Faculty Profiles

Dr. Waynne James

Professor, adult education

James headshot

Email: wjames@usf.edu
Office: USF Tampa campus, EDU 151-K
Phone: (813) 974-0034

Dr. Waynne James received her B.A. in English Education from University of Washington, Seattle and M.S. in Adult Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In 1976, she received her Ed.D. from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in Adult Education and Educational Research & Measurement.

Before arriving at USF in 1984, Dr. James was an Associate Professor and Coordinator of Adult Education, Occupational and Adult Education at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma where she taught graduate level classes. Prior to that, she was a visiting Lecturer/Research Associate in the Adult and Extension Education Department at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.  In this capacity, she supervised the development of 22 multi-media training modules, directed competency-based adult education activities related to materials development, and taught graduate level courses.

Dr. James has participated extensively in consultancy activities with a variety of projects relating to adult learning styles, learning styles assessment, project evaluation, school improvement, staff development, and curriculum development, among others. She has also conducted numerous in-service training sessions.

Research and Publications

Dr. James has published extensively. Her published works include:

Alfaifi, M. S., AbiZayyad-Nuseibeh, H., Awaida, N., & James, W. B. (2020). Graduate
Students Perceptions of Success in United States Colleges. Arab World English
Journal, 11(2), 202-213.

Askren, J., & James, W. (2020). Experiential Learning Methods in Culinary Course Can
Bridge the Gap: Student Perceptions on How Hands-on Curriculum Prepares
Them for Industry. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education, 33(4), 1-15.

Alzahrani, Y. G., & James, W. B. (2020). A Hundred Years of Adult Education in Saudi
Arabia. 2020 Proceedings of the Commission for International Adult Education.
ERIC. (ED613175).

James, W. B., & Maher, P. (2004). Understanding and using learning styles. In M. W. Galbraith (Ed.), Adult learning methods (pp. 119-139).  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Imel, S., Brockett, R. G., & James, W. B. (2000). In A. L. Wilson & E. R. Hayes (Eds.), Handbook of adult and continuing education (pp. 628-642).  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Witte, J. E., & James, W. B. (1998). Cohort research: A practical approach to doctoral research.  In M. Saltiel, A. Sgroin & R. G.

Brockett (Eds.), The power and potential of collaborative partnerships (pp. 53-62).  New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, no. 79.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

James, W. B., Witte, J. E., & Tal-Mason, D. (1996).  Prisons as communities.  In P. A. Sissel (Ed.), Community-based approach to literacy programs: Taking learners’ lives into account (pp. 37-46).  New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, no. 70.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

James, W. B., & Gardner, D. (1995). Learning styles: Implications for distance learning. In M. H. Rossman & M. E. Rossman (Eds.), Facilitating distance learning (pp. 19-32).  New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, no. 67.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

James,W. B., Duke, J., & Gardner, D. (1991). A guide to writing adult education grant proposals. Tallahassee, FL: Florida State Department of Education, Bureau of Adult and Community Education.

Teaching Interests

  • Characteristics of Adult Learners
  • Adult Development and Learning
  • Foundations of Adult and Continuing Education/Adult Education in the US
  • Methods of Facilitating Adult Learning
  • Research in Adult and Vocational Learning
  • International Adult Education
  • Adult Cognitive and Learning Styles
  • Organization and Administration of Adult Education
  • Supervision of Local Adult Education Program
  • Research Seminar
  • Teaching in Adult Basic Education
  • Educating the Older Adult
  • Working with Adult Groups
  • Seminars, Workshops, and Special Topics in a variety of areas including Staff Development, APL Curriculum Development, and Competency-based Curriculum Development.