Literacies through information and communication technology (ICT) and e-learning
The Adult Literacy and Numeracy in Scotland Report 2001 emphasised the need to "maximise the potential of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)" in adult literacies provision in Scotland. This section will help you explore ways in which you could use ICT:
- as a tool to help adult learners in their literacy and numeracy learning
- as a tool to help practitioners organise and support their learners
The term ICT embraces a range of approaches, including "e-learning" (electronic learning), "m-learning" (mobile learning) and the use of sound and video, not simply using computers.
Some of our work on using ICT with literacies learners
Supporting online / blended learning with adult literacies learners
Online/blended learning involves traditional learning, where tutors and learners work face to face along with an element of online support, where learners work from home or a remote location using the internet, email, a learning management system or virtual learning environment.
It is now common place for university and college courses to have some online or e-learning component, but online learning with Adult Literacies Learners in Community Education is less developed and presents significant challenges.
From October 2008 to March 2009, Adult Literacies Partnerships in Scotland accessed support to explore and develop online/blended learning in their areas. The programme of support had two strands; an advice training and technical support service and some funding to help overcome initial barriers presented by hardware, software or staff development time.
The programme website is still live at www.esupportscotland.org where you can see the different sites developed, and a report of the project is available in Adult Literacies Online.
We are in the porcess of developing a pilot project The Big Plus Learner Web, using a learning platform developed in the United States by Portland State University. The development of the Learner Web gives a unique opportunity to draw together some of the materials and thinking already done through the above work in the Scottish context and draw on the experience of colleagues in the Adult Literacy and Numeracy field in the United States of America.
Research into online / blended learning for adult literacies learners
ODS undertook some research on behalf of Learning Connections to establish the extend of the use made in Scotland of online / blended learning with adult literacies learners. The report is available on Adult Literacies Online.
ICT and adult literacies network
The Learning Connections ICT and adult literacies network is for tutors and other practitioners in Scotland who are interested in using ICT with literacies learners. It encourages the sharing of practice as well as giving people opportunity to influence national initiatives.
The network communicates through the CoPal online discussion forum and holds two meetings per year.
If you would like to join the network or get more information about it, please contact Peter Lanigan.
ICT and Adult Literacies Training Programme
Learning Connections have developed a programme of workshops for tutors aimed at developing tutor skills and exploring ideas for using a range of ICT options with adult literacies learners.
There are currently seven workshops in the series:
See the training section of Adult Literacies Online for other ICT related resources.
In January 2005 a research project was set up to investigate the extent of interest and activity in the use of ICT at that time, to stimulate action research in this area, and to produce a report. The report includes a number of resources which were developed as a result of the project.
Laptops and literacies learners
In March 2005, adult literacies partnerships provided feedback on their experiences of using laptops with their learners.
For more ideas, the Basic Skills Agency produced a helpful publication: Using laptop computers to develop basic skills: a handbook for practitioners