What is the AERC?

The Adult Education Research Conference (AERC) is an annual North American conference that provides a forum for adult education researchers to share their experiences and the results of their studies with students, other researchers, and practitioners from around the world.

In a sense, the AERC is also a retreat for members of the adult education community; an informal, collegial gathering where all are encouraged to enter into lively debate over the future direction of research in adult education.

Each year, the AERC is organized by a Steering Committee and hosted by one of the many prestigious educational institutions in the United States and in Canada. Scores of dedicated volunteers, made up of students and practitioners in the field of adult education, toil diligently throughout the year to ensure attendees find the conference both productive and memorable.

A look back at the past few years of the AERC hints at the collection of educational institutions and cities throughout North America hosting this notable conference:

	2001 Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan USA
	2000 University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada
	1999 North Illinois University in Dekalb, USA
	1998 University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, USA
	1997 Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, USA
	1996 University of South Florida in Tampa, USA
	1995 University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada
	1994 University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA
	1993 Penn State University, Pennsylvania, USA
	1992 University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

Membership in the AERC is quite straightforward; formal requirements are simply attendance at the annual conference. Once at the conference, attendees:

	can choose from a diverse selection of presentations and symposia
	are encouraged to join in on the many impromtu discussions and debates
	attend the annual business meeting
	are introduced to the winner of the graduate student award
	can participate in a wide variety of extra-curricular activities

Conference proceedings, first published in 1979, are the crowning glory of the AERC. Serving as the official record of the AERC, they not only reflect the changing emphasis and orientation of research in adult education, but also evidence the growing diversity and maturity of the field itself.

Purpose

The main purposes of the AERC, as defined in the constitution, are:

	to promote the improvement of research and evaluation in adult education
	to foster professional collaboration among persons who promote research, conduct research or utilize research findings in the field of adult education

History

The idea of gathering adult education researchers together to meet in a collegial environment where discussion and debate are actively promoted took root in the late 1950s. At that time, the Commission of Professors saw a need to encourage a stronger orientation towards research in the field of adult education. Originally known as the National Seminar on Adult Education Research, this organization coordinated meetings of students, university professionals, and interested practitioners. An informal organization to say the least, it basically ran on the goodwill of its members and sponsoring institutions who provided what support and resources they could.

In the four decades since its inception, this annual meeting of adult education researchers has matured and grown in prominence, albeit under a different name and the auspices of a more formal constitution and set of by-laws. Membership has expanded to include researchers from around the world who have brought fresh and varied theoretical and practical perspectives to the continued dialog taking place at the annual conference.

With its long tradition of advancing knowledge in adult education, the AERC has become one of the largest, most prestigious meetings of adult educators, both locally and internationally. This is not to say, however, that the AERC has evolved into the rigidly structured and formal conferences often seen in other environments. On the contrary, what is unique about the AERC and indeed reminiscent of the AERC's humble beginnings, is the lack of pretentiousness and the emphasis on fostering professional collaboration in a supportive, enlightened environment.

Reference Material

Not much is written on the AERC itself -- people generally use it as a forum for their own research and writing! However, we've found the following sources of information, which you may find interesting reading. If you know of or come across any other relevant documents on the AERC that you feel should be added to this list, please let us know.

Long, H.B. (1983). Characteristics of adult education research reported at the Adult Education Research Conference, 1971-1980. Adult Education, 33 (2), 79-96.

Pipke, I. (1984). The gatekeepers: A multivariate study of accepted and rejected Adult Education Research Conference abstracts, 1978-1980. Adult Education Quarterly, 34, 71-84.

Pipke, I. (1981). A study of the variables associated with the acceptance and rejection of A.E.R.C. abstracts. Unpublished master's thesis, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

Thomson, A. (1993). Learning about adult learning: The 1992 North American adult education research conferences. Studies in the Education of Adults, 25 (1), 92-104.

The following AERC proceedings can be obtained through ERIC document reproduction services:

Links to Related Sites

Check out these sites related to research in adult and continuing education:

	Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education (CASAE)
	American Educational Research Association

	The Cyril O. Houle Scholars in Adult and Continuing Education Program
	National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy
	Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults

One Insider's View

Roger Boshier is a Professor in the Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Studies, Adult Education program at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada. Aside from his many contributions to the field of adult education worldwide, Boshier has been a long-time, albeit somewhat colourful, supporter of the AERC. Case in point, it was Boshier who managed to convince an unsuspecting graduate student to build this Web site in the first place!

It is, therefore, an honour to include in this Web site Boshier's historical look at the AERC, entitled Aging Gracefully: A Personal Perspective on the Adult Education Research Conference.

For those of you who have attended the AERC in past years, particularly the 1992 Conference at the University of Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon, Canada, you've likely heard this speech. On the other hand, there may be those of you, perhaps newer additions to the AERC community, who have never been exposed to Boshier's unique outlook on the world. Be forewarned that Boshier's propensity for speaking his mind is legendary. At times, you may find his comments disconcerting and irreverent, and at other times, thought-provoking and insightful. We suggest you take his speech for what it is; quite simply, just one insider's view.

We'd also like to hear other insider views, so if you've got a story to tell about the AERC, let us know (tom.sork@ubc.ca) and we'll look at adding it to the web site!

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Revised: February 13, 2001.