This guidebook is intended to provide introductory knowledge to adult education teachers and administrators who are interested in the purchase and use of microcomputers. Although the emphasis is on adult basic education, most information is applicable to adult secondary settings. Section 1 is a brief history of computer development. Section 2, on…

Cost effectiveness analysis in terms of personnel, facilities, equipment, materials, and overhead was made of two adult basic reading programs: Technology for Literacy Center's tutor-based program and Principle of the Alphabet Literacy System (PALS), computer-assisted instruction. Costs per unit of gain in reading skills clearly favored the PALS…

The use of six integrated learning systems (ILS) in adult basic education (ABE) programs in British Columbia was analyzed. The systems studied were as follows: Autoskill, Computer Curriculum Corporation (CCC), Jostens (INVEST), Pathfinder, Principle of the Alphabet Literacy System (PALS), and Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations…

Discusses the library's responsibility to society to confront adult illiteracy and suggests that libraries should provide computers and special software to support adult basic education programs. Available educational systems and software are described, and sources to aid in selection are identified. (10 references) (CLB)

Writing groups can use word processors or microcomputers in many different types of writing activities. Four hour-long sessions at a word processor with the help of a skilled word processing tutor have been found to be sufficient to provide a working knowledge of word processing. When two or three students enrolled in a writing class are assigned…

This paper presents the final report of a project designed to produce an effective individualized adult learning program in mathematics. The need for such a project has been reflected in the reports of national commissions and studies which provided documentation and statistics on the lack of proficiency of adults and young adults in the basic…

This report provides research on the ramifications of implementing computer-assisted instruction (CAI) within the established framework for conducting adult basic education. The first part is narrative beginning with an historical overview of CAI. Topics include the availability of computer hardware in public schools, teacher preparation for CAI,…

The Language Experience Approach (LEAP), a literacy education method based on the premise that reading is a by-product of the student's thinking and oral expression, was used as the basis of two series of interactive microcomputer lessons designed to improve adult reading and writing skills. In the three years following the creation of the…

This booklet presents a comprehensive list of microcomputer software, along with evaluations, that may be beneficial to others seeking assistance in initiating a resource center for computer-assisted instruction. A summary of the project that developed this listing appears first. The software bibliography is arranged according to instructional…

This review of the activities of LEAP (Literacy for Every Adult Project), a free, basic skills tutorial program for adults, is divided into two parts. Part 1 provides the most recent assessment of the LEAP microcomputer learning center, which was funded in 1985 through a Library Services and Construction Act grant, and Part 2 details the early…

Five part-time adult basic education instructors were trained to develop tutorials for their students by using the SuperPILOT authoring language to insert their own questions, answers, and hints in already existing generic programs. The project involved 18 hours of training and ongoing supervision and review of products. A total of 66 tutorial…

Computer assisted instruction programs for adult literacy are becoming more prevalent in learning centers, community organizations, and in schools across the country. Computers are also being used to curb illiteracy at the source, in elementary and secondary schools, in an effort to reduce dropout rates. Two IBM (International Business Machines)…

A mathematics program was developed and implemented at the Jefferson County (Ohio) Joint Vocational School to raise the mathematics functioning of special needs students by using interactive computers. Special needs students were pre- and posttested with the Wide Range Achievement Test, Arithmetic section. The 11th-grade students functioning at…

This report describes activities of the PLATO Education Group (PEG), the educational research and development arm of the Computer-based Education Research Laboratory (CERL) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Staff, funding sources, and an overview are presented for the four projects summarized, along with additional,…

A program referred to as Language Skills Computer Assisted Instruction (LaSCAI) was chosen to assist volunteer tutors in improving the reading skills of adults. The program was demonstrated at two libraries--one rural and one urban--and an evaluation was completed to determine its applicability in enhancing the on-going tutoring programs at these…