Review of "Best Practices in Adult Learning"

Marginally helpful for the general education reader, individual chapters might be useful for those in specific positions (such as Adult Learning Advisor). There was the usual nods to "institutional mission" and the "need for flexibility" before giving some individual case studies of "best practices" on a smorgasbord of topics.

Most interesting for me was the "lessons learned" sections at the end of each chapter, particularly the overview "lessons" from editor Lee Bash. Those included the following:

1) Proper structure is essential, and "the best systems use a structure where one leader is responsible for everyone in the unit."

2) Mission statements and learship vision must align.

3) Change is constant in these programs.

4) Be "learner-centered" and entrepreneurial.

Hmmm . . . At JBU, we're doing #1 wrong, we're improving on #2, and we vacillate on #3 and #4. From what I know of other CCCU institutions, they're weak on #2 and #4. In general, we just don't give these issues much focus, as witnessed by the fact that only recently has the CCCU even started talking about adult learners, even though half of all graduates of CCCU institutions are now coming from adult learner programs. There's clearly a lot of work to do.