Tag: literacy

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Literacy strategies used by adults with intellectual disability in negotiating their everyday community environments

Authors: Michelle F. Morgan, Karen B. Moni and Monica Cuskelly; University of Queensland

Edition: Volume 53, Number 3, November 2013

Summary:    This paper presents the findings from one part of a participatory research investigation about the literacy strategies used by three young adults with intellectual disability in their everyday community environments. Using data collected through video recording, prompting and think-alouds, information was collected about the range of literacy events that the research partners engaged with and the strategies that they used to negotiate these events. Findings revealed that these young adults engage in literacy in their everyday lives using literacy strategies that are multiple and varied and which draw on learned school-based and context specific strategies. Visual texts enabled more effective construction of meaning. Multiple context specific examples are provided to create a snapshot of how these young adults use literacy in their everyday community environments that broadens our knowledge and understanding of the types of literacy events and strategies that they engage with.

Keywords: literacy, intellectual disability, community, strategies

 

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 53_3. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

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A case study of a volunteer-based literacy class with adults with developmental disabilities

Author: Jacqueline Lynch, York University, Toronto, Canada

Edition: Volume 53, Number 2, July 2013

Summary: The purpose of this study was to examine participants’ perspectives on how a volunteer-based adult literacy class supports the learning of adults with developmental/intellectual disabilities. Interviews were conducted with four tutors, three adult learners, and two coordinators and observations of the class occurred over a 6-month period during which the author was a tutor. The focus during this time period was on health and mathematics. Three major categories were identified: class organisation (goals and structure), teaching strategies and behaviours, and class activities. Based on these findings, several recommendations are presented including the need for further integration of adult learners’ out-of-school literacy activities into the class and for increased tutor knowledge of the adult learners’ disability.

Keywords: adult education, developmental disability, volunteers, literacy, health

 

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 53_2. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

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Recruiting and retaining learners in workplace literacy programs in New Zealand

Author: John Benseman: Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland

Edition: Volume 53, Number 1, April 2013

Summary: Successful workplace literacy and numeracy programs are dependent on effective strategies to recruit and then retain course participants. This article reports on the recruitment strategies used in a large workplace literacy and numeracy project involving 535 workers in 18 courses. It provides an analysis of the strategies used, their rates of success in the companies, the overall retention rates of success in the companies, the overall retention rates and identifies effective ways to implement these strategies 

Keywords: workplace programs, literacy, retention, recruitment

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 53_1. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

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Recruiting and retaining learners in workplace literacy programs in New Zealand

Author/s: John Benseman

Edition: Volume 53, Number 1, April 2013

Summary: Successful workplace literacy and numeracy programs are dependent on effective strategies to recruit and then retain course participants. This article reports on the recruitment strategies used in a large workplace literacy and numeracy project involving 535 workers in 18 courses. It provides an analysis of the strategies used, their rates of success in the companies, the overall retention rates and identified effective ways to implement these strategies.

Keywords: workplace programs, literacy, retention, recruitment

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 53_1. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

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Empowerment of women through literacy education: some issues for Nigeria’s consideration

Author/s: A. Okediran and M.G. Olujide

Edition: Volume 46, Number 1, April 2006

Summary: This paper examines the status of women in the pre- and post-independent era in Nigeria and in contemporary society. It explores the introduction of western general forms of dichotomies, discriminations and apathy that general education has caused in their life, and brought about patriarchal knowledge and man’s domination and control of all spheres of knowledge, work, religion, laws, processes and which have engendered societal disempowerment of women. The paper thus advances adult and non-formal education and counselling programs as tools for empowering women. It also reviews the problems faced by women in society and proffers adult and non-formal education and counselling education strategies as solutions capable of propelling them to contribute their quota to the socio-economic and political development of the nation.

Keywords: women, Nigeria, literacy, general education, non-formal education

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Tackling the issues and challenges of using video data in adult literacy research

Author/s: Ali R. Abasi and Maurice C. Taylor

Edition: Volume 47, Number 2, July 2007

Summary: Although video has long been used as a teaching aid in adult literacy and basic education, literacy researchers seem to have ignored the potential benefits of using video as a tool that could add rigour to research. Reporting on their field experiences of an adult literacy learning study in Canada, the authors provide a narrative account of their use of video as a data collection tool. The article describes the methodological challenges associated with the use of video data and the procedures that were used to analyse video records in their adult literacy research.

Keywords: video, teaching aid, literacy, benefits

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Literacy practitioners’ perspectives on adult learning needs and technology approaches in Indigenous communities

Author/s: Michelle Eady, Anthony Herrington and Caroline Jones

Edition: Volume 50, Number 2, July 2010

Summary: Current reports of literacy rates in Australia indicate an ongoing gap in literacy skills between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian adults, at a time when the literacy demands of work and life are increasing. There are many perspectives on what are the literacy needs of Indigenous adults, from the perspectives of community members themselves to the relatively under-researched perspective of literacy practitioners. This paper provides the insights, experiences and recommendations from adult literacy practitioners who work with adult Indigenous learners in communities across Australia. Focus group interviews, using an online synchronous platform, were used to elicit views about the literacy needs of Indigenous adults in communities and the successes in and barriers to meeting those needs. The practitioners also shared their views on the use of technology in literacy learning. Together, these views can inform future directions in curriculum design and teaching approaches for community-based Indigenous adult literacy education.

Keywords: literacy, Indigenous, practitioners, online, synchronous platform

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 50_2. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

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Becoming an Australian citizen: Some dimensions of assessing a citizenship-type literacy amongst adults

Author/s: James A Athanasou

Edition: Volume 50, Number 1, April 2010

Summary: This paper evaluates a 20-item assessment of citizenship literacy in an adult sample comprising 179 persons of English-speaking and non-English speaking background. The results indicated that the assessment was internally consistent and that as expected it distinguished English-speaking from non-English speaking participants. The pattern of answers provided an initial, albeit partial, understanding of what might constitute citizenship information but it also highlighted some limitations. The assessment failed to tap the ability levels of those with higher knowledge. Nevertheless, the results also indicated some deficits in adult general knowledge. The potential failure rate even with a cut-off point of 60% correct was quite high. Just over one-in-five failed to pass. The results have implications for the proposed revisions to the Australian Citizenship Test.

Keywords: citizenship test, literacy, NESB

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 50_1. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

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Promoting literacy for adults with intellectual disabilities in a community-based service organisation

Author/s: Karen B. Moni, Anne Jobling, Michelle Morgan and Jan Lloyd

Edition: Volume 51, Number 3, November 2011

Summary: Despite the importance of and advocacy for developing literacy skills for successful and rewarding participation in the community, there remains a common perception that becoming literate is not possible for people with intellectual disabilities. Continue reading “Promoting literacy for adults with intellectual disabilities in a community-based service organisation”