A Syllabus and Resources for an Online Course of Self-Study
Authors: Thomas G. Sticht
Collection: Research Materials
Thomas Sticht, International Consultant in Adult Education, has put together a syllabus for self-study to give those new to the field of literacy more background in adult education and literacy development, and to offer others in the field a chance to deepen their knowledge about the field and its history, policies, practices and issues that it deals with. All recommended reading is available in the NALD Library.
Added: 2007-02-26
Celebrating 40 Years of the Adult Education and Literacy System of the United States
Authors: Thomas G. Sticht
Collection: Research Materials
The author discusses 40 years of Adult Education in the United States. This year, they celebrate 40 years of Adult Literacy and Literacy System that was created by the Adult Education Act of 1966, and which continues today as Title 2: The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
How the Adult Education Act emerged from the adult basic education program of the War on Poverty illustrates how multiple interests were brought together to break through a barrier that had blocked the development of an Adult Education and Literacy System for decades.
Added: 2006-07-25
Report on a Series of Community Knowledge-Exchange Meetings
Series: Community Outreach Initiative Reports
Authors: Jeff Meaney, Adult Learning Knowledge Centre (AdLKC), Canadian Council on Learning (CCL)
Collection: Research Materials
The report grew out of consultations held during the first six months of 2008 in Atlantic Canada. Immigrants were asked to discuss their experiences with adult learning since coming to Canada.
All participants identified the need for learning English in order to be integrated into Canadian society. In particular, they noted that a lack of ability to speak conversational English slowed their progress in making friends and participating in the workplace. They emphasized the need for better access to language classes.
As well, participants spoke of the need to learn more about Canadian culture and community. They pointed to the challenge of understanding how institutions like the courts, the health-care system and schools operate. They discussed employment challenges that ranged from simple job-search techniques to the tax implications of starting a business.
The authors recommend advancing adult immigrant education by supporting community groups, funding additional language training and backing workplace mentorship programs.
Added: 2010-02-10
Authors: Grant Johnston
Collection: Research Materials
This paper looks at whether an increase in the basic literacy skills of adults would have a positive effect on the New Zealand economy. It finds good evidence for the benefits of literacy: studies
consistently find that adults with better literacy skills are more likely to be employed, and to earn more, than those with poorer literacy skills, even when taking account of other factors which affect work performance.
There is little rigorous evidence, however, for the benefits of adult literacy training and almost no accompanying information on the costs of this training.
While there is a good case for an increased focus on adult literacy, and on workplace literacy in particular, these findings suggest a cautious approach to expanding publicly-funded adult literacy programmes.
There is a clear need for more and better New Zealand-based research, for piloting innovative literacy programmes and for undertaking good-quality evaluations. A modest increase in literacy training may not materially affect economic performance.
Added: 2006-04-11
The International Adult Literacy Survey Results
Authors: Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (Ontario)
Collection: Research Materials
In 1990, Statistics Canada released the results of the Survey of Literacy Skills Used in Daily Activities (LSUDA), a 1989 Canada-wide survey of the reading skills of adults. In 1992, the then Ontario Ministry of Education reported on the LSUDA results for Ontario (Stan Jones, Survey of Adult Literacy in Ontario).
Shortly after the release of the LSUDA results in Canada and those of the National Adult Literacy Survey in the United States, interest in a comparative international study of adult literacy began to grow. In December 1995, the first results of the 1994 survey of adult literacy in seven countries, the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), were reported in Literacy, Economy and Society, a joint publication of Statistics Canada and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In September 1996, Statistics Canada released Reading the Future: A Portrait of Literacy in Canada, a report on the national data collected in IALS.
To measure literacy in IALS, respondents answered a set of test questions designed to measure adult reading skills as well as background questions about their education, work experience and literacy practices.
