The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is one of the world's leading educational research centres. Since it was established in 1930, ACER has built a strong reputation as a provider of reliable support and expertise to education policymakers and professional practitioners. Throughout 2018-19, ACER continued to expand…

Australia's overall performance in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) ranges from average to very good. However, three million adults, representing one-fifth of the working age population, have low literacy and/or numeracy skills. Building Skills for All in Australia describes the characteristics of the low-skilled and discusses the consequences…

Significant efforts have now been made to identify the generic competencies required to succeed across different workplace contexts. The aims of this paper were to: (i) outline factors that contributed to the increased demand for generic competencies seen over the last three decades; and (ii) review the early generic competency frameworks…

This paper describes computer and distance-education technologies in the South Western Educational Region of Queensland (Australia). The South Western Region is characterized by isolation, small schools, high teacher and principal turnover, teacher and principal inexperience, student mobility, pockets of social and economic deprivation, and many…

This document contains the six papers that were presented at a business education and information systems special interest group meeting. The six papers were selected through a review process, with one paper being selected for the "outstanding paper" award. The award-winning paper is "The Importance of Desktop Computer Presentation…

The concept of information literacy is explored and the major issues to be developed in its pursuit of technical and further education (TAFE) in Australia are considered. Information literate people are those who have learned how to learn because they know how knowledge is organized, how to find it, and how to use it so that others can learn from…

Perspectives on online learning on location in regional Australia were examined through structured interviews with 46 learners, 23 teachers, 6 managers of flexible delivery activities, 4 organization chief executive officers, and focus groups with 20 online learners. The manager interviews established that although mangers viewed online delivery…

This first issue of the semi-annual lifelong learning bibliography contains references to output from January to June 2001, a time of intense debate and reflection on lifelong learning in Europe. It also includes monographs, chapters, journal articles, legal texts, Internet sites, and CD-ROMs dealing with lifelong learning at European,…

This book comprises an overview and 11 chapters that address issues related to flexible approaches to delivery and online learning in particular. "Overview" (Guthrie) highlights key points drawn from the chapters. "Does Digital Literacy Mean More Than Clicking Your Fingers?" (Candy) discusses the importance of information and…

A study investigated ways employers and their apprentices and trainees perceive how these employees' English language and literacy (ELL) skills affect their learning and performance in the workplace in the current context of New Apprenticeships. The research design and methodology involved sending an opinion survey to a stratified random sample of…

This document presents an annotated bibliography of 419 documents that provide a European perspective on vocational education and training (VET). The first part of the annotated bibliography lists documents devoted to the following key themes: (1) skill development (literacy; computer literacy; learning to learn); (2) human resources development…

A research project was conducted in Australia to assess the use of and attitudes toward online learning by vocational and technical education (VET) researchers. Information was gathered from 18 (13 women and 5 men, aged between 30 and 58) participant-researchers through a workshop in Adelaide, completion of a participant profile, a structured…

Research funded by the Flexible Learning Advisory Group during 2000-2002 on issues related to online learning and delivery in vocational education and training in Australia was consolidated. Key findings included the following: (1) most students who experienced online learning did so in a conventional class, using face-to-face and other strategies…