some broad applications of the communities of practice concept from the literature as applied to post-compulsory education teacher education. Then, drawing on ethnographic data from a cohort of pre-service literacy student teachers, the article goes on to suggest an alternative model of such a community. The central perspective it posits is that it is possible to achieve shared understandings about what it means to be a literacy teacher in further education (FE) settings in a localised community of practice (the tutor group itself), but that one of the cohesive forces that helps sustain such a community is that it defines itself against many of the cultural norms that have taken root in the current culture of FE colleges in England, not least among Skills for Life teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This chapter examines practical problems encountered in mentoring adult learners in higher education through stories of ethical dilemmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines an important and yet neglected aspect of the relationship between higher education and the labour market in contemporary China. It does this through a detailed case study of student motivations, quality and status in adult higher education (AHE) in the city of Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. This is a region which has seen major economic and social changes as China makes the transition from a centrally planned to a market-oriented economy. The case study is placed in that context. Using the theoretical perspective of human capital theory, the article examines the role of education in labour markets. It then considers the relevance of lifelong learning to the research and provides an account of the methodological approach used in the study. The findings of the research are then presented according to the key research questions. These are that the utilitarianism which exists in AHE provision and demand in China has had an impact upon the quality of provision and learning in this sector. This will definitely not help to develop a lifelong-learning-based society and promote citizens' all-round development as suggested by government regulations on lifelong learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The creation of a flexible education system, including procedures for the validation of previous education and other forms of knowledge should be one of the objectives of higher education institutions as well as other institutions that are engaged in adult education. To be effective, the system must be developed and implemented in partnership with employers, individuals and educational institutions. This article describes the situation with respect to the recognition of prior learning in EU countries and the Slovenian reactions to them. Moreover, it presents the results of empirical research which investigated the motivation of educational institutions to co-operate in the system established to validate non-formal and informal learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Canada, as in many countries, public continuing education of the non-vocational general interest type for people in post-work languishes on the margins of political discourse. This case study of one such traditional program for seniors run by a school board in Ontario explores the experiences of older adults and the meanings they attach to their learning. The goal is to better understand the roles and effects later life learning has in promoting health and well-being at both the individual and community levels. This study analyzes qualitative data collected through interviews, classroom observations and documents, referring to the micro, meso and macro levels of theory in adult education, psychology, health and social gerontology. The three main learning outcomes identified include: 1) the effects of enduring interest, 2) classrooms as social support networks, and 3) the awareness of the right to learn. The article examines how these outcomes function as health promoting mechanisms for individuals and communities. The results indicate the vital role played by affordable and accessible public continuing education program for retirees, especially seniors at risk. They also suggest the need for further quantitative research to measure the impact of learning on health and the quality of later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the impact of an award scheme provided by one of the Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs). The award scheme provides financial and other support for lecturers teaching higher education in colleges of further education. Award schemes are common to most of the CETLs and have also been provided in some institutions. The article discusses findings from a focus group discussion held with recipient practitioners. The focus group discussion was part of a study of the impact of the CETLs on reward and recognition for teaching, funded through the Higher Education Academy. The article locates the award scheme in the wider context of the national CETL initiative and in the changing structure and function of further education. The impact of the award is examined in terms of the opportunities and benefits experienced by the individual lecturers and also in terms of the impact on the wider policy agenda of the CETL initiative to improve reward and recognition for teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]