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Storyville, the legalized red-light district of New Orleans (1897-1917), was a designated space containing informal opportunities for learning in which its residents practiced the sex trade. Although Storyville was created to regulate prostitution, prostitutes and madams learned the city’s legal system, politics, and economics to survive in a socially constructed space. Using primary and secondary sources and informed by theory, including informal learning, spatial production, and critical and feminist geography, this study explores the adult learning that took place in Storyville. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Extension has enhanced the lives of U.S. citizens through adult education in a myriad of ways. However, as budgets get tighter, accountability becomes increasingly more important. Over the years, Extension has reported low level impacts rather than the long-term successes that those working within the system know are occurring. Without enhanced evaluation-driven environments, Extension systems will continue to inadequately report programmatic successes, resulting in a lower perceived public value of Extension programs. The use of evaluation can create an atmosphere which encourages organizational thinking resulting in the types of accountability reports which are adequate for decision making. This study examined how Extension professionals' perceptions of evaluation use related to their evaluation behaviors. The findings suggest a substantial percentage of Extension professionals are doing just enough evaluation to complete mandatory reports. It also showed that Extension professionals who valued their own personal use, but not necessarily organizational use of their evaluations, were more likely to conduct in-depth evaluations. Recommendations for enhancing evaluation driven work environments include clearer communication from administration demonstrating the value of evaluation beyond the role it plays in accountability and working directly with Extension professionals to promote evaluation-oriented conversations rather than just delivering state-led in-service trainings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides an overview of several studies related to adult education and literacy. These include "Moving Research About Addressing the Impacts of Violence on Learning Into Practice," by Evelyn Battell et al., "English Literacy of Foreign-Born Adults in the U.S.: 2003," by Siri Warkentien et al., and "Tracking Adult Literacy and Numeracy Skills: Findings From Longitudinal Research," by Stephen Reder and John Bynner.

The article focuses on the support needed in behavioral research among distance education students in the U.S. It examines the quality of research methods course, the barriers or challenges in implementing some of these in a distance education context, and some recommendations generated after a pilot research methods course through WebCT. It discusses the techniques involved in the methods used for distance research and the challenges along this program. Moreover, it recommends the use of tools that incorporate research-methodology into the distance education curricula.

The article offers information on research related to adult education. The second update of the report "Education Pays" focuses on the financial and nonmonetary benefits of higher education. A study titled "America's Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation's Forces" states the educational and economic factors that affect the U.S.

This article presents a qualitative analysis of stories of successful students told in adult literacy education. These stories follow a similar narrative, beginning with a protagonist who must overcome life obstacles, makes a conscious decision to change her life, rejects dependency, is of high moral character, remains optimistic despite challenges, and who ultimately succeeds through determination, perseverance, and hard work. After presenting these stories I argue that they are the latest manifestation of a genre of stories told for centuries in the United States and that comprise what many have called the 'American Myth of Success'. This myth, which has its roots in seventeenth-century Puritanism, states that every person, as a result of hard work and effort, can create the life they want for themselves. While these myths might provide hope for some adult literacy learners and teachers, I conclude that unquestioningly telling these success stories help to perpetuate the assumptions of this myth of success, and results in blaming adult learners for their own failure while ignoring social and structural factors that impede success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many countries, including the US and England, have developed sub-degree institutions within tertiary education—community colleges, further education colleges, and related institutions in other countries. The policy question is whether the differentiation of tertiary education has been a wise development, and whether the benefits—greater access to tertiary education, an emphasis on teaching, an ability to bridge different purposes, lower costs—outweigh the potentially negative effects on equity. In the US, a number of ways of blurring the boundaries between community colleges and universities have developed, representing potential solutions to some of the problems created by differentiated institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the research requirements for adult education in the United States. Two current needs are the identification of important researchable questions and a more competent effort to perform and use adult education research. Three areas of concern are: the individual adult learner; the social context of group and community; and the adult education agency.

The article offers information on studies related to adult education published in the U.S. It includes "Literacy in Everyday Life: Results From the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)," by Mark Kutner et al., "Reading Practices Among Adult Education Participants," by Daryl Mellard et al. and "Skill Acquisition and Use Across the Life Course: Current Trends, Future Prospects," by Bill Martin.

This article focuses on matters concerning adult education in the U.S. When the depression came, a gradual and development was well under way. This was largely stopped by depression conditions, but the Federal Emergency Program under the Work Progress Administration was super-imposed, resulting in a mushroom growth on a temporary basis. And also, one of the fundamental problems of adult education which is the guidance of adults continue to exist. Under these circumstances, research on fundamental adult education problems has been limited.

In this article the author offers perspectives on aspects of "Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education," 2010 edition relative to adult education research in the U.S. She points out that the handbook exposes an aspect of the present adult learning as it looks at the status of adult education research and clears up fundamental issues and controversies. She also mentions that the handbook reveals the superiority of adult education against disciplines.

The article focuses on the results of the study "Forces Changing Our Nation's Future," by Andrew Sum. The research is funded by the National Commission on Adult Literacy as a companion piece to "The Perfect Storm" report. The author of the research reveals that U.S. adults are about average in their literacy skills, compared to 19 other high-income nations. He concludes that the country will have poorer average performance and a higher degree of inequality in terms of literacy skills by 2030.

The article offers an overview of the research "Adult Transitions Longitudinal Study (ATLAS), 2007-2011," by Cristine Smith and Steve Sireci. The study will monitor the 2007-2008 group of the Adult Basic Education (ABE)-to-College Transition Project students for five years to determine the outcomes for participants and the factors that influence those results. It aims to inform U.S. legislators, students and funding organizations on the effectiveness of the project in order to help adults attain postsecondary education and economic/employment gains.

Focuses on studies on adult and continuing education in the U.S. Forms of adult education experiments conducted through the American Association for Adult Education; Objectives of the forum program, an adult education experiment held in Des Moines, Iowa; Focus of the experiments and studies on adult education.

The article presents information about the paper "Federal Support to Adult Education: Boon or Boondoggle?" by Burton W. Kreitlow, in the journal "Adult Education." By citing and analyzing a proposal writing experience, Kreitlow shows how the use of "bafflegab" leads to research proposals which the U.S. federal bureaucrats approve, but which do not meet important research needs in adult education. Kreitlow concludes that a better job may be done, by meeting adult education research needs by recognizing the politics and people's own conscience in order to strike a more satisfactory.

Discusses the need for a forum for applicable adult education research in the United States. Reasons little adult education research are put into practice; Parochialism; Implications for adult educators.