Accelerated Learning for Adults: The Promise and Practice of Intensive Educational Formats: New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, No. 97

Accelerated learning programs have increased dramatically and gained widespread attention in adult higher education. They have also received criticism regarding their value and potential impact on the quality of learning in colleges and universities. This volume of New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education is the first major publication that addresses the current practice and research of accelerated learning formats in higher education. The contributors to this volume explore the scope and substance of accelerated learning as it is practiced in colleges and universities. Practitioner guidelines and insights are offered for best practices in program and course design, learning strategies, and assessment approaches, as well as the integration of distance learning and service-learning into accelerated learning programs. To aid in examining broader questions of impact and outcome, several chapters discuss research from a variety of contexts, with both descriptive and comparative findings. This volume also provides a critical perspective and future consideration of strategies and roles for accelerated learning as a positive force in higher education. It will aid both practitioners and researchers by providing informative ideas and practices from leaders and educators who have administered, taught, and studied this innovative learning format.This is the 97th volume of New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, a quarterly report published by Jossey-Bass.