Policy Recommendations Related to Self-Directed Adult Learning

TOPICS COVERED IN THIS PAPER

Preface

INTRODUCTION

General Statement

The Workshop

State of the Art

Definition of Terms

Mission Statement

POLICY

Assumptions

Policy Statements

1. Adults as Learners

Self-Assessment

Feedback

Learning Environment

2. Adult Educators

Research

Training

Service

3. Adult Education Agencies

Awareness

Program Administration

Adult Needs and Interests

Consequence Analysis

SUMMARY

REFERENCES

Appendix A: Workshop Participants and Staff

Appendix B: Workshop Information

Appendix C: Summary of Presentations

Appendix D: Reflections From A Process Observer (Connie Leean)

Appendix E: The Derivation of Policy

Appendix F: Impediments to Implementing Policy

Appendix G: Consequence Analysis Guidelines

Appendix H: Terms/Concepts Needing Definition

INTRODUCTION

General Statement

Are we a self-directed learning society? The "discovery" in the past few years of the vast amount of learning by adults that takes place each year outside of the formal classroom would lead one to believe that we are living in a self-directed learning society. Tough's (1979) seminal research on learning projects increased our awareness of the enormity of self-directed learning. Subsequent research and writing by Coolican (1974), Hiemstra (1975, 1976), Luikart (1977), Penland (1978, 1979), and several others have provided indications that the high level of involvement by adults in self-directed learning activities is fairly consistent across populations and even societies irrespective of such variables as location, amount of education, age, economic status, and occupational history.

It may well be that adults have always been heavily engaged in numerous learning projects, many of which have been self-directed in nature. Indeed, before there were many institutionalized adult education classes as we know of them, there were libraries, study groups, discussion clubs, Abraham Lincoln's study by the light from the fireplace; American pioneers learning about traveling, survival, and agriculture in new lands through observation, experimentation, and experience; vast numbers of newly arrived United States residents learning English in self-study groups; and many other forms of self-directed adult learning. However, the research described above, the increasing pressure by adults for more learning opportunities and the awareness of diminishing national resources with related future implications for less travel to classroom settings are some of the pressures forcing more attention on self-directed learning. Subsequently, there is a real need for educators involved with lifelong learning to respond in some way.

In addition, an assumption underlying this report and the workshop is that we must give much more attention to the implications of a self-directed learning society. Indeed, many educators seem to be embracing this "new" learner as a clientele base of dollars waiting to be spent on good self-directed learning resources:

. . . I am becoming increasingly concerned about the over eagerness of some colleges to attract adult learners into college classrooms; their goal would appear to be institutional survival rather than social good. . . . I believe that all education, especially postsecondary education, should be directed toward making people more self-directed learners, and colleges can contribute very constructively to that goal if they are encouraged to think beyond institutional survival to providing for the real needs of adult learners. (Cross, 1980, p. 629)

Still other educators working with lifelong learning programs are either discounting the self-directed adult learning research or viewing the attempts to serve self-directed learners as threatening to their own head count needs. Unfortunately, there have not been many reports in the literature of efforts to think through the implications, policy needs, and programming changes related to the self-directed learner nor the appropriate roles for educational institutions and educators, themselves.

For example, and perhaps most important, what are the rights of the learner and the related responsibilities of the educator? Should the educator intervene in self-directed learning activities? If so, when, how often, how much, and what should be the nature of the intervention? What are the responsibilities of the educator and the rights of the learner regarding the costs of learning assistance? These and many other related questions need to have answers in the form of policies and guidelines. Perhaps, and this is not intended to be flippant, the self-directed learner needs to be protected by a code of ethics: "A Bill of Rights for adult learners would recognize that a creative and socially relevant individualism is alive and well in self-initiated learning." (Penland, 1979, p. 178)

A brief anecdote may help explain why I have put so much emphasis on the rights and responsibilities issue. One of my Aunts and I share a passion for genealogy. Both of us have studied the same branch of the family name fairly extensively. In comparing notes for the first time several months ago I realized that our study efforts were classic examples of learning projects. However, our approaches were vastly different. I had taken a non-credit adult education class in genealogy, had read five books and numerous pamphlets on the subject, had worked with fellow genealogists, had worked with a librarian in the genealogy section of a large historical library, and had made a several day pilgrimage to the Genealogical Society Library in Salt Lake City. Then, using what I believe to be considerable self-directed learning, I compiled enough information to write a little history of the family name. My Aunt, on the other hand, spends much of her free time (amounting to hundreds of hours each year) visiting libraries or cemeteries on the East Coast. When I questioned her about her own approach she described a process that sounded to me fairly inefficient. She spends several days each year looking through books like The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, usually in libraries in the east rather than looking for the same sources closer to her home in Michigan. She has never taken a class on the subject, has not read any books on how to do it, and prefers to work alone rather than with someone like a librarian. Inefficient? Perhaps! And yet, she has a love for the research activity second to none. Further, she has picked up an enormous amount of information on the subject over the years and because of her perseverance makes several "finds" each year. She described with absolute glee the many times she has been able to track down an important gravestone that helped to fit some family tree puzzle pieces together.

The point of sharing this anecdote is to raise questions like the following: Would I have increased her satisfaction by showing her how to be a more "efficient" genealogist? Did I have a right to even intervene in this case? Could she have been turned off by some classroom expert possibly challenging her approach and attempting to instill a better one? I have chosen not to intervene other than to share my findings with her and to answer any questions she has raised on how I obtained my information. However, this example has caused me to reflect often on the need to have some guidelines regarding adult educators' responsibilities to the learner.

