Biblioteca Digital

Due to the increasing importance given to lifelong and intergenerational learning, adult educators are taking on new roles and their work is gaining greater impact, especially in a general context of financial and social crisis. Therefore it is important to respond to the educational challenge of an ageing population in Europe and to help in the provision of pathways to improve adults’ knowledge, competences, culture and education. Involving a rich assortment of actors and contexts, adult education has an heterogeneous nature, engaging people, working with adults in exploring issues of intergenerational competence. In addition, such professionals (or volunteers!) ought to identify the competences required for adult education and to find ways in which their performance may be developed. The improvement of these skills and competences will help increasing seniors access and in widening participation and motivation in adult education, thus making the learning experience of adults more relevant, enjoyable and fun. On the one hand, the recognition and feedback given by participants and the experience of working is decisive for the development of specific skills and competences for professionals in the adult learning sector; on the other hand...

Due to the increasing importance given to lifelong and intergenerational learning, adult educators are taking on new roles and their work is gaining greater impact, especially in a general context of financial and social crisis. Therefore it is important to respond to the educational challenge of an ageing population in Europe and to help in the provision of pathways to improve adults’ knowledge, competences, culture and education. Involving a rich assortment of actors and contexts, adult education has an heterogeneous nature, engaging people, working with adults in exploring issues of intergenerational competence. In addition, such professionals (or volunteers!) ought to identify the competences required for adult education and to find ways in which their performance may be developed. The improvement of these skills and competences will help increasing seniors access and in widening participation and motivation in adult education, thus making the learning experience of adults more relevant, enjoyable and fun. On the one hand, the recognition and feedback given by participants and the experience of working is decisive for the development of specific skills and competences for professionals in the adult learning sector; on the other hand...

Despite the high prevalence of tobacco abuse among adolescents, the neurobiology of nicotine addiction has been studied mainly in adult animals. Repeated administration of this drug to adult rats induces behavioral sensitization. Nicotine activates the HPA axis in adult rats as measured by drug-induced increases in ACTH and corticosterone. Both behavioral sensitization and corticosterone are implicated in drug addiction. We examined the expression of behavioral sensitization induced by nicotine as well as the changes in corticosterone levels after repeated injections of nicotine in adolescent and adult animals. Adolescent and adult rats received subcutaneous (s.c.) injections of saline or 0.4 mg/kg of nicotine once daily for 7 days. Three days after the last injection animals were challenged with saline or nicotine (0.4 mg/kg; s.c.). Nicotine-induced locomotion was recorded in an activity cage. Trunk blood samples were collected in a subset of adolescent and adult rats and plasma corticosterone levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. Adult, but not adolescent, rats expressed behavioral sensitization. Pretreatment with nicotine abolished corticosterone-activating effect of this drug only in adult animals, indicating the development of tolerance at this age. Our results provide evidence that adolescent rats exposed to repeated nicotine display behavioral and neuroendocrine adaptations distinct from that observed in adult animals. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Observa-se, no Brasil, nas últimas décadas, um aumento significante no número de estudantes ingressantes no ensino superior, resultado do aumento da população jovem adulta, das exigências do mercado de trabalho para responder ao desenvolvimento econômico e social do país, das políticas de acesso e de abertura à maior heterogeneidade de alunos neste nível educacional e, que tem, entre suas consequências, maior presença de estudantes adultos neste nível de ensino. Nota-se que os termos para a identificação do aluno adulto na graduação, bem como os atributos que o definem, variam consideravelmente nos estudos da área, contudo, o mais frequente atributo utilizado tem sido o ingresso no ensino superior com idade igual ou acima de 25 anos. Observa-se na literatura que os estudantes adultos possuem características que influenciam como eles aprendem e como vivenciam a graduação, incluindo as interações que estabelecem com os pares. Diante do número cada vez maior de estudantes adultos na graduação e pelo entendimento de que as interações com os pares destacam-se na literatura como uma variável associada à integração acadêmica, ao envolvimento do estudante, ao sucesso acadêmico, bem como à permanência deste nas instituições de ensino superior...

Neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus occurs throughout adult mammalian life and is essential for proper hippocampal function. Early in their development, adult-born neurons express homomeric α7-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7-nAChRs) and receive direct cholinergic innervation. We show here that functional α7-nAChRs are necessary for normal survival, maturation, and integration of adult-born neurons in the dentate gyrus. Stereotaxic retroviral injection into the dentate gyrus of wild-type and α7-knock-out (α7KO) male and female mice was used to label and birthdate adult-born neurons for morphological and electrophysiological measures; BrdU (5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine) injections were used to quantify cell survival. In α7KO mice, we find that adult-born neurons develop with truncated, less complex dendritic arbors and display GABAergic postsynaptic currents with immature kinetics. The neurons also have a prolonged period of GABAergic depolarization characteristic of an immature state. In this condition, they receive fewer spontaneous synaptic currents and are more prone to die during the critical period when adult-born neurons are normally integrated into behaviorally relevant networks. Even those adult-born neurons that survive the critical period retain long-term dendritic abnormalities in α7KO mice. Interestingly...

Adult neurogenesis, a developmental process encompassing the birth of new neurons from adult neural stem cells and their integration into the existing neuronal circuitry, highlights the plasticity and regenerative capacity of the adult mammalian brain. Substantial evidence suggests essential roles of newborn neurons in specific brain functions; yet it remains unclear how these new neurons make their unique contribution. Recently, a series of studies have delineated the basic steps of the adult neurogenesis process and shown that many of the distinct steps are dynamically regulated by the activity of the existing circuitry. Here we review recent findings on the synaptic integration and plasticity of newborn neurons in the adult hippocampus, including the basic biological process, unique characteristics, critical periods, and activity-dependent regulation by the neurotransmitters GABA and glutamate. We propose that adult neurogenesis represents not merely a replacement mechanism for lost neurons, but also an ongoing developmental process in the adult brain that offers an expanded capacity for plasticity for shaping the existing circuitry in response to experience throughout life.

Whether induction of low-level neurogenesis in normally non-neurogenic regions of the adult brain mimics aspects of developmental neurogenesis is currently unknown. Previously, we and others identified that biophysically induced, neuron subtype-specific apoptosis in mouse neocortex results in induction of neurogenesis of limited numbers of subtype-appropriate projection neurons with axonal projections to either thalamus or spinal cord, depending on the neuron subtype activated to undergo targeted apoptosis. Here, we test the hypothesis that developmental genes from embryonic corticogenesis are re-activated, and that some of these genes might underlie induction of low-level adult neocortical neurogenesis. We directly investigated this hypothesis via microarray analysis of microdissected regions of young adult mouse neocortex undergoing biophysically activated targeted apoptosis of neocortical callosal projection neurons. We compared the microarray results identifying differentially expressed genes with public databases of embryonic developmental genes. We find that, following activation of subtype-specific neuronal apoptosis, three distinct sets of normal developmental genes are selectively re-expressed in neocortical regions of induced neurogenesis in young adult mice: (1) genes expressed by subsets of progenitors and immature neurons in the developing ventricular and/or subventricular zones; (2) genes normally expressed by developmental radial glial progenitors; and (3) genes involved in synaptogenesis. Together with previous results...

Adult-born dentate granule neurons contribute to memory encoding functions of the dentate gyrus (DG) such as pattern separation. However, local circuit-mechanisms by which adult-born neurons partake in this process are poorly understood. Computational, neuroanatomical and electrophysiological studies suggest that sparseness of activation in the granule cell layer (GCL) is conducive for pattern separation. A sparse coding scheme is thought to facilitate the distribution of similar entorhinal inputs across the GCL to decorrelate overlapping representations and minimize interference. Here we used fast voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging combined with laser photostimulation and electrical stimulation to examine how selectively increasing adult DG neurogenesis influences local circuit activity and excitability. We show that DG of mice with more adult-born neurons exhibits decreased strength of neuronal activation and more restricted excitation spread in GCL while maintaining effective output to CA3c. Conversely, blockade of adult hippocampal neurogenesis changed excitability of the DG in the opposite direction. Analysis of GABAergic inhibition onto mature dentate granule neurons in the DG of mice with more adult-born neurons shows a modest readjustment of perisomatic inhibitory synaptic gain without changes in overall inhibitory tone...

Non-peer-reviewed; Motivation is an internal compulsion that incites an individual to act in a certain manner and the level of motivation experienced determines the course of their actions. Within an education setting the motivation of a learner may be influenced through their attitude towards a subject, the manner in which it is taught or their desire for recognition of academic achievement. With these factors in mind the purpose of this study was to determine the motivational potential of the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on the adult learners when it is used within adult education in the North West of Ireland. There have been a number of studies conducted relating to the motivation of learners through the use of ICT within primary and secondary education but there is little evidence on its influence on the motivation of adult learners within the adult education sector. A case study approach was used for this study and the case study was conducted within three Adult Education Centres over an eight week time frame. The data collection tools utilised were questionnaires distributed to both teachers and learners to determine their outlook on ICT use within their classrooms; an observation checklist to ascertain the effect of ICT use on the motivational behaviour of learners within a classroom and; interviews with the co-ordinators of two Adult Education Centres were conducted to verify their opinion of how ICT use within their centres influences the motivation of adult learners.

