Bibliography: pages 315-322. / This study explored the use of the experiential learning methodology and the concept of learner responsibility within a course for the professional preparation of adult educators at university level. The research methodology was illuminative evaluation using case study research and participant observation. The study described the problems and issues that arose when the students, on the 1982 Diploma Course for Educators of Adults at the University of Cape Town, were faced with the responsibility for the designing, managing and teaching of their own curriculum. The analysis of this showed an ability and willingness on the part of most students to engage in this responsibility. For some students the required role as "curriculum constructor" contradicted with their expected and preferred stance of a learner receiving mediated knowledge from a teacher. The role of assessment diminished the freedom to engage in responsibility, and the difficulties of decision making and management led ultimately to the formation of a management committee. The study went on to examine learner responsibility and experiential learning in more depth. The students' preference for other methodologies and their own perceived ability and confidence to engage with both learner responsibility and experiential learning were major hindrances for the course. The conflict of roles experienced by both the staff and students at a variety of points required a way of clarifying and resolving this conflict, otherwise it continued to block involvement for the students or staff. For learner responsibility the access to learning resources was a further problem. The introduction of experiential learning and the apparent non-openness of it to other methodologies were also problems experienced in practice. The research concluded with an attempt to address these problems. It was proposed that experiential learning and learner responsibility needed to be reconceptualised. Developments such as "learning contracts", "a learning community", new forms of assessment, "learning conversations" and increasing the reflective capacity of experiential learning were proposed. The research ended with a series of implications for practice for those adult education programmes which were committed to a learning process which maximised learner responsibility and autonomy and took seriously the life experience of the students.

Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION in the Department of Philosophy of Education at the University of Zululand, 1995. / The researcher sought to investigate whether Black people in South Africa view adult education as having any significant role. The researcher established a view that adult education is a tool for transformation. He further demonstrated through his constructive discussions that adult education is a tool for self-liberation and self-development. In this study the researcher has tried to form a harmonious relationship between a sociological approach and philosophical point of view. This study attempts to emphasize the importance of adult education for Blacks in particular. The researcher decided to state his problem in the form of questions: "Does adult education have any significant role in helping Blacks respond to changes and challenges they face in South Africa?" "Do Blacks perceive adult education to be of any particular significance in helping them respond meaningfully to some economic, social and political responsibilities they face?" These and other similar questions helped the researcher in making worthwhile recommendations at the end of his study. The study showed that in every society people need education to fulfil meaningful roles. The researcher has, in many instances, pointed out that adult education will help Blacks respond meaningfully to some challenges they face, especially in the new South Africa. The study revealed that policy makers, planners, trainers, teachers and learners have different views and ideas about what literacy means, what its benefits and consequences are, how it should be achieved, on what scale and why. The researcher found that there was a need for an adult literacy programme that would help Black people become fully involved as citizens of their country. South Africa. The study showed that without this programme it would be almost impossible for Blacks to fulfil any significant role in boosting the economy of the country. In this study adult literacy programmes were seen as components of adult education. Modern society needs people who could meaningfully create a stable environment for the upbringing of future citizens, contribute to society through work, participation in education and training processes. Adult education could help Blacks perform these tasks- The researcher supports the National Education Policy Investigation (1992) on literacy because it empowers individuals, promotes rural, urban or national self-development and self-reliance, accelerates economic development, hastens modernisation, makes individuals more confident and assertive. In Chapter One the problem was stated, aims of the study outlined and major concepts were elucidated. In Chapter Two the rationale for theory and practice in adult education was discussed. It was revealed that adult education responds to individual and social needs. Chapter Three surveys the historical development of adult education in certain countries and also examines some trends of similar developments in South Africa. The researcher found that there has been some commitment in various countries including South Africa to adult education. Chapter Four looked into the magnitude of illiteracy in South Africa and how some organisations have tried to combat it. Whereas Chapter Five describes the research methodology, Chapter Six presents the analysis of data, interpretation and evaluation of the findings. In the analysis of data it was noted that 68% of the respondents indicated that adult education was very important. With regard to the question of the importance of literacy, 43% of the respondents felt that learning to write, learning to count and learning to read were of cardinal importance especially for most Blacks in South Africa. Only 4% of the sample showed uncertainty. Ninety five percent (95%) of the subjects felt that adult education could help elevate the standard of the economy of the country. Only 1% of the respondents felt that this would not be the case. Literature review, interviews and empirical surveys conducted revealed that provision for adult education is necessary for all racial groups in general and for Blacks in particular. Among some recommended actions that the researcher made, the following can be cited: * Adult education programmes are needed at the local, regional and national levels of the governance of education in South Africa. These need to be spelt out clearly in the policy for education and training. * There is a need for research that will assess the needs of people at any given place so that there is no waste of resources on the provision of adult education. * There is a dire need for all stakeholders in education and in particular non-formal education to work collaboratively for the enhancement of adult education schemes. These include the government, members of the community and non-government organisations (NGOs). The researcher felt that the private sector could support adult education projects by way of sponsorships and loans. Though the researcher recommended the involvement of industry and commerce in the education of Blacks he, however, emphasized that what was urgently needed amonc Blacks was education for self-reliance ant self-development- The study revealed that there is a dire need to empowe: Blacks with skills for life and that education should h viewed as a life-long process. The researcher also recommended the setting up of mor adult education centres, consultancy units and researc units for the promotion of adult education. The researcher recommended that a needs assessment shoul be conducted to set up adult education programmes on short-, medium- and long-term basis. Adult education should become a serious and urgent subjec of curriculum planners. However, the research* recommended that there was a dire need for educatit planners in adult education to consult the people, exper' in this field, the private sector and all other interest parties before curricular options are designed. * Black people themselves should form clubs, societies, associations and organisations that will develop programmes for adult education. * Ordinary day schools should be used at night and on weekends for adult education. * There is an urgent need to train adult educators who should be awarded diplomas and certificates after completing their studies. * Colleges of education, technikons and universities should have departments of adult education. In addition to this, all universities need to establish adult education centres. Another important dimension of the study emerged when the researcher made use of the philosophical method to evaluate the trend of emphasis in the theory and practice of adult education. The researcher mentioned that there is also a philosophy that guides the activity of adult education. Links were also forged between a philosophical method and an empirical-analytical method. Substantive reasons for the employment of the philosophical and the empirical method were given. A noteworthy revelation was that the perceptions of Blacks with regard to the significant role of adult education embody some elements of the radical philosophy. Most of these people felt that adult education could help solve some of the social, economic, political and cultural problems. These are some of the immediate problems of these people. This urgent reformist and revolutionary reference to the task of adult education is typical of the radical approach. The radical approach only ignores and undermines the fact that there is always a need for planning and foresight that should precede any implementation of a programme. It is, however, important to mention that a diagnosis of the perceptions of Blacks as observed in the empirical research showed that adult education among these people will have to adopt more of a progressive dimension which is associated with progress and development of the people. It has to do with continuing education which enables the lives of the people to change continously.

No description available.

No description available.

<p> <b>Purpose.</b> The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between university advertising and marketing procedures and techniques and the personal characteristics and motivations of nontraditional students who decide to enroll in bachelor&rsquo;s degree programs. The overarching goal was to explore the experiences and decision-making processes of these students in an effort to address the lack of data guiding college and university marketing behavior toward this unique population. This project examined the decision making of college-bound individuals through the lens of electronic marketing, traditional marketing, and word-of-mouth marketing methods.</p><p> <b>Methodology.</b> An exploratory quantitative research design was used. A survey was designed using a combination of previously validated instruments and questions developed by the researcher to measure the influence of marketing on nontraditional undergraduate students&rsquo; enrollment decisions. The sample consisted of nontraditional students who had recently enrolled in a degree/accelerated degree program in one of four colleges/universities in Southern California and had not yet completed a full semester/quarter of coursework.</p><p> <b>Findings.</b> A significant difference was found in the amount of marking exposure among nontraditional students by medium. The analysis indicated a significant difference in the influence of marketing across racial and gender groups that also varied by medium. Females were significantly more influenced by the universities&rsquo; websites, for example. Males were significantly more influenced by word-of-mouth marketing from family members, and females were more likely to seek out friends than family for information. Also, those belonging to the &ldquo;other&rdquo; ethnic subgroup were significantly more influenced by online ads than their African American, Hispanic, or Caucasian counterparts.</p><p> <b>Conclusions.</b> Several significant factors were identified that influence the decision-making process of nontraditional students who are preparing to enroll in an institution of higher education. Exposure to relevant marketing materials varies across a number of variables, and the influence of word-of-mouth marketing may be more important to this population when compared to traditional undergraduates.</p><p> <b>Recommendations.</b> Further research is needed to inform the marketing methodologies in which institutions of higher education engage when reaching out to nontraditional students. This population&rsquo;s motivations for enrolling are unique and, when combined with personal sociodemographic variables, represent an important challenge for university marketing professionals. </p>

