Displaying results 1 - 10 of 13
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Developing digital proficiencies of English learners in adult education
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Description
All around the globe, the development of digital skills is considered a priority because individuals are increasingly asked to interact with digital information. Digital literacy is required to communicate effectively and accomplish social and work-related tasks. Although there is a significant body of literature on the development of digital proficiencies in educational settings from elementary school to university, there is limited research with adults who are continuing their education later in life, usually outside of formal educational systems.
The purpose of this paper is to report results from a study conducted with English learners in an adult education program in the U.S. The study evaluated the digital component of a new curriculum named CILIA-T (Content-Integrated Language Instruction for Adults with Technology Support), CILIA-T is a 16-module curriculum supporting adult learners to build their English skills, US History and Civics knowledge and digital proficiencies.
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Defining and Assessing Literacy and Numeracy Skills for 21st Century Adult Learners: A Summary of Research and Practice
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Numerous definitions of literacy and numeracy have been developed to date. In this report, we summarized and analyzed 20 definitions of literacy and numeracy. These definitions often respond to specific stakeholders’ goals and agendas. In this paper, however, we do not aim to provide an integrated definition of literacy and numeracy for all people in all places. Instead, we believe operational definitions of constructs as relevant as literacy and numeracy must respond to specific needs given at a specific moment.
(September 2022)
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Numeracy Education for Adult Learners: A Scan of the Field
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The brief provides a comprehensive picture of the adult numeracy education landscape and key factors impacting adult numeracy learning and technology use to inform further research and support the development of an ANDE course and related professional development.
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Insights Into Adult Education: A Need for Flexibility and Innovation
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In this blog post, Carnegie Math Pathways and their research partners share their interactions with adult learners and instructors, and their initial exploratory research into adult numeracy and digital literacy—providing critical insights into ways that the adult education field demands more flexible and creative research and development solutions that account for the realities of adult education.
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E2A Tool Kit: Tips for Developing Great Evidence to Action (E2A) Products
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This tool kit is designed to help research teams plan for and develop effective evidence-to-action researchproducts. Although useful for a wider audience, the tool kit was written for research contractors who work for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and for DOL staff who review and provide guidance on research contracts. This guide can help research contractors reach and influence practitioner audiences (referred to in the toolkit as users). This toolkit will help DOL contractors and DOL:
brainstorm options for evidence products and services,
devise effective dissemination strategies,
share expectations on what DOL wants from evidence products and services,
build contractor and staff capacity to deliver products and services that lend themselves to E2A, and
conduct quality assurance reviews to assess whether they are E2A-ready.
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Promising Practices and Lessons Learned from Early Implementation of the TSTM Framework
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This brief highlights key findings from the first component of The Teaching Skills That Matter (TSTM)-SkillBlox Instructional Support Pilot—an implementation study of the TSTM framework. Findings from this study—including promising practices and lessons learned in supporting TSTM-aligned instruction—are intended to shape TSTM-SkillBlox development but may also inform efforts in the field to support TSTM implementation.
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Leveraging Data to Ensure Equitable and Effective Adult Skills Programming for Immigrants
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This issue brief presents a profile of immigrant and U.S.-born adults, based on analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. It looks at characteristics such as age, parental status, race and ethnicity, educational attainment, English proficiency, and employment and income. The analysis identifies disparities between immigrant and U.S.-born adults in income, levels of formal education and employment type. It also discusses the implications of key data trends for adult skills programs.
From: The Migration Policy Institute
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Linking Adult Education to Workforce Development in 2018–19: Early Implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act at the Local Level
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The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 includes new requirements and incentives to strengthen the link between its Title II -- adult education -- and the overall workforce development system. This report from a national evaluation of Title II examines the extent to which local adult education providers’ instructional approaches and coordination with other agencies in 2018-19 reflected this link and highlights the challenges providers reported collecting related performance data. A compendium provides detailed tables supporting the policy report. For more information about this report, visit the IES site here.
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Subject Area Frameworks for Adult Learners
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These aggregate frameworks provide a structure to support learning in five subjects relevant to adult learners: Civics Education, Digital Literacy, Financial Literacy, Health Literacy, and Workforce Preparation. They include domains, topics, and subtopics in each subject. The frameworks were developed by aggregating existing curricula, assessments, and frameworks used in adult education and compiling insights from organizations and individual instructors. Use them to support Teaching Skills That Matter-aligned instruction, to locate and use resources in SkillBlox, or as a checklist for planning instruction and assessment.
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Building Knowledge and Evidence About Using Digital Technologies in Adult Foundational Skills Programs
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Description
Recent activities and events spurred adult educators’ interest in digital technologies, including the Barbara Bush Foundation Adult Literacy XPRIZE competition; the development of digital products by adult education publishers; and the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted adult foundational skills programs to shift from in-person classes to virtual instruction. As interest in digital technologies grows, the need for information about how to implement these technologies and what works for whom under what conditions also grows.
Although some form of technology has been used to teach adult foundational skills for at least 3 decades, the knowledge base about the implementation and effectiveness of technology with adult learners is limited. The recent expansion of technology use in adult foundational skills programs suggests the need for increased efforts to develop knowledge and evidence about the types of technologies and tools that can be used effectively to assist adult learners in enhancing their foundational skills and facilitating their lifelong learning.
Author: Judith A. Alamprese, Principal Scientist, Abt Associates
Read the attached article below for the full paper.