National Adult Literacy Database

Reflections on a four-year project conducted under the auspices of the Health and Learning Knowledge Centre and the Canadian Council on Learning

Authors: B. Allan Quigley, Wendy L. Kraglund-Gauthier, Sue Folinsbee, Hélène Grégoire

This is the final report of the Adult Working Group established under the auspices of the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) and the Health and Learning Knowledge Centre.

The authors note that the purpose of the report is to reflect on what they learned throughout the four-year project, not only in terms of the outcomes but also in terms of the process itself. They discuss what went well and what could have been done differently with the goal of helping others who might embark on similar projects in the future.

The authors have included sections describing the environmental scan carried out in the second year of the project and the public consultations that were conducted during the project’s third and fourth years.

They have also included an appendix that lists the group’s dissemination activities.

Funders:

• Canadian Council on Learning (CCL)

Added: 2011-04-19

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Series: State of the Field Report

Authors: B. Allan Quigley, Sue Folinsbee, Wendy L. Kraglund-Gauthier

This study, prepared under the auspices of the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL), is one of a series of reports on the state adult learning in Canada. The reports were intended to offer a knowledge baseline for the Adult Learning Knowledge Centre, which had recently been established at the University of New Brunswick.

The authors reviewed and analyzed information from databases, bibliographies, websites, and publications. As well as offering general observations on literacy, they organized their findings according to specific themes of Aboriginal literacy; English as a Second Language (ESL) and First Language Literacy; Francophone literacy; women and literacy; health literacy; family literacy; corrections literacy; literacy and work; learning disabilities and literacy; and technologies and literacy.

The document also includes detailed information about the methodology used; notes about gaps in available data; and suggestions for further study.

Added: 2006-08-08

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See also:

• Thème de la littératie chez les adultes

Learning from Literacy Research in Practice Networks

Authors: B. Allan Quigley, Mary Norton

This document is a resource for people interested in adult literacy research in practice, a term that refers to literacy research conducted by or with people directly engaged in adult literacy teaching and learning.

It is based on a study of 11 such networks or projects in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. The authors collected information about those networks through face-to-face and telephone interviews, an online survey, websites, and published documents.

From the information collected, they developed descriptions of each network and identified approaches and challenges to supporting research in practice.

Three of the networks, in the United Kingdom and Australia, are national in scope. Those in the United States are based in states or regions.

Added: 2002-09-23

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See also:

• Ça nous rend meilleurs, tout simplement

Authors: Maurice Taylor, B. Allan Quigley, Gillian Kajganich, Wendy L. Kraglund-Gauthier

In this study, the authors try to understand the evolution of adult literacy research by analyzing material published in “The Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education,” a peer-reviewed publication that first appeared in 1987.

Based on their analysis of the material, the authors suggest that seven metaphors can be used to depict the current state of literacy scholarship. For example, literacy can be viewed as a means of emancipation, or it can be viewed as a commodity. Other metaphors include a continuum of formal and informal learning; literacy as a relationship; and literacy as a critical social practice.

The findings also suggest the existence of a triangle of three solitudes: academic researchers; practitioners; and government sponsors. The authors note that practitioners only occasionally referenced the work of adult literacy academics, while academic researchers rarely acknowledged the contributions of practitioners. With some exceptions, the literature of government and its partners typically ignored both the practitioner and academic research.

The absence of cross-authorship and the lack of cross-dialogue within this triangle raises concerns, the authors note.

Added: 2012-10-30

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A Report of the Health Literacy in Rural Nova Scotia Research Project

Authors: Doris E. Gillis, B. Allan Quigley

It is well known that people who have trouble reading and writing often have poor health.

This is a report for a project called The Health Literacy in Rural Nova Scotia Research Project. During the project, people from various counties in Nova Scotia were brought together to learn more about how literacy affects health. Most importantly, the project was intended to find out what can be done to break down the barriers to health that low literacy creates.

Funders:

• OLES

Added: 2004-08-10

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Authors: B. Allan Quigley

Some say the world is flat. Others insist it is round. But what I have learned working in the field of adult literacy and basic and education (ABLE) for almost 40 years is that our world is triangular. How is this possible? Since the late 1960's I have lived in what I would describe as a three-cornered world.

But this short article is not about differences. Rather, I would like to think that there is a space that connects us all—a growing circle that we can all contribute to and learn from. Our world may be triangular, but it doesn't have to be that way forever. The area that gives me the most hope is that dedicated to knowledge. It touches learners, teachers, policy-makers and researches alike, and despite our differing views and intentions, we are all in the same literacy knowledge business. What we need is to learn how to work more closely together in knowledge despite the triangular distances that separates us. Not only for the learners whom serve, but for the growth, health and future of this fragile field.

Added: 2006-06-22

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