Typescript, etc. / Digitized by Kansas State University Libraries

Typescript, etc. / Digitized by Kansas State University Libraries

<p> Spirituality in the workplace has received increased focus over the past two decades. This heuristic study examined how religious spirituality informs and/or influences individual perceptions of meaningful work experiences. A literature review on the subject found a dearth of research. </p><p> The primary research question was the following: What is the relationship between religious spirituality and meaningful work for the co-researchers in the study? The eight co-researchers were members of a United Methodist congregation in Washington, DC. The co-researchers ranged in age from 30 to 53 years old. All identified as African American. Six discussed meaningful work experiences that involved paid work, while the other two mentioned meaningful work experiences as unpaid volunteers. Semi-structured interviews were used as the primary means of collecting data. </p><p> The researcher analyzed and synthesized the data using Moustakas&rsquo;s (1990) approach. The co-researchers&rsquo; experiences shared four themes. The first, seeking God&rsquo;s purpose, relates to the co-researcher&rsquo;s desire to do work considered pleasing in God&rsquo;s sight and in pursuit of the fulfillment of a higher purpose or calling. The second theme involves placing a priority on the mission of the work versus the monetary benefit. The third, growing spiritually through meaningful work, describes the intangible benefit co-researchers received through their meaningful work experiences. Finally, the fourth theme, impacting the lives of others, is described as a key component of all of the co-researcher&rsquo;s meaningful work experiences. Based on the results, a creative synthesis was developed, and implications and recommendations are suggested.</p>

<p> Many colleges and universities have expanded their mission to include adult learners. Programs range from scheduling traditional courses in the evening to designing new programs tailored to meet the needs of working adults. Program designers have relied on theorists such, as Mezirow (1991), Houle (1996), and Knowles, Holton, and Swanson (1998), to develop programs that apply adult learning theory. Lindenwood College, now Lindenwood University, established The Lindenwood College for Individualized Education (LCIE) in 1975 to serve adult students in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The program has evolved over the course of 40 years, and this program evaluation evaluated the program effectiveness in its current delivery format.</p><p> This program evaluation employed a mixed-method design to answer one main research question and two sub-questions. The main research question asked, How does LCIE, in its current incarnation, address the ideals of adult learning theory, the needs of busy contemporary adult students, and the requirements of the accrediting agency? Sub-question #1 asked, How have LCIE learning processes evolved since 1975? Sub-question #2 asked, Is there congruency between LCIE mission and practice?</p><p> The outcome measurement data was gathered through a comparison of pre-test and post-test data collected by the university to assess critical thinking skills of entering and graduating students. The university employed the ETS Proficiency Profile, and a sample of 30 students was extracted from that data set for comparison for this study. The findings showed that the differences between pre-test and post-test scores were not significant.</p><p> The process measurement data was gathered through interviews with volunteer faculty (3) and students (9) from the program. A series of interview questions was posed, and the responses coded to identify three emerging themes. The three themes were general satisfaction, the importance of job preparation and career mobility, and program rigor.</p><p> The program evaluation found that LCIE is currently applying adult learning theory and there is congruency between the program mission statement and the program practice. The answer to sub-question 1 concerning the changes in the program was inconclusive as the students had not experienced the changes and therefore felt unqualified to comment.</p>

<p> Using semiotics theories as a guide, the qualitative examination of storytelling literature and current storytelling practitioners provides research support for a list of storytelling components. Analysis of story building components discovered from literature in comparison to the results from research questionnaire responses by current storytellers confirms the existence of a historic list of regularities in storytelling practice. The analysis of current storytelling literature, narrative research literature, and historic Western European literature enables the development of five descriptive statements guiding the formation of a story. The comparison of the beliefs and practices of current storytellers to the five descriptive statements guiding the formation of a story provide a research method confirming regularities in storytelling practices across historic and ethnic boundaries. The resulting list of story components support the central research question.</p>