Another implication has to do with the creation of more and better resources for learning. High quality learning guides, programmed learning materials on a variety of subjects, inexpensive help in the form of available resource people throughout a community, improved correspondence educational opportunities, increased non-traditional options, and a greater mobilization of the entire community and its available resources for learning are some of the possibilities.

A final implication to be discussed here deals with the differences in learning styles or learner preferences of self-directed learners. Thus, the need to truly act as a facilitator of learning is as great outside the classroom setting as it is inside the classroom. Subsequently, the future training of educators who will work with or are working with lifelong learning programs must deal with both the facilitator and the self-directed learner concepts.

Therefore, the purpose of this report and my primary motivation for holding the workshop is to initiate the development of policy guidelines for both facilitators of learning and learners, themselves. I hope, too, that readers of this report will be challenged to think about their roles, their beliefs, and their own learning needs. I invite each reader to improve on what we have started, to implement policy where appropriate, and to begin addressing some tough questions regarding the roles of educators and institutions. Certainly we have raised more questions than answers. However, they are questions that need some answers.

The Workshop

A three credit (quarter not semester) workshop on self-directed adult learning was held during July 14 - 25, 1980, on the campus of Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. A total of 16 persons representing a variety of professional backgrounds and walks of life were the workshop participants. In addition, eight people served as staff members in some capacity. Appendix A describes the participants and staff members.

Workshop participants met daily, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m., and additional hours outside that time period as necessary for small group work, individual study, and final project development. For those readers interested in duplicating portions of the workshop process or contents, Appendix B contains a description of the workshop rationale, requirements, and schedule. Appendix C summarizes the presentations by workshop staff.

A process of maximizing participant involvement, input, and feedback was utilized during the workshop. This included diagnosing needs, small and large group discussions, agenda building activities, clarifying procedures, formats, and commitments through processing (interactive feedback), individual discussions with the workshop leader, and various evaluation activities. Appendix D, for example, contains some process observation comments by Connie Leean.

Perhaps the most difficult task during the workshop was developing a format for describing policy statements and implementation recommendations. The literature provides a variety of suggestions for developing policy; often a suggestion in one source will conflict with or have no relationship to those found in other sources. Gilder (1979, 1980), for example, talks about a policy framework primarily in terms of providing guidelines for decision-making. Boyer in a recent conference urged that policy specify exactly which learners are to be served and which content areas are to be stressed (Gross, 1980). Ziegler and Healy (1979) advocate the formation of policy teams and the use of futures-invention activities to develop policy recommendations.

A difficult task, however, was synthesizing a procedure for developing and writing policy statements. Several sources provided ideas on what should be included in a policy. For example, a periodical (Croft Board Service) has provided information on developing school board policies. Weichenthal (1980) represents only one of a growing number of dissertations on policy formation. Rivera (1980) and Stryker-Gordon (1980) teach graduate courses related to policy formation in adult and health education areas, respectively. Ziegler (1970) suggested several criteria to be used in policy formation. These and other sources resulted in a document developed for and presented to the workshop participants on the derivation of policy (see Appendix E).

This document became the basis for discussion during an interactive process involving workshop participants and staff. The result was an agreed upon basic format for stating our resulting policy and implementation recommendations. The following headings were used for our policy worksheets:

Statement of Need

Policy Statement

Statement of Purpose

Implementation Recommendations

In addition, one of the participants (Wheeler) provided some materials from Gross (1977) related to impediments to implementing policy (Appendix F) and staff member Leean recommended that we add a modified force field analysis of our policy statements as a means for refining our efforts (see Appendix G).

Thus, the materials described above and the process of interaction, exchange, and small group discussions resulted in the policy statements shown in the next section. We also identified several terms that needed defining, derived a variety of assumptions or underlying tenant for our policy work, and suggested some needs for future workshops. A concluding note to this section demonstrates both the difficulty of deriving policy and the tremendous need for the future. During the two weeks we appeared to develop into a group that worked well together, with individual member strengths complementing the total needs. Yet, even on the very last day we still realized that considerable disagreement remained on definitions of terms, on basic assumptions, and on implementation needs. Therefore, this sense of incompleteness hopefully can be taken as both a sign of how much still remains to be accomplished and as a challenge for readers of this report to undertake some of those remaining tasks.

State of the Art

Tough's (1979) recent edition of his book, The Adult's Learning Projects, his 1978 journal article, Penland's efforts (1978, 1979), and Hiemstra's (1976) work related to older adults provide a variety of information on learning projects and self-directed adult learning for the beginning students of this area of study. Appendix C summarizes the remarks of workshop staff who made formal presentations on their research, reflections, and recommendations regarding self-directed adult learning.

Table 1 also provides an overview of much of the completed and a few of the ongoing research efforts related to self-directed adult learning. The interested reader can refer to the bibliography to review any particular study effort. Other researchers are beginning to study the self-directed learning phenomenon outside of the learning projects framework. Guglielmino (1977), for example, has developed a self-directed learning readiness scale that shows considerable promise as a diagnostic tool. Luikart (1975, 1977) examined who helped with self-planned projects. Judd (1980) is looking at decision-making activities involved with self-directed learning of both a formal and informal nature. Sabbaghian (1979) utilized the readiness scale described above and looked at possible relationships between self-concept and self-directedness. Hassan (1980) is comparing scores achieved by people on the readiness scale and their actual learning project activity.

Table 1. Research on Adult Learning Projects.

