This technology glossary was developed to aid new users of technology as well as those beginning to become familiar with computers. It contains 230 definitions written in concise lay terms intended to help words become meaningful and alive for the user. The glossary defines terms as appropriate to IBM-type and Macintosh computer programs. A…

A study was conducted to identify the types and uses of computer hardware and software in adult and community education programs in Florida. Information was gathered through a survey instrument developed for the study and mailed to 100 adult and community education directors and adult literacy center coordinators (92 surveys were returned). The…

Although recent technological developments in both computing hardware and software present dramatic opportunities for adult literacy organizations, planning and preparation are required to capitalize on those opportunities. The process of technology planning described in this guide can focus organizational attention on the appropriate priorities…

A demonstration project explored the use of speech synthesis and speech recognition in writing-based classes held by two Philadelphia literacy providers. The project examined the use of high quality speech synthesis (the computer reads words from the screen in an understandable voice) and speech recognition (the computer responds to verbal…

Issues related to the use of technology in literacy programs, such as how decision makers can sort through the claims made by hardware and software vendors and how scarce resources can be found to purchase technology, are the focus of this report. The paper also provides a framework for incorporating technology into the curriculum. It gives a…

This newsletter contains nine articles covering the topic of technology and adult learning and exploring what has been achieved in the six years since the Office of Technology Assessment conducted a study on adult literacy and new technologies. Included are (1): "Technology and Adult Learning: A Collection of Current Perspectives" (Office of…

This technology guide is intended to introduce adult literacy providers to the concepts,hardware, and procedures of online communication. The six-part guide explains the following: (1) what electronic networks are; (2) why adult literacy practitioners may want to join the Internet; (3) how adult literacy practitioners are already using the…

Produced by a demonstration project that explored the use of speech synthesis and speech recognition in writing-based classes held by two Philadelphia literacy providers, this manual was developed for teachers who may wish to integrate speech synthesis into their curriculum. It contains a description of the technologies and activities that may be…

A survey was conducted to determine the technical curriculum needs of adult basic education (ABE) directors and full-time instructors employed through the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education's Office of Adult Literacy. Data were gathered through a 93-item survey that was developed and administered to all the 37 directors at a…

This handbook, developed for an adult learning center in Pennsylvania, uses word processing instruction on Apple IIe computers to promote student writing. The handbook was designed for use by adult basic education, General Educational Development, and English-as-a-Second-Language students who read at a fourth-grade level or higher. In the 15…

This document, prepared for an ongoing assessment on adult literacy and new technologies, reports on a study that examined the scope and suitability of software for adult literacy programs, available sources of information concerning software use in adult literacy programs, and the implications for federal policy. First, a quantitative analysis of…

The following 25 papers (with their authors) are presented from a conference on computer technology in special education and rehabilitation: "Computers for Business--Computers for Life" (I. Keith Austin); "Rehabilitation and the Computer: How to Find What You Need" (Thomas Backer); "Computer Access Alternatives for Visually Impaired People in…

For many literacy organizations, obtaining adequate funding for a technology purchase is difficult and requires additional fund-raising activities outside of the regular program grant-funding processes. While the search for additional funding is time consuming and frustrating, the task can be made easier through careful organization and systematic…

General Electric Company (GE) of Erie, Pennsylvania, hosts onsite literacy classes in conjunction with the Northwest Tri-County Unit. The development of the inplant microcomputer literacy lab expands the offerings available to the participating adult basic education and General Educational Development program students by supplying software and…

This 2-year project attempted to improve local employment prospects of young adult Inuit in seven communities in the Keewatin Region in the Canadian Northwest Territories by providing them computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in adult basic education and high school equivalency upgrading programs; business, financial, and telecommunications…