A Critical Assessment of Adult Continuing Education Curriculum Development in Practice. Occasional Paper Number 3.

This document contains six papers examining the theoretical and practical development of university adult continuing education (ACE) curricula in the late 1990s. The following are among the factors considered in "An Exploration of the Factors Affecting the Adult Continuing Education Curriculum" (Roseanne Benn): goals; cultural, political, and educational forces; and experiences or philosophies of knowledge. "Word-Power: The Influence of Language on Practice in Curriculum Development" (Simon Trezise) explores the power of the dominant discourse and the power of individuals to resist or change it. The drive toward vocational relevance in ACE in the last 2 decades and its effect on curriculum development is analyzed in "A Re-formation of Liberal Values: Embedding Transferable Skills in the Adult Continuing Education Curriculum" (Roger Fieldhouse). The trend toward a "skills-based" history in ACE is traced in "Developing a History Curriculum for Adult Learners--A Case Study" (Lynne Thompson). "A Part-time Humanities Degree off Campus: Factors in Curriculum Design" (Ella Westland) describes efforts at the University of Exeter's outpost in Cornwall to respond to changing student demands and funding formulas. "Widening Access: A Curriculum for Distance Learning" (Caroline Whiting) outlines the process of setting up distance learning provision in ACE at Exeter. (MN)