Source	Population	Location	No. of Subjects	Annual No. of Proj./Person	% of Self- Planned Learning
Allerton (1974)	Parish ministers	Louisville, KE	012	09.6	n.a.^a
Armstrong (1971)	Adults of low educational attainment	Toronto (Ontario)	040	3.4-13.9^b	n.a.
Baghi (1979)	ABE and GED students	Des Moines, IA	046	06.6	57
Benson (1974)	College and university administrators	Tennessee	050	04.5	75
Coolican (1973)	Mothers of preschool-aged children	Syracuse, NY	048	05.8	66
Denys (1973)	Secondary school teachers and store managers	Ghana	020 020	04.0	75
Fair (1973)	First year elementary teachers	Ontario	035	08.8^c	67
Field (1977)	Cross section of both literate and semi-literate adults	Brownstown (Jamaica)	086	04.2	20
Hassan (1980)	Cross section of adults	Ames, IA	077	09.8^d	78^d
Hiemstra (1975)	Cross section of older adults	Nebraska	214	03.3	55
Johns (1973)	Pharmacists	Atlanta, GA	039	08.4	56
Johnson (1973)	Adults who had just completed their senior high school examinations	Ft. Lauderdale, FL	040	14.4	50
Kelly (1976)	Inexperienced secondary teachers and experienced secondary teachers	Cortland County, NY	020 020	07.9	68
McCatty (1973)	Professionals in engineering, law, education, medicine, architecture, and science	Ontario	054	11.1	50
Miller (1977)	Teachers and non-teaching professionals in a school system	Upstate New York	060	05.0^c	89
Miller and Botsman (1975)	Cooperative Extension agents	New York	009^e	12.0	40
Penland (1979)	Cross section of adults	United States	^f	03.3	76
Peters and Gordon (1974)	Adults, both urban and rural	Tennessee	475	03.9	76
Ralston (1978)	Two groups of older adults (Black and White)	Champaign, IL	110	02.4	n.a.
Rymell (1980)	Bankers between ages 25 and 35	Fort Worth, TX	030	n.a.^d	n.a.^d
Tough (1979)	Cross section of adults	Ontario	066	05.0	75
Umoren (1977)	Two socio-economic groups of adults	Lincoln, NE	060	04.7	40
Zangari (1978)	Adult educators in various post-secondary institutions	Nebraska	045	07.2	72

^aNot available.

^bShown as range of annual projects.

^cOne half year total.

^dIn progress.

^eUtilized a modified case study interview technique.

^fLarge national probability sample.

In summary, it is quite clear that the self-directed learning phenomenon has generated considerable interest, research, and scholarly activity. Most adults appear to engage in some study each year, with certain adults committing almost unbelievable numbers of hours to learning activity. In addition, much of this activity apparently is self-planned, self-initiated, and self-directed. However, it is also clear that our understanding of this whole area is still incomplete. Like most aspects of the human condition, more study over a number of years is required. It is hoped that this policy development effort will contribute to a better understanding and to future study of self-directed adult learning.

Definition of Terms

Several critical concepts are defined here. Additional terms that require some future consensus-based definitions are listed in Appendix H.

Adult learning. There may be as many unique definitions of adult learning as there are writers of the term. Each word in the two word concept elicits numerous definitional variations. Adult usually refers to a person who has reached some maturity level or responsibility for self and/or others. A related concept, adult education, usually refers to some relationship between this adult and some learning specialist or resource in an endeavor to learn something new. Learning, is generally accepted as the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes, and skills, usually resulting in some individual behavioral change. Thus, in this study adult learning refers to the process of information acquisition during adulthood made by individuals depending on needs, interests, learning skills, and resource availability.

Learning projects. The primary definitional basis for this term comes from the seminal work of Tough (1979). It refers to a series of clearly related learning efforts adding up to at least seven hours of effort within a six month period. Much of the current attention to self-directed learning stems from Tough's initial work.

Self-directed learning. "In its broadest meaning, self-directed learning describes a process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes" (Knowles, 1975, p. 18). Such learning frequently is self-initiated and carried out alone.

Self-fulfillment learning activity. There are several subject matter groupings that have been utilized to classify the contents of learning projects. One such area, self-fulfillment, includes efforts at learning for leisure, arts and crafts, hobbies, and recreation. Thus, most learning efforts of a very personal nature can be considered, including study related to such areas as music, art, dance, theatre, religion, ethics, or moral behavior (Hiemstra, 1975).

Type of learning planner. Key to understanding the concepts of self-directed learning and learning projects is the acceptance of the fact that the planning and facilitation of learning by adults can be quite varied. Several researchers who have examined the "learning projects" area have analyzed the type of planner used by adults for assistance in learning in the following categories: The learner herself or himself; a group or its leader/instructor; one person in a one-to-one situation; a non-human or material resource; and a "mixed" category where no dominant type of planner can be identified.

Mission Statement

One of the groups' final activities prior to initiating the work on formulating policies was to develop a mission statement with which we all could agree and from which we could build some common elements in helping self-directed adult learners. The statement follows:

Since research indicates that adults carry out a number of learning projects during their lifetime, and that most projects appear to be self-initiated, self-planned, and/or self-directed, adult educators and institutions which have adults as clients should work to understand, enhance, and provide an environment conducive to facilitating this type of learning by adults.

Whether the reader can agree or not with this statement may affect the usefulness of this report in terms of its implementation or basis for stimulating further thought. Obviously there is no easy route to affecting change in established educational systems and most institutions and many educators must have the earnings/losses concerns be real factors in any decision making processes; however, adult learning also should be fun, should be something that will really help, and should be satisfying. It is my contention, and I believe it also would be the contention of the workshop participants, that self-directed learning is so popular because it still is at the "fun" level. I think that adult educators and adult education institutions can find ways of facilitating this type of learning and hope, therefore, that this report and the suggested policies will aid any efforts to do so.

