Presents an overview of educational technology studies conducted by the U.S. Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, including a 1988 study of computers in schools; a 1989 study on distance learning; a 1991 study of testing and assessment; and a recent report on the ramifications for adult literacy. (Contains eight references.) (LRW)

Questionnaires on tutor training workshops were distributed to volunteers working within 46 Canadian community-based (CB) or voluntary programs; 56 percent of the programs responded. The study explored the distinguishing features of CB and volunteer literacy programs, terms used interchangeably. Questionnaires were mailed to all provinces and…

The public has formed some myths and misconceptions about literacy. No substantive proof supports the grandiose assertion that literacy changes the way humans think and their intelligence. No one who has studied national surveys of adult literacy seriously believes that illiteracy in the United States will be eradicated by 2000. The literacy…

Problems in the measurement of gain in adult literacy programs were investigated through repeated testing of a group of students in adult basic education and General Educational Development classes and through computer simulations. Ninety-two students were tested at 3 different times over 7 months with a battery of norm-referenced reading and…

External factors in the development of adult education include the social context, contributions from other disciplines, and associations and government. There are four points in the evolution of adult education between 1925 and 1964: (1) the difference between its origins as a field of study and its genesis as a field of practice; (2) the impact…

A project in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, investigated whether the use of computers along with Laubach literacy materials could significantly raise the reading level of adults presently reading at the 0-4 grade levels. Adults in a control and an experimental group (15 in each) worked one-on-one with volunteer tutors using the "Laubach Way to…

A study of the Center for Literacy's (CFL) program was conducted to provide information on retention and attrition in an urban, open-entry/open-exit, individualized, goal-based literacy program. An exploratory analysis that used student and tutor records from 1985 through 1989 provided a summary of demographics and attendance patterns. This…

This bibliographic review is a guide to publications on literacy in developing countries, which are available in English, French, Spanish, and German. Section I focuses on literacy and its relationship to orality. Section II addresses the interdependence of literacy and development. Definitions and conceptual approaches to literacy are discussed…

Noting that the popular press and other media have purveyed much information and misinformation about the status of adult literacy in the United States, this paper focuses upon what is known about literacy levels and gives special attention to changes in literacy demands and to what is currently being done to meet those demands. The first section…

A study investigated the relationship of learning to problems that occur in the lives of adults. Of special interest were the dynamics of learning in natural/nonformal settings and the role of literacy in learning. Examination of research in reasoning and problem solving revealed two trends: increasing realization that much of what people do is…

A 1-year project undertaken for World Literacy of Canada to survey the Canadian Literacy scene attempted to identify and describe the adult population in need of literacy activities in Canada, to identify and describe the literacy activities being undertaken by existing organizations, communities and individuals in Canada, and to share the…

The outcomes and impacts of adult literacy education in the United States were examined through a qualitative assessment of the pertinent research conducted since the late 1960s. A comprehensive literature search was used to identify; the most credible outcomes and impacts studies, and case studies were prepared for these. This document contains…

This document contains four issues of a journal that aims to connect literacy in the schools, the community, and the workplace. Each issue also contains an insert focusing on media literacy. Some of the topics covered in the spring 1995 issue include the following: positioning literacy--naming literacy; literacy and machines--an overview of the…

This study was designed to include a segment of phonemic awareness in a multi-level English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classroom as learning progress seemed to be inhibited in part by a lack of understanding of the structure of the English language. A survey was developed and administered to measure student progress to establish a baseline.…

Functional illiterates from adult basic education programs, correctional institutions, and federal or city programs served as subjects in a test of the remedial instruction effectiveness of the Basic Skills Learning System (BSLS) using PLATO. Results indicated that BSLS is an effective system for improving both reading and computational skills.…