A Research of the Operation and Development in Tai-Shan Township Local College in Taipei County by Shih, Yu-Sen Supervised by Dr. Lin, Jenn-Chuen Summary The research purposes This dissertation is to study the theory and strategy of how to popularize adult education in a community. The research is mainly based on the pattern of the operation and development in Tai-Shan Township Local College. There are three main aspects as below: The idea of the launching of the local college The research is trying to know how and why the local college is started, also to know the process of its proceeding. The operation in the local college In this aspect, the pattern of its organization and the method of its operation will be observed, as well as the curriculum and the teaching scheme. To provide suggestions for popularizing adult education in a community The results that may be reached from the research will be used as a reference for local governments to proceed their adult education in communities. The research method Qualitative research is adopted as the research method. There are two ways of data collection in this research. Firstly, all the relevant documents are collected and deliberated. This is how the theoretical basis is established, and therefore the framework of the research is built up. Secondly, there is an interview scheme taken place in the local college. The interviewee includes the administrators in the college, the consultants and the residents in Tai-Shan Township. Conclusion Through the research, the conclusions have been reached as following: For the idea of the launching of the local college: A. Tai-Shan Township Local College is transformed from a social education center, a learning community to the local college today. B. The idea of establishing the local college is to build up an ideal adult education center in the community and to popularize learning opportunity to every resident in the township. C. The sponsor of the Township Local College is the local government. Its aim is to establish the norm of community learning system. D. One should contribute the success in running Tai-Shan Township local college to the specialists and consultants who gave their suggestions and assistants. For the operation and organization in the local college A. The running pattern in Tai-Shan Township Local College is based on the ideas of co- operated relationship between the college and the residents. The college integrates the resources from the community and applies it to the learning scheme. B. The township government is the biggest supporter and sponsor of the local college. From this point of view, one can see how much the government has attached importance to the adult education in the community. C. The active volunteers from the community who help deal with the college affairs have made the operation of the college even more successful. For the curriculum and the teaching scheme A. The teaching content is based on people’s need. It mostly focuses on general knowledge, for example, language course; or courses that is practical and very much closed to people’s life, e.g. art and craft, computer skills…etc. B. All the teachers are experienced in adult education. They are aware of the learning patterns of adults and they know how to make use of the efficient way to help the learners learn. This is very important for why the learning is successful in the college. Suggestions for Tai-Shan Township local college and the local government For the local college A. Increase general knowledge courses to cultivate the residents and communities. B. To co-operate with business groups to provide the opportunities of on-the-job training courses. C. To provide certificate or diploma to those who have complete the courses and pass the evaluations. This will motivate the learners as well as build up the identification of the course. For the local government The achievement in establishing and operating Tai-Shan Township Local College is obvious. One can suggest the local government and the Ministry of Education co-sponsor the local college to share the successful experiences to other local authorities through some activities, e.g. workshop…etc. Suggestions for further research There are three points suggested below to hopefully arouse more studies in this subject: A. The influence and the effect of the local college had made to the whole township, both in the mental world and in the material world. B. What has been changed in his life after one has completed the course in the local college? C. Further study for the differences and similarities between the township local college and the community university.