The authors combine data from 84 Demographic and Health Surveys from 46 countries to analyze trends and socioeconomic differences in adult mortality, calculating mortality based on the sibling mortality reports collected from female respondents aged 15-49. The analysis yields four main findings. First, adult mortality is different from child mortality: while under-5 mortality shows a definite improving trend over time, adult mortality does not, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. The second main finding is the increase in adult mortality in Sub-Saharan African countries. The increase is dramatic among those most affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Mortality rates in the highest HIV-prevalence countries of southern Africa exceed those in countries that experienced episodes of civil war. Third, even in Sub-Saharan countries where HIV-prevalence is not as high, mortality rates appear to be at best stagnating, and even increasing in several cases. Finally, the main socioeconomic dimension along which mortality appears to differ in the aggregate is gender. Adult mortality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa have risen substantially higher for men than for women especially so in the high HIV-prevalence countries. On the whole...

HIV/AIDS is drastically changing the demographic landscape in high-prevalence countries in Africa. The prime-age adult population bears the majority of the mortality burden. These missing prime-age adults have implications for the socioeconomic well-being of surviving family members. This study uses a 13-year panel from Tanzania to examine the impacts of prime-age mortality on the time use and health outcomes of older adults, with a focus on long-run impacts and gender dimensions. Prime-age deaths are weakly associated with increases in working hours of older women when the deceased adult was co-resident in the household. The association is strongest when the deceased adult was living with the elderly individual at the time of death and for deaths in the distant past, suggesting that shorter-run studies may not capture the full extent of the consequences of adult mortality for survivors. Holding more assets seems to buffer older adults from having to work more after these shocks. Most health indicators are not worse for older adults when a prime-age household member died...

Over the 1980s secondary schools and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) colleges in South Australia had increasing numbers of adults returning to formal secondary education mainly in search of better jobs or to qualify for tertiary studies. The teaching of such students required an appreciation of the difficulties they faced with the competing demands of family and work, and the anxieties they had in meeting the requirements of formalised study. In 1989 the South Australian Government made a policy decision, to transfer all the year 11 and 12 classes which TAFE colleges had specially established for adult students to the public secondary school system. Funds were allocated for the establishment of a secondary school system wide structure of nine Adult Re-entry sites, eight of which are still successfully operating within the Department of Education and Children’s Services. Whilst adult educational sites existed elsewhere, no other Australian state had a comparable systemic secondary school structure designed for adults returning to study. As a teacher of adult re-entry students, I sought to investigate the historical factors behind the policy decision to establish of adult re-entry sites within the secondary school system, to research the development of adult programs at a particular site and to study the experiences of adult students...

In this article, we develop an integrated adult-content recognition system which can detect adult images, adult videos, and adult Web page bags, where a Web page bag consists of a Web page and a predefined number of Web pages linked to it through hyperlinks. In our adult image-recognition algorithm, we model skin patches rather than skin pixels, resulting in better results than state-of-the-art algorithms which model skin pixels. In our adult video-recognition algorithm, information from the accompanying audio section around an image in an adult video is used to obtain a prior classification of the image. The algorithm achieves a better performance than the ones which use image information alone or audio information alone. The adult Web page bag recognition is carried out using multi-instance learning based on the combination of classifying texts, images and videos in Web pages. Both the speed and the accuracy for recognizing the Web adult content are increased, in contrast to recognizing Web pages one-by-one.; Weiming Hu, Haiqiang Zuo, Ou Wu, Yunfei Chen, Zhongfei Zhang, David Suter

This research was conducted in Chia-Yi, Taiwan to study the needs of adult education participants to determine the factors necessary to provide direction for the development of university adult education curriculum and supportive government educational policies. Factors researched were characteristics of the adult learner, theories of adult learning, demands of adult education, and implications of university adult education as the theoretical foundation for the development of specific curriculum development efforts. The study investigated adult learning needs and their relationship with demographic variable. Analyzing the needs of adult education participant and the relative factors through a survey resulted in recommendations for the development of adult education program plans, content of curriculum, and teaching. Research questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequencies, chi square, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and post hoc analysis. ^ The study showed that most participants in these adult education activities were under forty, middle class, of above average educational levels, and either living or working in the city. People who were older, of lesser social and economic positions, with lower educational standards...