POLICY

Assumptions

During the workshop a feeling evolved among many participants that we needed some expression of the assumptions about working with adults underlying our derivation of policies. There exists in adult education literature such a wide range of beliefs about how to work with adults that the group deemed it important to develop some common understanding of assumptions both to develop policy and to aid later interpretations of the presented policy statements. Subsequently, small and large group activities were added to stimulate some discussion of basic assumptions and tenets. Unfortunately, we soon discovered it near impossible to achieve total support for or even consensus on many of the terms. For example, differing definitions of terms and assumptions emerged simply because of dissimilar views regarding when learning actually begins. Thus, what follows are those assumptions and basic foundational statements that we agreed should be included in the report. They represent only a portion of those requiring further thought and serve to indicate we may need new language related to this whole area of study. Researchers, program administrators, and even adult learners should recognize that there remain many unresolved issues requiring clarification and further thought.

General

1. In this report when a reference is made to "adult learners" primarily what is referred to is someone engaged in self-initiated, self-planned learning as well as other directed but who has been out of the traditional series of educational activities for at least a year.

2. The amount of adult learning activity will continuously increase in future years because of increased leisure, accelerating social change, an aging population, etc.

3. All forms of education have potential for learners and may serve different purposes; however, evaluation of that potential comes from learners, not educators or institutions.

4. Measures of human worth do not depend on academic performance abilities.

5. Continuing learning is a goal of human life for the purpose of self-fulfillment and self-actualization.

6. Adults are self-directing organisms with initiative, intentions, choices, freedom, energy, and responsibility.

Learning Projects

7. Adults average some 5 separate projects and approximately 500 hours each year in learning activity.

8. Most adult learning is not credit oriented.

9. Self-directed learning, which makes up the largest percentage of learning project activity, is a natural process that is independent of educators.

Adult Students -- Adults as Learners

10. All adults have potential for self-directed learning.

11. Adults are interested in a wide variety of subjects.

12. Adults learn for numerous reasons.

13. Adults utilize numerous resources in their learning.

14. Adults appear to assume responsibility for most of their learning.

15. Individuals have different learning styles; this needs to be recognized.

16. Adults have a variety of obstacles to learning, such as family and job responsibilities, that younger students often do not have.

17. In classroom settings, adult learners may put more pressures on themselves to succeed than do younger or less experienced students so they need fewer teacher related pressures.

18. Beginning adult learners need to be encouraged more often and may experience "down" movements more frequently than experienced learners; they frequently need reinforcement.

Adult Educators

19. Some adults need assistance in determining learning goals, planning their learning, locating resources, etc.; others will seek out such assistance only infrequently.

20. Educators need to be available as consultants or resources.

21. Those working with adult learners are themselves, adult learners.

22. Self-directed learning needs to be more widely recognized and accepted as a valid learning process.

Adult Education Agencies

23. Institutions of learning have not adequately addressed issues related to self-directed learning--they are not aware of the phenomenon of self-directed learning.

24. Most adult learning takes place outside traditional educational settings, including work settings, during leisure, in family settings, etc.

25. Traditional educational institutions need to undergo changes to accommodate, adjust, and/or determine their roles for supporting self-directed learning.

26. Directed learning activities, most credit courses, and academic disciplines are too narrow for most self-directed learning needs.

27. Agencies need to provide time, facilities, resources, and recognition of self-directed learning.

Policy Statements

As was noted in the preface, the processes utilized during the workshop resulted in three small groups developing around mutual interests and backgrounds. Subsequent preferences and suggestions evolved into three categories for discussion and policy formulation:

Adults as Learners -- the student perspective

Adult Educators -- the teacher/facilitator/researcher perspective

Adult Education Agencies -- the institutional/organizational perspective

A different category, therefore, became the focal point for each of the three groups. Thus, the statements of policy need, purpose, etc. are all addressed to their respective audiences, i.e., learners, educators, and agency administrators. Their adoption as policies by a group or agency or use as stimulators for further discussion or development will require recognition of these specific audience focuses.

As was also noted in a description of the workshop activities, it was decided that we would utilize headings related to the need for the policy, the policy statement, itself, a statement of purpose, and implementation recommendations to organize the work products. Two of the groups used the headings in the order shown, while the group focusing on adults as learners spent a tremendous amount of time and generated many ideas relative primarily to only three of the organizational headings. Their statements of purpose were interwoven into the policy statement. Two of the groups also developed preambles to aid the reader's understanding of their thinking regarding more specific assumptions. Hopefully, the existing commonalities in all three group reports will aid the reader in moving from one area to the next. Finally, the many recommendations offered should serve as stimulators for subsequent discussions and as means whereby many educators, organizations, and learners can begin implementing appropriate change.

1. Adults as Learners

Preamble

As a policy-making group addressing adult learners, we have continually reminded ourselves of the following:

This is us doing something for us as adult learners.

We are speaking for ourselves as learners, directing our thoughts to other adult learners.

We as learners must claim our learning, rather than receive our learning.

We as learners must anticipate the changing environments in which we will attempt to claim our learning--be it a rest home, a prison, a mental institution, a regular classroom. . . .

Furthermore, we recognize that learning occurs at various levels to varying degrees throughout our lifetime. We believe that self-directed learning exists as an often unrecognized, yet highly effective means of gaining knowledge, skill, and self-esteem. Deliberate and consciously self-planned learning must be fostered both by learner advocate groups and by adult learning institutions. We believe self-planned learning will become increasingly prominent and pervasive as more learners take responsibility for initiating, shaping, and promoting this movement. Therefore, this portion of the report is written from a learner advocacy point of view. A definition of learner advocacy should be obvious from reading the policy statements and implementation recommendations.

