Some Major Contributions of the Military to the Field of Adult and Continuing Education in the United States (A Work in Progress).

Overview & Synopsis

The U.S. military has made numerous important contributions to the development of adult and continuing education. As in civilian adult education, military innovations in education have consistently used workplace learning. The educational benefits produced by the GI Bill democratized education by exploding the myth that "common" people did not belong in college and by serving as a model for employer-supported human development through education. The military pioneered the use of standardized testing for screening purposes and has developed batteries of tests for screening vocational aptitude and basic academic skills. The General Educational Development testing program, which grew out of the military's extensive experience with testing, is now recognized by employers and institutions of higher learning nationwide. Other areas where the military has made major contributions to the fields of adult and continuing education include the following: documentation/recognition of learning acquired outside the classroom and integration of learning in traditional degree programs; distance education; off-campus college programs; instructional systems development; competency-based education; articulation of civilian and military education through the Servicemembers Opportunities Colleges program; advanced instructional technologies; and program evaluation. (The bibliography contains 46 references. Appended are excepts from the 1947 publication, "The Armed Services and Adult Education" by Cyril O. Houle et al.) (MN)