A SURVEY OF ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION COMPETENCIES NEEDED BY DIRECTORS OF COMMUNITY SERVICES AND CONTINUING EDUCATION

Adult and continuing education is a major role function of directors of community services and continuing education in community, junior, and technical colleges; the nature of the director's responsibility is as yet somewhat unclear. Consequently the academic training one receives in preparation for the director's role is varied. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine the importance attached to selected adult and continuing education competencies as perceived by directors and to ascertain their perceived level of attainment in those competencies. Chi‐square and cross‐tabulations were used to test for significance between the dependent variables (importance and attainment‐of‐competency statements) and the independent variables (academic level, academic area, teaching experience, and administrative experience). By random selection, 168 CS‐CE directors were chosen to participate in the study.     

PARTICIPATION OF USA UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES IN CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

The concept of lifelong education encompasses a number of different types of educational programmes e.g. adult education, recurrent education as well as continuing education. The official legal definition of continuing education in the USA Educational Amendments of 1976 to the Higher Education Act states: “Continuing education programme” means post‐secondary instruction designed to meet the educational ‘ needs and interests of adults, including the expansion of learning opportunities for adults who are not adequately served by current educational offerings in their communities.

The following article presents participation by the US universities and colleges in this form of higher education. It is based oh the paper written by Dr. Rosalind K. Loving, Dean of the College of Continuing Education, University of Southern California and presented during the Salzburg Seminar on Continuing Education which was held from 6 to 26 August 1978 in Salzburg (Austria).     

社会分层和弱势群体的继续教育

中国的经济改革和社会性人口流动使职业重新区分和组合,导致了社会阶层的重构。大量农村劳动力涌入新兴工商业实体,由于缺乏充足的职前教育培训准备,缺乏可利用的社会、文化和经济资源,居住的社区缺乏社会服务设施,他们长期陷入不利境地,成为弱势群体。教育有两重性,既可以促进一个人向上流动,也有社会分层和阻碍向上流动的作用。继续教育作为第二次机会,政府的投资和转移支付应该着重放在公共空间的建设,改善弱势群体社会活动的基础设施和环境,便于不同的教育服务机构和志愿者进入,为弱势群体提供切身需要的教育培训和服务。     

THE OPEN UNIVERSITY'S ROLE IN CONTINUING EDUCATION

This paper from the 1979 Conference, ‘Television In Society’, describes the Open University's extension of its original role into continuing education, not only in the areas of professional and in‐service training, but in community education. Short courses of novel design aim to satisfy particular personal or domestic needs. The implications of the work in community education, in particular, for future development of OU work in continuing education include: increased collaboration with outside bodies, and informal usage of courses by other agencies for their own purposes, so that it is questioned whether multi‐media courses or packages of learning materials are being created.     

论继续教育产生的背景与发展趋势及对我国教育的启示

继续教育的产生有其深刻的社会根源。知识经济的兴起 ,经济收入和闲暇的增多 ,人才标准的变化及知识陈旧的加快 ,以及学习化社会的到来 ,迫使人们必须接受继续教育。继续教育的产生和发展对世界各国产生了巨大的影响 ,出现了许多新的特点 ,对我国的教育改革和调整具有一定的启示     

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN GERONTOLOGY

If training programs with older participants can be implemented and evaluated through Title IV‐A of the Older Americans Act, the gerontological community can compare the relative merits of these types of programs with the more typical ones that train younger adults to serve older persons. An emphasis on older participants may be particularly relevant in the 1980s, when career training for younger adults in the human service occupations appears to be less promising. Older participants are more likely to complete training programs and enter part‐time or volunteer work. Studies have found older participants to be competent trainees, effective workers, and likely candidates to improve self‐esteem. However, much work needs to be done in the area of program evaluation. The Institute of Gerontology at the University of the District of Columbia has developed and implemented three training programs with older participants. Two future objectives of the Institute are to evaluate the programs with more rigorous methodologies and to encourage similar programs to be developed, implemented, and evaluated at ofher institutions of higher education.     

CONTINUING EDUCATION: A FACTOR IN PREPARING FOR RETIREMENT

This study focuses on the role of formal continuing education in helping persons prepare for retirement. The subjects were 206 classified, university employees between the ages of 50 and 65. The Retirement Preparation Indexes were used to measure behavior, information, and attitude toward retirement. Using the analysis of variance (a = .05), participants in formal continuing education (N = 46) scored significantly higher on the indexes community activity behavior, health care issues, psychological adjustment information, preretirement zest attitude, total behavior, total information, and the complete retirement preparation index. Preretirees involved in lifelong learning were found to be more concerned about their own development regardless of age and more aware of the options available to them upon retirement.     

终身学习背景下培训与继续教育的公平及其政策课题

培训与继续教育在人力资源的持续开发、促进就业、增强劳动者与企业的竞争力、缩小知识与技能差距、促进社会公平方面发挥着不可替代的作用,是我国在构建终身学习体系和学习型社会过程中需要大力加强的领域。本文主要探讨了在我国培训与继续教育需求持续增大且趋向高级化与多样化的背景下,培训与继续教育中不同人群参与机会与成本分担上的差距状况,并从促进培训与继续教育公平的角度,提出应加强制度保障与公共服务体系、完善成本分担机制、促进培训与继续教育机会与内容的多样化等政策建议。