Yet we recognize that educators can greatly enhance and legitimatize this phenomenon by urging and undergirding the formation of such advocacy groups. We also realize that educators can maximize human potential for both individuals and society by implementing policy that acknowledges learners as responsible choice making humans. We hope that we have an impact in causing both actions to take place.

Finally, it is paramount that our readers recognize that this document will have the greatest impact if they remember that they, too, are self-planning learners.

Topic: Self- Assessment

Statement of Need. Awareness of one's strengths and weaknesses is the critical antecedent to human need fulfillment and therefore to adjustment. In the process of identification and implementation of learning activities, it becomes obviously imperative to identify the goal or purpose of a learning effort (based on a need or weakness) and the resources immediately available (strengths) to reach that end. While there are many obstacles to completing this task, such as psychological defense mechanisms, an established self-concept, the level of motivation necessary to pursue such an exercise, etc., a sincere effort cannot be undertaken without first addressing the issue of assessment. Therefore, the need for self-assessment stands out as the first action to be taken, and perhaps the most crucial, insofar as it establishes not only the desired outcome, but also the nature of the means by which it will be realized.

Policy Number One. To acknowledge that each of us are worthwhile learners as a first step in recognizing our unlimited learning potential.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Utilize small sharing groups that help us discover through trial and error our own gifts and talents.

2. Offer human potential classes that teach us to focus on our individual strengths.

3. Broaden the availability of material resources that teach us to affirm ourselves.

4. Insist that learning experiences in all settings be structured such that each of us can recognize our own capabilities.

5. Utilize family enrichment centers as a source of affirmation and for fostering self awareness.

Policy Number Two. To examine ourselves objectively in respect to our strengths and weaknesses as a means of gaining self acceptance, capitalizing on our assets, and setting personal goals.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Utilize learning facilitators to help us carry out self inventories.

2. Insist that learning guides, planning helpers, learning consultants, and supportive persons be made available for our use.

3. Locate materials on self inventory in a variety of resource centers (libraries, community centers, etc.).

4. Create peer inventory groups.

5. Use popular media such as magazines and newspapers to disseminate and encourage the use of self assessment inventories.

6. Use resources such as material by Eric Erickson to understand how maturation will affect our learning needs.

7. Foster the attitude that risk taking is a necessary part of understanding one's strengths and weaknesses.

8. Use value clarification techniques in the examining process.

Policy Number Three. To develop and strengthen our own internal mechanisms for reinforcement to insure continuous growth in our learning efforts.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Seek out tools that continue to draw ourselves out as our own best guides, such as (a) guided imagery, (b) centering body movement, (c) breathing techniques, (d) yoga, (e) art, and (f) journal writing.

2. Train learning facilitators or guides to help us rediscover our own inner guiding abilities.

3. Seek resources that help us remove blocks to internal reinforcement through such techniques as counseling, self help groups, and material resources.

Policy Number Four. To understand our own cognitive styles in order to shape our learning experiences for that style.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Analyze and record your own perceptions as a method of uncovering your own style.

2. Seek a knowledgeable person to share their perception of your style.

3. Encourage traditional education centers to research and develop methods for analyzing and understanding cognitive styles.

4. Insist that traditional education centers utilize the knowledge of variant cognitive styles in their programming.

Topic: Feedback

Statement of Need. If one were to possess all the skills and resources necessary to complete a learning project, the need for outside assistance would be very minimal. However, as such skills and resources seldom are totally present, there typically are a variety of ways in which others can help a learner. Among them, providing feedback to the learner stands out as one of the most necessary and productive actions to be taken on behalf of a person as he or she pursues personal learning goals. It is important to note that input received by the learner must be objective, relative to the purpose of the learning activity, and constructive. This type of assistance will provide the learner with valuable input directed towards the process and product of learning and recognition and reinforcement for what has been accomplished.

Policy Number One. To seek objective, individualized assistance in planning and processing learning projects in order to enhance our efficiency and effectiveness.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Develop your own skills for objective evaluation and check the reality of this through (a) learning guides, (b) sharing groups, and (c) media.

2. Foster the learning of facilitating skills so that our peers can be our learning guides.

Policy Number Two. To maintain membership and participation in learner advocate groups as a means of obtaining direction, resources and support.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Develop learner hotlines using such agencies as libraries and universities as support agencies.

2. Promote the concept of learner advocacy at various adult learning centers and within the various adult education professional associations.

3. Form learning unions to provide a base of power in meeting our needs.

4. Initiate research with adult student groups to determine how these groups foster a self-planning learner.

5. Form advocacy networks that have formal or informal connections to (a) colleges and universities, (b) libraries, (c) churches, (d) public schools, (e) learning centers, and (f) private or proprietary adult education organizations.

6. Encourage a holistic approach to determining how feedback can be promoted by calling together a wide variety of disciplines and types of adult member groups to share trends, methods, and resources. Some examples would include (a) feminist advocacy groups, (b) consumer movement groups, (c) the learning community notion (O' Connor, 1976), (d) the wellness movement groups developing in the medical or insurance fields, and (e) the Gray Panthers.

7. Foster research in family enrichment centers to analyze their potential in assisting families to develop self-directed learning skills.

Policy Number Three. To form autonomous learning groups as a means of capitalizing on synergistic learning efforts.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Establish learning exchange networks in local communities as suggested by Illich (1971) and Peterson & Associates (1979).

2. Establish study circles patterned after the Scandinavian system (Kurland, 1979-80) of both topical and open-topic types.

3. Utilize and expand already existing material resources such as (a) the learner's yellow pages, (b) lessons in newspapers, and (c) newsletters.

