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…

A survey of the New York Department of Correctional Services Vocational Education Program was conducted in 53 correctional facilities throughout the state, with a questionnaire measuring perceptions of staff and inmates about the effectiveness of the program in the areas of work skills, technical skills, and student personal attributes relating to…

The adult basic education (ABE) program at Nicolet Area Technical College (NATC) evaluated its training and development (T&D) process for new basic education instructors. The study gathered monitoring and screening criteria that addressed valuable components for use in an instrument for validating effectiveness of the ABE program (T&D)…

A seminar on migrant out-of-school youth was organized based on a survey of migrant education practitioners. Seminar participants heard speakers discuss questions raised by the survey, then met in strategy groups to develop recommendations. This report summarizes questions and recommendations in the four major areas discussed: (1) identification…

A study examined whether there was a lack of women's literacy materials and whether this was a shared concern among literacy workers. A questionnaire mailed to organizations most interested in literacy issues and how they pertain specifically to women included these four sections: site specifics, specific questions on reading/resource materials,…

The Lycoming County Literacy Project based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, examined both traditional and family literacy General Educational Development (GED) program participants to determine which programs produce the best results. GED test scores were collected from instructors teaching both traditional and family literacy GED participants. Test…

The International English Training for Adults Program is an intensive ESL (English as a Second Language) program for foreign students. Students in the program take 18 hours of classes per week, including Conversation Partners, a 3-hour course designed to give students an opportunity to practice using English with Americans in a structured,…

This manual was developed by a project to create a model program that integrates basic skills instruction with requirements of welfare reform, and the project's final report describes activities taken to develop the manual. The report details the problem, goals, procedures, objectives met and not met, and an evaluation. The manual is designed to…

The numeracy abilities of adults is now part of the 2002 International Life Skills Survey (ILSS) to be administered to representative samples of adults aged 16-65 in participating countries. The Numeracy Working Group has spent more than two years developing a conceptual framework based on the premise that numeracy is the bridge between…

A study explored the nature of intake procedures of Texas adult education programs. Research on barriers to attendance and strategies for retention were reviewed, and the current use of intake procedures to identify and address barriers to attendance was summarized through a survey of 374 Literacy, Even Start Family Literacy, Adult Basic Education…

Adult literacy is a context-dependent, purposeful, and constantly changing phenomenon. What counts for literacy at the end of the 20th century is not what counted for literacy at the beginning of the century. Literacy is the ability to read, use written information, and write appropriately in a range of contexts. Literacy also includes the…

Following an introduction on "Taking Risks" (Martha Merson), this journal contains 11 articles on taking risks in teaching adult literacy, mostly by educators in the Boston area. The following are included: "My Dreams Are Bigger than My Fears Now" (Sharon Carey); "Making a Pitch for Poetry in ABE [Adult Basic…

Although adult literacy programs exist in almost every country throughout the developing world, comprehensive information on their capacity, performance, and impact is seriously lacking. This deficiency has direct consequences for the effectiveness of developing countries' national literacy education policies. Reasons for the lack of data include…

The booklet reports on a new vision of the economics of adult learning. The vision considers adult learning to be not an expense but an investment that can be analyzed and managed as such. According to the booklet, governments in many countries, therefore, are adopting a steering role and are giving more direct responsibilities to institutions at…

This reference resource identifies issues concerning technology use in library literacy programs and describes approaches that work at the Brooklyn (New York) Public Library. Section 1 discusses the learning centers at the library, including its mission, philosophy, curriculum, technology, volunteer tutors, and active learning environment. Section…