Writing collaboratively is now widely practiced in many fields. Particularly in this advancing technological age, people find that it is not only practiced but also commonplace. However, the practice of writing collaboratively has not been widely researched, presented, or taught, and practitioners are often left to learn what works purely through…

The importance of the "learner voice" is again a concern throughout the learning and skills sector, and turning the rhetoric into some kind of meaningful reality has become a renewed challenge. The concern to be responsive to "learner and learning experience" can be seen across developments in information, advice and guidance services, and in…

People at the Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) are focused on the adult learning experience wherever it takes place--in classrooms, workshops, training centres, community centres, or at work. They exist to help those who teach to be better at what they do--and those who lead and manage to encourage this improvement--so that learners can receive a…

Adult and continuing education practitioners are the core group of staff that enable the lifelong learning enterprise. However, there are few studies that look into the domain of practice of these practitioners, which is shaped by the organisation and its wider external milieux. Research on this topic naturally calls for the elucidation of…

In this example from the human services field, project-based learning is used to connect theoretical knowledge and practice skills by taking a project from industry and completing it within the peer supported learning environment of the classroom, returning the project product to industry. The theoretical ideal of participation was the project's…

This monograph looks first at opportunities provided by research in the adult literacy field and then identifies challenges to scientific research and suggests ways to address these challenges so that better evidence can be generated in the future. It has two goals that support the building of a stronger research base for the adult literacy…

The purpose of this guide is to help experienced professional developers and others organize and conduct professional development that trains facilitators of National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) study circles. Promoters of the study circle facilitators training should be experienced trainers. This guide includes…

This guide addresses issues around organizing learning services for students in ways that make sense for them, and what the research says about it. The focus is on the structure and organization of instruction and how practitioners can broaden the range of options that students have so that classes aren't the only option. This guide provides all…

This Study Circle is based on research conducted by a team led by Victoria Purcell-Gates. Their research examines the relationships between two dimensions of literacy instruction (the degree of authenticity of activities and texts and the degree of student/teacher collaboration) and changes in the literacy practices of students outside the…

"Focus on Basics" is the quarterly publication of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. It presents best practices, current research on adult learning and literacy, and how research is used by adult basic education teachers, counselors, program administrators, and policymakers. "Focus on Basics" is dedicated to…

Offers a checklist to help adult educators make intelligent software selections. Stresses the need to try products before buying them, to have a grace period to test them with students, to look for reviews, and to get a detailed list of hardware requirements. (JOW)

Methods for teaching non-English speaking adults include using adult-oriented methods, introducing vocabulary in context, using graphic arts, encouraging discussion, using comparison and analogy, providing a relaxed atmosphere, letting students talk about themselves, using complete sentences, being a good role model, and letting students help each…

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to facilitate a multi-session study circle for practitioners on the topic of accountability. Practitioners will read and analyze research and discuss how to apply it in their classrooms and programs. In the first session, the Study Circle group will examine the concept of performance accountability in…

This paper explains how adult educators involved in the development and delivery of general adult basic education (ABE), General Educational Development (GED) certificate, and English-as-a-second-language (ESL) programs can infuse the workplace into their programs. The paper begins with a brief overview of the rationale for infusing the workplace…

Gives detailed suggestions for adult educators on course and session evaluation, analysis of attendance and dropout, self-evaluation, and student assessment. (SK)