4. Foster study-buddy (peer support) systems around a variety of content areas.

5. Promote special interest learning through workshops and retreats.

6. Analyze a variety of autonomous learning group forms as potential models for our own learning groups. Some examples can be found in Bettelheim (1974), Illich (1970), O'Connor (1976), and Toffler (1974).

7. Study concepts such as trust building in groups (Gibb, 1978) or the extended family efforts of the Unitarian Church as a source of understanding how as an individual we can extend our learning beyond the group.

Policy Number Four. To require reinforcement and encouragement from others in the pursuit of our learning as a means of enhancing self esteem and validating our progress.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Insist that traditional institutions such as schools, families, churches, etc. become aware of the self-directed phenomenon and that all efforts be made to foster self-directed learning.

2. Support family enrichment experiences that help our families under stand and promote self-planned learning.

3. Discourage the connotation of prestige being associated with formal versus informal education.

4. Encourage recognition through such programs as "Learner of the Month" within organizations, industrial firms, etc.

Topic: Learning Environment

Statement of Need. If learning is truly to occur, the environment in which it takes place must provide individuals with the freedom to learn. This aspect extends well beyond the physical domain into the social and emotional components incorporating a learner's total being. This brings forth the need for a variety of agents acting in coordination to provide learners with the type and degree of support necessary to reach educational goals. While an individual learner must assume some responsibility for ensuring that a proper environment is developed, the contributions made by those participating in, sponsoring, or affected by the learning process must be taken into account when considering the likelihood of success.

Policy Number One. To give ourselves the same status and respect we accord our teachers in order to assure control of our own learning.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Help individuals in traditional adult teaching roles to understand their own identity as self-planning learners.

2. Insist that self awareness processing be a part of all educational experiences.

3. Reflect the philosophy of equality through personal modeling and by helping traditional teaching organizations examine programs, curriculum, etc. for equality measures.

4. Define with the instructor mutually agreed upon expectations.

Policy Number Two. To actively seek and take responsibility for our education in order to assure relevant and meaningful learning experiences.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Demand more appropriate scheduling of learning experiences to meet our needs.

2. Promote acceptance of life experience for credit.

3. Insist that educational opportunities be available not for those who will be successful but to make successful those who come to participate in the opportunities.

4. Initiate retirement programs to help individuals anticipate and maintain control of their learning environment.

Policy Number Three. To govern our time, space, and energy for learning projects in order to actualize our own learning potential.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Promote child care services as a means of providing time, space, and energy.

2. Promote family division of domestic responsibilities such that each member has opportunities for learning experiences.

3. Utilize relationship counseling and enrichment programs as means for reaching consensus about time, space, and energy.

4. Develop time management skills.

5. Ensure physical health through adequate rest, proper nutrition, and appropriate exercise.

6. Investigate support services that would allow more time, space, and energy such as lawn care, domestic help, etc.

2. Adult Educators

Preamble

Adult education practitioners have assumed three specific roles in the development of self-directed learning. These roles include research, training, and serving adults in their pursuit of learning projects. Future policies should be directed toward conducting further research, training more competent adult educators, and serving a wider spectrum of adult learners for the advancement of self-directed learning. Although these policy areas are distinct, adult educators should be familiar with the common principles which underlie research, training adult practitioners, and serving adult learners.

Topic: Research

Statement of Need. Research in adult education has not adequately identified, examined, or evaluated the principles and processes underlying self-directed learning.

Policy. Research in adult education should explore previously unstudied components of self-directed learning.

Statement of Purpose. To expand the body of knowledge in the area of self-directed learning in order to improve services for current and future adults.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Examine learning techniques and skills related to self-directed learning.

2. Identify the learning importance of problem solving skills.

3. Identify communication skills related to self-directed learning.

4. Identify motivation and incentives that underlie most self-directed learning efforts.

5. Develop goal setting techniques for self-directed learning.

6. Evaluate the effectiveness of diverse methods of self-directed learning.

7. Examine the marketability of self-directed learning packages.

8. Study the potential of self-directed learning for improving on an individual's economic status.

9. Examine the obstacles to self-directed learning in a non-academic setting and propose solutions to those obstacles.

10. Evaluate the applicability of self-directed learning principles to various subject matter areas.

11. Study the reasons for the failure to pursue self-directed learning including unfulfilled dreams.

12. Identify impasses met in pursuing self-directed learning and propose techniques for the elimination of those impasses.

13. Define the relationship between an individual's self-concept and the propensity for self-directed learning.

14. Identify and assist a particular adult clientele who may be reluctant to explore opportunities for self-directed learning.

15. Study the relationship between developmental stages of life and the approach to self-directed learning most appropriate to an adult's stage in life.

Topic: Training

Statement of Need. Many adult educators do not exhibit a commitment toward promoting self-directed learning in theory and practice.

Policy. In conjunction with their respective institutions, adult educators will encourage and utilize the theories and practices of self-directed learning in classroom content and application efforts.

Statement of Purpose. To prepare well trained facilitators of self-directed learning for adult serving agencies.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Provide students of adult education with an appreciation of self directed learning concepts and their potential use with adult learners in their respective areas of interest or study.

2. Recognize the needs of their students by applying self-directed learning techniques to their own classroom settings when applicable.

3. Keep current in the developing research base (theory, knowledge, and trends) related to self-directed learning.

4. Develop the skills necessary to act as a process consultant to self-directed learners.

5. Train others to serve as self-directed learning process consultants.

Topic: Service

Statement of Need. Adult serving agencies fail to recognize and utilize self-directed learning practices as a means of assisting their clients.

Policy. Adult educators will help agencies serving adults to incorporate the concepts of self-directed learning in their standard operating procedures.

Statement of Purpose. To increase self-reliance and fulfillment and serve the needs of learners by utilizing self-directed concepts.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Encourage utilization of self-directed learning by adult serving agencies through promotional campaigns.

