The volume addresses the ways that the field of adult basic education has already been impacted by changes in technology and what needs to happen for learners and teachers to take full advantage of newly developing resources. The analysis is organized around three main themes: Learning, Teaching, and Organizing. Each section reviews relevant…

This chapter focuses on the role of online educators as mentors and addresses the potential impact of a mentoring relationship on the development and persistence of adult learners in the online medium.

The issue of integrating technology into adult literacy programs would benefit from the implementation of a curriculum deliberation process that includes perspectives of practitioners, learners, subject matter experts, and milieus. This would ensure the development of coherent curricula, with the key consideration being the efficacy of computers…

This journal offers a collection of Spanish-language articles, including: "Educacion a Distancia y Uso de las Tecnologias: Experiencias Desafios y Oportunidades Educativas para Jovenes y Adultos" (Ma. Mercedes Ruiz); "Volver a a Educacion Fundamental? Notas para una Arquelogia de los Mandatos Fundacionales del CREFAL" (Jorge…

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…

The Literacy Learning through Technology project sought to explore how professionals in adult literacy and basic education (ALBE) in Victoria, Australia, developed their expertise with online technology and incorporated it into their programs. Data were gathered from surveys and follow-up interviews with 10 participants and visits to 9 sites that…

The purpose of this study was to better understand what optimal computer technology integration looks like in adult basic skills education (ABSE). One question guided the research: How is computer technology integration best conceptualized and measured? The study used the Delphi method to map the construct of computer technology integration and…

The history of technology use in adult literacy programs was reviewed, and attitudes enhancing and limiting the use of technology were examined. Among the key findings of the analysis were the following: (1) the value of technology for literacy instruction is based on its provision of privacy, individual control, immediate feedback, and…

Eight adult literacy programs in Ohio and two in Minnesota were funded by the Ohio Literacy Resource Center in coordination with the National Institute for Literacy to get connected to and begin to use the Internet in the classroom. The 6-month grant (January-June 1996) supplied money, training, and ongoing technical support. The 10 sites…

A project was conducted to provide access to computer-based instructional programs, student database files, and CD-ROM technology to satellite classes of the Tri-County Opportunities Industrialization Center in central Pennsylvania. During the project, computer needs at satellite locations were identified, instructional and reference materials…

The educational applications of technology are many and varied, including use as an educational delivery method and an instructional tool. However, technology is often introduced without much thought, and it changes rapidly. Technology can have the following effects: improve educational attainment and skill development; reduce educational…

The many advantages claimed for using the computer in adult literacy instruction--privacy, immediate feedback, individualization, control, and flexibility--have also been observed in the practice of dedicated teachers, without the help of computers. Fortunately, many scholars still emphasize the need for teacher sensitivity and teacher-student…

A national survey identified the extent of computer technology use in adult literacy programs and explored the attitudes, beliefs, and experiences of adult literacy providers in implementing technology. It also conducted a systematic inventory of the types of computer technology currently in use in adult literacy programs. In recent years, a…

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 considerable body of evidence indicates that using technology simply to expand traditional adult literacy approaches and programs will not likely meet existing literacy needs, let alone the heightened expectations of the national literacy goal. One promising approach is to use home-based personal computers (PCs) equipped with modems and…