This article is written by two researchers and a teacher involved with the development and implementation of a web-based intelligent tutoring system for adults reading at elementary levels. A description of the tool is provided, followed by some of the challenges faced in designing, developing, and using the tool in adult literacy classrooms.

One of the primary goals of adult basic education programs is to help individuals develop the reading, writing, and math skills necessary to access stable employment opportunities. In the US, this need has been largely overlooked by the burgeoning educational technology sector. To understand how learning technologies might support these learners…

This chapter discusses a range of issues that together paint a picture of the impact, potential, and challenges of using digital technologies in adult education.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about massive change to adult education programs, with many programs either closing or pivoting to virtual instruction almost overnight. Programs in correctional settings, where internet access is less available, appeared particularly hard hit with pandemic closures. In January 2022, the Prison Literacy…

This exploratory mixed data study investigated the role of technology in adult migrant language and late literacy education in Finland. In addition to an online pre-pandemic survey targeted at Finnish language and literacy teachers, four inservice teachers were interviewed during the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2020. With means of qualitative…

For nearly one year, the EdTech Center at World Education led a field test of the unique mobile app, Learning Upgrade. In this report, we share use scenarios and observations gleaned from this research in adult English speakers of other languages (ESOL) and basic education programs across the U.S. The field test helps us better understand how and…

Indigenous communities have strengths and wisdom beyond Westernized culture's recognition and understanding. However, there continues to be significant difference in literacy and life skills between Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults. In this article, I reflect on a project that investigated how technology could best support adult literacy…

More than 5 million adults lack both functional literacy (below level 1) and numeracy (below entry level 3); an estimated 11.5 million adults do not have basic digital skills; and one in five adults do not have basic financial capabilities. Around 850,000 people have English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) needs. At the same time,…

Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 directs the federal government to conduct a national assessment of adult education, including activities to understand the extent to which adult education strategies positively affect learners. A systematic review of the research on the effectiveness of particular strategies in adult…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges and solutions encountered by Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs currently serving older adults seeking a GED credential in states where this is the only high school equivalency option available. The following questions guided this research: (1) what are the perceived characteristics and…

The International Society for Technology (ISTE) in Education promotes the use of a specific tool--the ISTE Classroom Observation Tool (ICOT)--to measure and improve the use of instructional technologies in Adult Basic Education (ABE) classrooms. The purpose of this article is to describe an application process for the use of the ICOT instrument…

Drawing on a large corpus of video-recorded classroom data, the goal of this study was to understand the processes and mechanisms associated with learning in individuals who have had little education in their home countries. In order to accomplish this goal, we measured the socio-interactive behaviors and the expression of personality behaviors in…

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…

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.…

The authors examined the implementation of assistive technology in a community literacy centre's writing program for adult learners. Quantitative and qualitative analyses indicated that (a) software and instructional methods for writing must be selected according to the needs of and in conjunction with adult learners, (b) learners needed…