2. Coordinate resources and services of adult serving agencies in order to increase and improve the opportunities for self-directed learning.

3. Create a national organization which would lobby for funds to implement self-directed learning programs for low income adults.

4. Conduct needs assessment of clients of adult serving agencies to determine possibilities for self-directed learning. Special attention should be given to low income and low resource possessing clientele.

3. Adult Education Agencies

Topic: Awareness

Statement of Need. Institutions are not aware of the state of the art of adult learning.

Policy. Agencies, organizations, and institutions will provide opportunities for administration, faculty, and staff to become knowledgeable of published research involving self-directed adult learning.

Statement of Purpose. To become informed of research findings and their implications for educational opportunities.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Provide workshops, in-service training, books, and media to staff on self-directed adult learning.

2. Provide support and time for staff to study the scholarship on self-directed adult learning.

Topic: Program Administration

Statement of Need. Measures and criteria of accountability and evaluation need to be developed and maintained relative to self-directed learning.

Policy Number One. Agencies, organizations and institutions will develop and maintain measures of criteria for accountability and evaluation.

Statement of Purpose. To insure continued support and to determine effectiveness.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Provide in-service training needed to help people understand issues of effectiveness, evaluation, and accountability

2. Develop reporting systems to include data collection, evaluation, dissemination, and recommendations.

Statement of Need. Funding is required to promote and facilitate self-directed adult learning.

Policy Number Two. Agencies, organizations, and institutions will seek legislation and funding to promote and facilitate self-directed learning.

Statement of Purpose. To obtain a commitment of resources and direction.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Influence legislation by hiring a lobbyist, contacting legislators, and seeking public support.

2. Develop proposals for outside funding to aid in promoting self-directed learning.

Topic: Adult Needs and Interests

Statement of Need. Adult learners require support services to help them adjust to educational pursuits, to make satisfactory use of new knowledge or skills acquired, and to adjust to the accompanying rise in expectations.

Policy Number One. Agencies, organizations, and institutions will provide support services that help the self-directed adult learner adjust to educational activities and any related changes.

Statement of Purpose. To ensure that the appropriate support services are made available to self-directed learners.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Establish a center for adult students.

2. Develop mutual support groups.

3. Provide career counseling and placement offices staffed by people with appropriate expertise to help adults use their newly acquired skills and knowledge.

Statement of Need. Knowledge of changes in adult educational participation patterns and learning interests is needed.

Policy Number Two. Agencies, organizations, and institutions will conduct research of participation trends and interests.

Statement of Purpose. To prepare resources, design curriculum, and obtain funding appropriate for self-directed learners.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Establish a director of research.

2. Assign staff, facilities, and funds for research.

Statement of Need. Adults need environments that afford opportunities to pursue self-initiated, self-planned, and self-directed learning situations.

Policy Number Three. Agencies, organizations, and institutions will provide environments that accommodate and facilitate self-directed learning.

Statement of Purpose. To provide desirable learning environments.

Implementation Recommendations:

1. Offer non-credit, voluntary courses.

2. Provide an on-site coordinator who will act as a learning consultant/facilitator.

3. Offer learner-directed credit classes.

4. Develop in existing agencies learning resource centers.

5. Use learning sites outside of the agency settings.

Consequence Analysis

As was pointed out earlier, a decision was made to submit several of the policies to what was tabbed as a consequence analysis. This was carried out to provide participants and readers of this report with some understanding of the potential difficulties facing those who try to adopt and implement any of the policies. Appendices F and G provide some of the information and materials that were helpful in the analysis efforts.

Subsequently, after the policies reported in the previous section were derived each group examined some of their policies in terms of obstacles, enhancers, and strategies needed to either overcome obstacles or reinforce important enhancers. One such analysis effort by each of the groups is presented below. Although each analysis may need additional refinement, the information should serve to provide readers with examples of possible results and to emphasize the potential advantages of completing such screening and sorting exercises with any policy as it is being derived.

The Group Focusing on Adult Students

Policy Statement. To govern our time, space, and energy for learning projects in order to actualize our own learning potential.

A. Problems Underlying Policy. The responsibilities of daily life are such that the opportunity and enthusiasm necessary to complete a learning project are all too often limited or unavailable.

B. Obstacles.

*1. Career obligations and responsibilities.

*2. Home and family commitments.

3. Self-deprecating perceptions.

4. Likelihood for obtaining success often is low - given the constraints.

5. Difficulties inherent to values clarification and prioritizing.

6. Spontaneous interruptions.

*7. Lack of support services.

*8. Financial burden incurred as a result of support services.

9. Burden of travel and distance.

10. Recognition of the need for recreation.

C. Enhancers.

*1. Societal recognition of the value and importance of self actualizing activities (credential sometimes provided, for example).

2. The availability of resources (in larger communities).

3. The abundance of knowledge relating to the attainment and maintenance of good health (wholeness/wellness).

4. Self-perpetuating once it is realized.

*5. Satisfaction resulting from knowing that you have adapted, not compromised, your routine.

6. The self-reliant nature of many activities limits the need to extend beyond familiar boundaries.

7. Availability of resource guides relating to time management.

*8. Women's liberation movement and other consciousness raising efforts.

9. Support from business and industry (staff development efforts, for example).

*10. Time and labor saving technology.

D. Obstacle Sorting. Asterisked items within "B" above represent critical or pivotal obstacles

E. Enhancer Sorting. Asterisked items within "C" above represent critical or pivotal enhancers.

F. Strategy Planning.

Short term:

1. Reorganization of division of labor within the home.

2. Utilization of "study buddy" concept.

3. Reinforcement from family and friends.

Intermediate:

1. Promote the use of literary resources.

2. Establish adult learning groups to not only facilitate learning, but also the sharing of ideas relating to this issue.

