A study explored the experiences of four adult students who served on the board of The Learning Center, a community-based literacy program. The adult education literature touched on the challenges, benefits, and limitations of participatory practices, but the three were seldom juxtaposed, raising the question of whether the limitations equaled or…

A study surveyed adults with literacy problems and evaluated the Parents-as-Partners-as-Learners project. Eighty English-speaking adults in the eastern townships of Quebec, Canada, were interviewed concerning their literacy problems. Results indicated that health and social problems were identified by the adults as the major impediment to…

The Literacy and Health Project was set up to determine how reading and health problems were connected. A research phase documented the relationship between literacy and health. Information was collected from community organizations, literature review, three case studies in Ontario, and key informant interviews. The consultation process involved…

This report on a seminar on adult literacy and public policy aims to make available for discussion current significant issues in the relationship between literacy and the economy, including matters that extend well beyond the institutional boundaries of the economy. This document summarizes a presentation by Jarl Bengtsson, Head of the Centre for…

A study was conducted to examine the literature on literacy and adult basic education and to identify various issues, trends, problems, possible solutions, and basic principles that might guide programs and policies in adult literacy and basic education in Canada. More than 120 documents were examined, raising such issues as what is literacy and…

This document reports the results of a study of literacy in Canada conducted for the Southam News in 1987. During the study, 2,398 Canadians were surveyed to determine the levels of literacy they possessed and how they coped in society if they were illiterate. The research methodology is based on an assessment of literacy conducted in 1985 by the…

Intended as a resource for test construction, this kit provides educators with sample test items, checklists, and questionnaires to assess literacy skills of adult students. Items are keyed to skills in the Adult Basic Literacy Curriculum and Resource Guide (APL Guide) and divided into these skill areas: interpersonal, listening, speaking,…

The issue of integrating technology into adult literacy programs would benefit greatly from the implementation of a curriculum deliberation process such as that suggested by Schwab (1973). Technology (computers in particular) presents the field with a range of questions from the philosophical to the educational to the practical. This provides both…

A study was conducted to show the effect that participation in workplace committees has on committee members. The subjects were 34 members of Workplace Education Center (WEC) projects of ABC Canada who work on establishing and maintaining workplace literacy initiatives; they were interviewed by phone or in group discussions. The study found that,…

From 1995-1998, 12 of the 79 organizations funded by Canada's National Literacy Secretariat (NLS) conducted approximately 40 workplace literacy pilot projects across Canada. Those projects were reviewed to determine their effectiveness in increasing the number and quality of Canadian workplace literacy programs. Information for the review was…

This study develops a literacy profile of Ontario's youth (ages 17-25) using data from the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS). Following an introductory section, Section 2 provides a background on the IALS database and discusses key methodological issues. Section 3 presents an overview of basic literacy statistics. Section 4 compares…

This document contains guidelines for completing a development plan, which is a document that must be completed annually by all community-based programs seeking funding from Manitoba's Literacy and Continuing Education Branch and that must reflect input from program managers, learners, practitioners, and funders. The introduction explains the…

A workshop on Literacy and the Right to Know discussed the problems of illiteracy on the job, especially in the context of teaching workers about job hazards. Participants approached the topic from a number of angles: the dimensions of the problem of literacy in workplaces; the impact of Right-to-Know legislation; the role of training and…

These documents are designed to introduce students to some of the fundamental concepts, principles, and values of human rights and to a basic knowledge of human rights legal instruments as they apply to daily lives. Student handbook 1 is a series of lessons and activities that stimulate reading and discussion around the following ideas: What is a…

The publication is a collection of relevant readings in adult basic education (ABE), with special emphasis on the Canadian environment. They were selected for their potential value in helping the professional development of all adult basic educators and an attempt was made to re-integrate research and practice in the field. Fourteen articles were…