The relative costs and benefits of workplace literacy training were analyzed. An analysis based on eight benefits/costs (training costs; higher productivity; high wages; nonwage compensation; less worker turnover; safer workplace; higher taxes; and improved self-esteem) established that workplace literacy training offers net benefits for workers,…

From September 1991 to June 1992, the General Educational Development (GED) Testing Service conducted a national survey of adults who took the GED Tests in Canada. The purpose of the study was to describe background characteristics, experiences, attitudes, and expectations of adults who took the GED Test. Findings indicated that the average age of…

This workbook is part of a Mexican series of instructional materials designed for Spanish speaking adults who are in the process of becoming literate or have recently become literate in their native language. This workbook is designed to orient people who are only recently literate to the world of work and business. Topics covered include worker…

This textbook is part of a Mexican series of instructional materials designed for Spanish speaking adults who are in the process of becoming literate or have recently become literate in their native language. It is designed to orient people with little education or developing literacy skills to a sense of responsibility toward their families.…

This technology glossary was developed to aid new users of technology as well as those beginning to become familiar with computers. It contains 230 definitions written in concise lay terms intended to help words become meaningful and alive for the user. The glossary defines terms as appropriate to IBM-type and Macintosh computer programs. A…

This report provides a framework for local adult literacy program evaluation. Section 1 lists questions to achieve a consensus regarding the scope and nature of the desired evaluation; lists the five basic steps to design an evaluation of the program; and provides an evaluation report outline. Section 2 describes the following questionnaires that…

The development of adult literacy provision in the United Kingdom from the 1960s onwards can be divided into three parts that correspond to significant shifts in approaches to adult literacy. First, the discovery of adult "illiteracy" during the 1960s led to government grants, a national Right to Read Campaign, and the development of…

This guide was developed to aid facilitators in delivering orientation sessions for new adult education staff. The orientation is designed for 14-16 hours of class time; the 15 lessons are organized in three 5- to 6-hour days. The following topics are covered in the lessons: (1) introduction and goals; (2) what is literacy?; (3) materials; (4) the…

Employers, unions, and government agencies are placing increasing emphasis on evaluation of workplace literacy programs. Because workplace literacy programs are generally short, focused on workplace-specific literacy tasks, and small, the standardized tests that have traditionally been used to assess school programs are inappropriate for…

A study evaluated one local Even Start project, using the results of the final report of the "National Evaluation of the Even Start Family Literacy Program" for comparisons where possible. The clearest result of the national evaluation is that the amount or intensity of service is directly related to the strength of effects for both…

A project adapted an existing problem-solving curriculum to help unemployed or underemployed displaced homemakers and single parents qualify for job placement and training. Forty-five adult learners from the New Choice program participated. Handouts adapted from a prior Math Employment project and instructor-created materials were used. Handouts…

An investigation compared the demographic profiles of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) and LEARN respondents to explore whether people who telephone Canadian literacy groups are representative of the full range of people with literacy needs. (LEARN is ABC Canada's media campaign to link potential learners with literacy groups.)…

This manual is intended to help workplace education practitioners understand the program evaluation process. The manual begins with a discussion of the issues involved in choosing an approach to evaluating workplace education programs. Six assumptions about objectives, development, management, and evaluation of workplace education programs are…

This guide is an introduction to the theory and practice of using literature to teach life skills to persons who are or have been incarcerated. It is organized in three sections, each written by a practitioner who has used literature in a particular environment with a particular audience. The three sections are "Why Literature? The Power of…

Three issues of this newsletter (Spring, Summer, and Fall/Winter), produced by the Project in Adult Immigrant Education at the Center for Applied Linguistics, provide information from the field of adult immigrant education, highlights of programs in a particular industry, "promising practices" in training and development, new resources, and…