Long term:

1. Development of autonomous learning kits.

2. Utilization of the media as a means of direction and information.

The Group Focusing on Adult Educators

Policy Statement. Adult educators will help agencies serving adults to incorporate the concepts of self-directed learning in their standard operating procedures.

A. Problem Underlying Policy. A lack of understanding of and belief in self-directed learning concepts hinders the incorporation of self-directed techniques in agency operating procedures.

B. Obstacles.

*1. Change is perceived as threatening.

*2. Inherent traditional teaching beliefs exist in staff and administrators.

3. There is a lack of appropriate self-directed learning support systems.

4. There exists a fear of obsolescence.

5. Turf guarding and a protection of agency boundaries and mission is a real phenomenon.

6. Lack of necessary funds.

7. Inherent feeling that self-directed learning concepts are being used.

8. Failure to build appropriate support base for policy.

*9. Unwillingness to accept self-directed learning concepts.

10. Learners lack awareness of self-directed learning potential.

C. Enhancers.

*1. Benefit to learners is potentially high.

2. Benefit to society (economic and social) potentially high.

3. Increasing technology provides potential for adjusting the approaches to assisting learners in self-directed modes.

4. Future research could strengthen the self-directed learning concepts.

5. Developing technology could increase resources for self-directed learning concepts.

6. As awareness of self-directed learning concepts increase more learners will expect the utilization of self-directed approaches.

*7. Adult education agencies could provide broader resources to a wider clientele base if self-directed learning approaches were used.

D. Obstacle Sorting. Asterisked items within "B" above represent critical or pivotal obstacles.

E. Enhancer Sorting. Asterisked items within "C" above represent critical or pivotal enhancers.

F. Strategy Planning.

Short term:

1. Conduct workshops on the concepts of self-directed learning.

2. Encourage agencies to send decision makers to participate in workshops.

3. Develop and conduct mass media campaigns on self-directed learning concepts and potential (professional associations or sub-groups of adult educators could carry out such responsibilities).

4. Encourage research related to the potential benefits of self-directed learning involvement.

5. Develop and implement pilot projects in agencies related to utilizing self-directed learning concepts.

Intermediate:

1. Facilitate agencies studying the implications of self-directed learning for programming and planning.

2. Seek and secure funds to explore the implementation of self-directed learning concepts in agencies.

3. Assess developing technology related to delivering programs to adults for their application to self-directed learning needs.

4. Determine overall benefits to clientele and agencies if self-directed learning concepts are implemented.

Long term:

1. Help a broad base of agencies to adopt and utilize the concepts of self-directed learning.

2. Help to implement self-directed learning programs throughout the community.

The Group Focusing on Adult Education Agencies

Policy Statement. Agencies, organizations, and institutions will provide support services that help the self-directed adult learner adjust to educational activities and any related changes. .

A. Problem Underlying Policy. An inadequacy exists in meeting adult learning needs.

B. Obstacles.

*1. Inadequate amount of money.

2. Administrative staff and faculty resistant to expanded services.

3. There exists a lack of available/appropriate personnel and faculty.

4. Resistance to being on equal terms with clientele.

5. Resistance to working with adults compared to traditionally aged students.

*6. Lack of knowledge in dealing with self-directed learners.

7. Unwillingness to change.

C. Enhancers.

1. Potential of increased numbers of clientele.

2. Potential of better retention of clientele/students.

3. Improved relationships with public and alumni.

*4. Increased funds possible through increased enrollments.

5. More job opportunities for adult educators possible.

6. A high research potential exists.

*7. Satisfied adult learners.

D. Obstacle Sorting. Asterisked items within "B" above represent critical or pivotal obstacles.

E. Enhancer Sorting. Asterisked items within "C" above represent critical or pivotal enhancers.

F. Strategy Planning. Convince administrators of the significance of self-directed learning so they will provide in-service education for their faculty and staff. A longer term activity would be the actual increased targeting of resources and facilities for the self-directed learner.

SUMMARY

The existence of a huge potential for change, for helping agencies or educators to adopt new policies, and for meeting many more learning needs of adults is an important theme described in this report. It is becoming increasingly clear that self-directed adult learning activity is much larger than what most people believed only a short decade ago. It also is the belief of many that educators of adults and adult education-related agencies are relatively unprepared for addressing self-directed learning needs. Whether educators and agencies should be meeting such needs is one of the questions raised in the report. That question certainly is an important one but as yet unanswered. Hopefully, this report will help stimulate some related thinking and action.

In addition, the workshop setting and learning processes that resulted in this report provided a means for involving several people in some creative thinking often impossible in other modes. The synergistic results possible through people from various walks of life working together in an intensive study effort make worthwhile the duplication and extension of such activities by others. Thus, it is the hope of the staff and participants that additional work on this topic of examining policy needs for self-directed learning will be carried out.

Finally, although several of the policies and implementation recommendations may appear impossible to achieve, impractical to manage, or even visionary in nature at first reading, a feeling existed during the workshop that some important new ideas were being formulated. What may seem impractical or impossible in one locale may be quite feasible in another. What may appear visionary often will be quite commonplace procedure in only a few short years. In fact, many experimental programs and creative means for reaching self-directed adult learners similar to several suggestions in this report already are in place. Additional refinement of the policies suggested, new policies, and a variety of efforts to incorporate policies appropriate for self-directed adult learners obviously are still required. The increasing interest in serving adult learning needs should facilitate the meeting of such requirements.

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APPENDIX A

Workshop Participants