I am pleased to share an article from volume one, issue two of the new ProLiteracy peer-reviewed, online research journal, Adult Literacy Education: The International Journal of Literacy, Language, and Numeracy. This article is written by Cristine Smith, University of Massachusetts.
Faculty of adult and continuing education (ACE), take notice: there’s a new textbook in town. While there are plenty of textbooks for graduate students on adult education, adult learning, and continuing education theory and practice, the new Foundations of Adult and Continuing Education by Ross-Gordon, Rose, and Kasworm (2017) takes a slightly different tack. The authors have designed it as a textbook about the field of adult education as a profession. Their purpose is to acquaint “practitioners and emerging scholars alike with the historical and contemporary context of the field and its place in society” (p. vii). Rather than start with adult learning theories, the book’s first four (out of 12) chapters focus instead on contemporary definitions, forms, and types of adult education; the changing nature of participation and participants in ACE; the development and role of an adult educator as a teacher, administrator, mentor, and professional in the field; and the ACE profession and field, historically, present-day, and trends for the future. Since the book’s focus is adult education in the United States, it may be most useful for those graduate students who intend to work in the United States while still providing background on the field for those whose goal is to work in the adult education profession in other countries.
Download the full article here. It is encouraged to leave your questions in this discussion thread.
Comments
Just read the article/book review by Christine Smith of an on-line Research Journal posting from Pro Literacy.
The article/book being reviewed is entitled Foundations of Adult and Continuing Education (2017 by Ross-Gordon and others). I selected this one out for a further read, as I am new to the world of Adult & Continuing Education,(A & CE) after working in a public high school for over 3 decades. I thought this might be good background reading as the review says it is a a good, comprehensive look at A & CE. I was hoping Assessment techniques and critiques would be addressed as well...I don't see that topic listed in the review. Is there anyone out there who has read the book, can give me an idea if it is worth getting my hands on, and if so, is assessment of the A& CE covered as well?
Thanks
Peter