AN EXPERIMENT IN ADULT EDUCATION.

Evening Star, Issue 20687, 9 January 1931, Page 8

AN EXPERIMENT IN ADULT EDUCATION.

It is becoming increasingly realised that to do its best work adult education must in many cases be prepared to depart from the traditional and often stereotyped methods of the classroom and university. A case is to band, however, in which the best feature of the latter, the practice of research, has been adapted to meet the needs of a particular group of students. In the past two contradictory objections have tended to bo raised against certain kinds of adult education: That it had no relation to the life of the student, or that it had too much relation to his daily life and work. An experiment in Hull in connection with the newlyestablished university college has Steered a successful course between these two difficulties. The college .set out to otter a tutorial class for railwaymen through the auspices of tho Hull (L.N.E.) Railway Lecture and Debating Society, a society whoso object is to encourage discussions on matters of interest to railwayman of all grades. The offer was eagerly accepted, but a wish expressed that tho subject of study should have some fairly direct bearing on railway work ; it need not necessarily teach men (heir job, but be sud: as to enable them to ’appreciate the principles underlying the different

sections of railway work. It was asked also that, there being those of sufficient attainment to profit thereby, the class bo of a post-graduate nature, and attempt something in the way of research. This from the railwayman 1 The college took up this challenge, found a tutor expert in research work, and set up the class. The tutor was not expected to keep tho class on right linos as to technical matters of which ho had no previous knowledge, but should ensure that tho group worked on sound educational lines towards some result; moreover, he had special knowledge in a particular branch of study that was likely to help in the research. As a matter of fact it was the head of the department of mathematics who was appointed tutor of tho class. The subject of study was an inquiry as to the advantage to be obtained by tho simple substitution of two-aspect signals by three-aspect signals. This is in relation to the standard British system in which certain alterations have been proposed. 'The functions of such a system are not confined to the maintenance of safety by keeping an interval between successive trains; they take an important place among the things which affect tho number of trains which can bo passed over a given length of line. It was therefore apparent that; expert mathematical knowledge would bo valuable as a means of checking any results which might bo obtained by trial, error, and other similar methods of investigation which might be within the capacity of members of the class. Different members of the class, together or separately, prepared papers dealing with different aspects of the subject. Little was available from text books except a limited amount of an historical nature on cognate subjects. Copies of each paper wore circulated amongst the members prior to the meetings of tho class at which they were to bo discussed. The papers were, after criticism and discussion by tho members of the class, amended as necessary and the final result was embodied in tho form of a report. The tutor claims a highly-successful piece of adult education in that every member did a considerable amount of work, and there were definite signs of increased mental activity in the clearer expression and quicker understanding of tho members, as the class progressed. They certainly also learnt a lot about the patience needed for careful and accurate research—all this quite apart from the actual general knowledge gained and the fuller appreciation of general principles. Probably tho methods of work of a class such as this could bo imitated in other industries, and might lead to a revival of interest in W.E.A. work among trade union members.