Vol. 24, No. 2 (Fall 98) Venturing Through the Looking Glass: An Instance of Transformative Learning in Adult Education Judith MacIntosh, University of New Brunswick Nancy Wiggins, University of New Brunswick Adult learners who are introduced to transformative learning in their university education initially tend to find the experience strikingly different from their previous educational programs. For Registered Nurses beginning a baccalaureate degree in nursing, learning in a transformative environment may be as odd to them as was the experience of Lewis Carroll's Alice on the other side of the Looking Glass. For their teachers, examining a common experience, not common to learners, in an uncommon manner expands the understanding of the process. Using the imaginative work of Lewis Carroll, the authors of this paper relate it to the experiences of these adult learners and expound on the strategies being used to facilitate the transformative process in adult education. The perspectives developed by the UNB nursing teachers and the strategies they use to facilitate transformative learning are described.   Not the Wand but the Wizard Patricia A. Post, University of New Brunswick Ellen Carusetta, University of New Brunswick Elin Maher, University of New Brunswick Judy Macintosh, University of New Brunswick A team of experienced distance educators, from three separate faculties at the University of New Brunswick, conducted a two- stage study that examined learners/participants' perceptions of factors affecting their learning in courses offered by audio- conferencing, audio-graphic conferencing, and video- conferencing. Study findings determined that, regardless of the technology used, learners were most influenced by instructor teaching style. These findings underscore the importance of maintaining and refining the more relational and interactive aspects of effective pedagogical practice within the contexts of adult learning and distance education.   The Issue of Competitiveness and Skills-Training in Continuing Education Today Morris Maduro, University of Regina The ongoing debate between government and industry as to the adequacy of our present educational system serves to demonstrate two key points: employer needs are not currently being met by the educational system, and prospective employees are lacking the appropriate skills, knowledge, and training to take up the many available positions. Universities and the K-12 system are often held responsible for this situation--universities for their unbending adherence to traditional academic subject areas and content, and the K-12 system for failing to create among graduating high school students an awareness of (and, consequently, a demand for) the need for more appropriate skills training. Some have argued that continuing education units are in an enviable position to fill this gap, but not all continuing educators embrace this view. This paper attempts to address these issues by delving into the available data, the purported causes, the possible solutions, and the role of continuing education in this debate. Reviews   Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher - Anne Percival, The University of Manitoba   Learning for Life: Canadian Readings in Adult Education - Gordon Selman, University of British Columbia (retired)