Although many adult basic education programs offer distance learning (DL) for GED (General Educational Development) and English as a Second Language learners, this topic has received little scholarly attention. This article examines the availability, usage, and effectiveness of DL for rural GED candidates in Pennsylvania; students' demographic and…

Adult Basic Education (ABE) and the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) programs serve those students who, for whatever reason, have left the educational system without attaining a regular high school diploma. Because of the manner in which they may have left the school system, many have negative emotions and personal agency beliefs hindering their…

Adults with learning disabilities (LD) attending adult basic education, GED programs, or community colleges are among the lowest performers on measures of literacy. For example, on multiple measures of reading comprehension, adults with LD had a mean reading score at the third grade level, whereas adults without LD read at the fifth grade level.…

This study investigated informal learning activities among low-education adults, using data from the 2005 National Household Education Survey. Survey respondents were asked about their participation in six types of informal learning activities, from reading books to using computers to attending conventions. Respondents with the lowest educational…

Facilitation techniques to motivate students preparing for the General Educational Development Tests include (1) interviewing students before the first class; (2) identifying needs and problems; (3) mutually designing the learning plan; (4) selecting instructional methods; and (5) evaluating outcomes. (SK)

Offers practical approaches to creating a connected learning environment, integrating individual disciplines into holistic learning, and inspiring motivation to be lifelong learners for a general educational development (GED) program. (JOW)

This article critically reviews recent studies of adult basic education (ABE), general education development (GED), vocational, and college education programs in prisons. Thirteen studies were collected from various databases across multiple disciplines to examine the types of program evaluations and statistical analysis techniques researchers…

"Focus on Basics" is the quarterly publication of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. It presents best practices, current research on adult learning and literacy, and how research is used by adult basic education teachers, counselors, program administrators, and policymakers. "Focus on Basics" is…

In their chapter on numeracy, the authors begin by exploring the many terms used to describe the learning of mathematics by adults. They discuss the relationship between the terms "mathematics" and "numeracy" and explain why numeracy--making meaning with numbers and mathematical processes--is the term they chose for their…

This supplement to an annotated bibliography describes nearly 100 books that are appropriate for use with adult learners. Some of the titles in this supplement are books best used for independent reading, but most have strong instructional ties. The supplement contains many books that can be useful in General Educational Development (GED)…

Significant changes in the General Educational Development Math Test require a change in teaching methods. A structured problem-solving approach focused on applying principles and interpreting abstract data will stress process as well as content as required by the test. (SK)

A study was conducted at a program in rural southwest Virginia to determine whether Head Start parents and adult basic education/high school equivalency program students use critical thinking skills. More than 50 definitions of critical thinking were collected, and Bloom's Taxonomy was reviewed for background information. The teachers' manual for…

The authors review current practices in writing instruction in adult literacy classes. They observe that students spend little time writing. Innovative teaching activities are mentioned. They discuss goals of writing instruction and how to adapt present practices to meet the writing requirements of the General Educational Development Test. (CH)

This handbook provides General Educational Development (GED) teachers with information on critical thinking and teaching ideas to support a commitment to the idea of critical thinking as an essential tool for adult basic education (ABE) students. The importance of critical thinking skills for GED students is emphasized. Sample questions from the…

This publication contains an annotated bibliography of 19 sources of information for instructors of General Educational Development Test (GED) preparation classes and adult basic education classes. An introduction discusses the literature search that identified materials and information to help GED instructors teach adult education, generally, and…