The Adult Literacy and Numeracy in Scotland report 2001 recognised the low priority given to teaching numeracy. In response, Learning Connections commissioned Diana Coben to produce a report Adult Numeracy: shifting the focus with recommendations for developing adult numeracy.
Diana is one of the authors of Adult Numeracy: review of research and related literature, National Research and Development Centre for adult literacy and numeracy, 2004.
Diana also led an action research project into the use of ICT in adult numeracy teaching in Scotland, which culminated in the Great than the sum report. The participants' individual reports, and the resources they created, are available on www.aloscotland.com.
Keeping in touch
Learning Connections hosts an adult numeracy network which meets three or four times a year. Meetings focus on learning and teaching and resources. To be kept informed of news of developments in adult numeracy, and to receive information about meetings, please email Learning Connections.
See the notes from the most recent network meetings in May 2009 for more details.
There is also a lively online discussion forum on Adult Numeracy at the Communities of Practice in Adult Literacies site.
Continuous Professional Development
In November 2005, Learning Connections commissioned NIACE to adapt its Numeracy Energiser materials and to deliver a weekend's training on using the approaches.
In March 2007, Learning Connections ran two train-the-trainer sessions to support the dissemination of the Energiser materials. An evaluation of this training is available.
Financial Inclusion
The Financial Inclusion Action Plan, Scottish Government, 2005 identifies various ways in which Learning Connections and the adult literacies partnerships can contribute to the objective of widening financial inclusion.
In 2006, Learning Connections commissioned the development and piloting of literacies awareness-raising materials aimed at frontline staff in money organisations.
Learning Connections, along with the Scottish Government's Financial Inclusion Team, launched Financial Learning Online (FLO), with case studies describing financial learning projects for adults in a range of settings across Scotland and other resources for whose involved in setting up and running financial learning projects for adults in Scotland.