Ontario participated in the survey in order to gain key data to inform policy development and to focus its literacy programming. The present report covers in detail the IALS results for Ontario. It updates and supplements the previous report, Survey of Adult Literacy in Ontario. It is organized much as the previous report with a table, graph and commentary for each of the major literacy relationships. Throughout the text, shaded boxes provide background information. Usually the tables provide results for three scales -- prose, document and quantitative -- but the graphs are used to point to particularly interesting results in part of the data.
Added: 2007-05-11
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Best books and links for tutors to try!
Authors: Halifax Community Learning Network
Collection: Learning Materials
This document contains a list of books, web sites and other learning tools that an adult literacy tutor would find useful. The resources have been organized according to subject such as math, early readers, spelling, etc. The Halifax Community Learning Network compiled this list of resources after hosting a series of Tutor Learning Circles in 2007. The Learning Circles were an opportunity for volunteer tutors to discuss materials that they had found useful in their work as adult literacy tutors.
Added: 2008-03-07
Series: Community Outreach Initiative Reports
Authors: Sunday Miller, Adult Learning Knowledge Centre (AdLKC), Canadian Council on Learning (CCL)
Collection: Research Materials
ANNOTATION: This report summarizes what was learned from a community outreach program held during the first six months of 2008. The African Canadian Knowledge Exchange gathered information at eight meetings held in March and April in Atlantic Canada. The goal of the meetings was to identify the learning needs of African Canadian adults; how those needs could be met; the challenges to be considered in meeting those needs; and who should be involved in the process and at what stage.
The common themes that emerged from the meetings were the need for more programming, leadership, finances and healing.
The authors recommend holding another meeting to bring together African Canadian people and organizations to discuss the challenges they face; identifying an existing organization in the African Canadian community that would be willing to take on the responsibility for advancing the learning agenda; developing a mentorship program; and establishing learning centres in each African Canadian community to improve adults' access to further learning opportunities.
The report includes a history of the African Canadian presence in Atlantic Canada and a section summarizing points raised in discussions held during the project.
Added: 2010-02-10
For literacy and basic skills (LBS) delivery agencies
Series: Literacy and basic skills agencies
Authors: Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities
Collection: Learning Materials
This guide is intended to provide information for Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) funded agencies about what organizational processes need to be in place to implement a continuous improvement performance management system. To successfully implement such a system, an agency must have the organizational capacity to plan, track, organize, analyze and evaluate the results of its day to day operations. It does this to determine what needs to be changed to achieve the agency's intended results in the most efficient and effective manner.
This guide is organized into the following sections:
- Steps in the assessment process of organizational capacity
- Preparation & organization
- Tips on surveying clients, partners and stakeholders
- Step 1 – Understanding results
- The vital few
- Step 2 – Understanding cause
- Step 3 – Improving results
- Step 4 – Review the plan and adjust
Added: 2008-09-16
For literacy and basic skills agencies
Series: Literacy and basic skills agencies
Authors: Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities
Collection: Learning Materials
Literacy and Basic Skills agencies can use this tool to assess their organizational processses as part of their continuous improvement performance management systems. This tool can be used on its own or can be incorporated into existing self-assessment and continuous improvement processes already in place in an organization. A related resource, the Agency Assessment of Organizational Capacity Guide, provides more detailed instructions and examples to support the use of the Agency Assessment Tool.
This tool involves the following four steps:
1. Understanding results
2. Understanding cause
3. Improving results
4. Review the plan and adjust
Added: 2008-09-16
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Series: Miramichi Literacy Writers
Authors: Merle Milson, Miramichi Literacy Writers
Collection: Learning Materials
This booklet was written in clear language and is suitable for adult new readers. It is part of a series of 24 booklets by Miramichi Literacy Writers. Some of the other titles include:
Ferry Boats of Days Gone By
The Irish of the Miramichi
Native Peoples of the Miramichi
Old Lumber Camps on the Miramichi
The Dungarvon Whooper
Added: 2009-05-06
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