The purpose of this study was to describe and explain working adult undergraduate students' perspectives on persistence in college in order to address the applicability of retention theory to a specific group of college students. Retention of college students is a major concern in higher education where persistence rates have continued to decline for the last 16 years and changing student demographics have influenced enrollment patterns. ^ A qualitative research design was used. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine working adult undergraduate students. The participants were selected to include diversity in age, race/ethnicity, family roles, career/work levels, college majors, and educational histories. ^ Triangulation was performed on data from the interviews, participant data forms, and a research journal. Open and axial coding were used to generate emerging themes. Member checking was used to verify the interpretation of the participants' perspectives. A peer reviewer corroborated the data analysis. Three major themes emerged from the data which explained how the students stayed motivated, engaged in learning, and managed the institutional aspects of college. ^ Five conclusions were drawn from the findings of this study. First...

non-peer-reviewed; Adult education and further training in Ire land is currently undergoing reform. The VEC structure is now abolished and it has been rcplaced by Education and Training Boards. Meanwhile digital technology is also being integrated into adult education and bringing about changes of its own. This case study aimed primarily to examinc how thc use of digital tecliiJgy can impact on the roles of those involved ill adult education. In particular, thc focus of the S!!!bl was ~ ro les of adult learocrs, adult educators and likewise adult education management. This research was undertaken at a Further Education Centre (FEC). An online digital lesson on interview ski lls was developed by the research practitioner and a hyperlink provided to the FEC for usc in communications elass by the Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) learners. A random sample group of thirty adult learners. ten from each course, completed the digital lesson. In addition, the participating adult learners complcted an online questionnai re. In conjunction with this research, a focus group discussion took place involving six adult educators from the FEe. Subsequently, the FEC Director participated in a te lephone interview. This study identified that all three groups of participants had specific roles in integrating digital technology at the FEC. The adult learners viewed their role mainly as doing their COUTSCWOrk. However...

non-peer-reviewed; This research undertook a qualitative study of the social value of community-based adult education in Limerick City. In particular, the research sought to explore the social outcomes of learning for individuals, their families, communities and wider society.

An educator who wishes to plan a successful education program for adults must have a sound understanding of the needs and characteristics of the adult learner and the goals and principles of adult education. The ultimate purpose of learning is change, particularly change in behavior. The goals of adult education are individual development and, through this, improvement of society. The desire for growth--self-discovery, self-actualization, maturation--is one of the strongest motivations for an adult who seeks education. Adult learners, both as individuals and as groups, are very different from child learners and must be treated accordingly in the learning situation. Education has long been considered one of the functions of botanic gardens. They are particularly well suited to offer adult education, for several reasons. First, they usually have a number of important resources--a plant collection, a knowledgeable staff, physical facilities for accommodating the public. Second, since large numbers of people today are seeking gardening information, the botanic garden has a ready-made voluntary learner population. Third, a garden is an ideal situation for participatory learning. The education which botanic gardens can offer can be divided into four major areas: general gardening skills; beauty appreciation; self-education or random experiential learning; and environmental education. All four are closely interrelated and lead to sensitization...

In contemporary times the adult education field faces relevant shifts leadingto the emergence of tensions and dilemmas that force its reconfiguration.Therefore, several problems rise in what adult educators’ training is concerned,mainly these induced by the prevalence of certain forms of training.Searching for innovative ways of conceiving and developing adult educatorstraining, the Unit for Adult Education of the University of Minho joined theproject A Good Adult Educator in Europe (AGADE). In this paper, theauthors wish to present six principles by which a disposal of adult educatorstraining can be based on.; O campo da educação enfrenta na actualidade importantes desafios que têmlevado ao surgimento de tensões e dilemas que forçam a sua reconfiguração.Neste âmbito, a formação de educadores de adultos também se confrontacom diversos problemas, com destaque para aqueles induzidos pelaprevalência de determinados modos de conceber e entender a formação.Foi na procura de modos alternativos e inovadores de conceber e desenvolvera formação de educadores de adultos que a Unidade de Educação deAdultos da Universidade do Minho participou no projecto A Good AdultEducator in Europe (AGADE). Neste texto...