Key reference document for people working in adult literacy. Guidelines for Good Adult Literacy Work

Transcription

1 Key referece documet for people workig i adult literacy Guidelies for Good Adult Literacy Work

2 Guidelies for Good Adult Literacy Work (Revised editio 2012) NALA s Visio We wat Irelad to be a place where adult literacy is a valued right ad where everyoe ca both develop their literacy ad take part more fully i society. 1

3 2 Guidelies for Good Adult Literacy Work 2012 is the revised editio of the NALA policy documet, first published i 1985 ad revised i 1991 ad This editio was updated by NALA ad edited by Hele McHugh ad Fergus Dola. NALA would like to thak the followig people for their cotributios to this revised copy: Pam Buchaa, Jey Derbyshire, Paulie Hesey, Hele Murphy, Olive Phela ad Jaa Tiearey. The authors would like to thak the NALA staff ad Executive Committee for advice ad cotributios. Guidelies for Good Adult Literacy Work 2005 was writte by Jey Derbyshire, Claire O Riorda ad Rosamod Phillips. Guidelies for Good Adult Literacy Work 1991 was writte by Carol Daultrey, Marie Latry, Rosamod Phillips, Geraldie Meragh ad Toy Dowes. Guidelies for Good Adult Literacy Work 1985 was writte by Carol Daultrey, Patrick Reeves, Kevi Warer, Joe Kelly ad Noel Dalto. Copyright Natioal Adult Literacy Agecy (2012) ISBN: Published by: Natioal Adult Literacy Agecy (NALA) Sadford Lodge, Sadford Close, Raelagh, Dubli 6. Tel: (01) Websites: ifo@ala.ie (Distace learig website) (Plai Eglish website) (Fiacial literacy website) (Health literacy website) (Family learig website) Follow us o Facebook at: Follow us o Twitter at: twitter.com/alairelad NALA s YouTube chael: Permissio is give to reproduce parts of this publicatio for educatioal purposes oly. Ay other users must seek permissio to reproduce material through the publishers. Desig ad pritig: House of Desig

4 Cotets Preface 5 How NALA defies literacy 6 Priciples for good adult literacy work 7 Terms used i this documet 8 1. Itroductio Philosophy of adult literacy work 14 Pedagogy of the oppressed: Paulo Freire 14 Wealth model 15 Humaistic educatio: Carl Rogers 15 Trasformative learig: Jack Mezirow 16 Adult learig ad self-directed learig: Stephe Brookfield 16 Literacy as social practice 17 Studet-cetred or studetdirected educatio Defiitio ad priciples 19 How NALA defies literacy 19 Explorig the defiitio 19 Curriculum developmet: a evolvig model for adult literacy ad umeracy educatio 21 Priciples for good adult literacy work Key stages of developmet 26 Efforts to build a adult literacy service Establishig a foudatio for adult literacy work Expasio ad improvemet sice Curret cotext 30 Studets 30 Tutors 31 Rage of provisio 32 Accreditatio Esurig quality 37 What is the Evolvig Quality Framework? 38 Resources 40 Maagemet 43 3

5 Teachig ad learig 47 Mappig the Learig Jourey 52 Progressio 54 Outreach ad promotio Research 58 Itroductio 58 NALA s research approach 59 Research strategy Issues for the future Coclusio 63 Bibliography 64 Appedices 1. Appedix 1: Guidig priciples for good adult literacy work: 1985, 1991 ad Appedix 2: List of NALA ad atioal policy documets Appedix 3: NALA / WIT accreditatio project Appedix 4: Voluteer protocol Appedix 5: Traiig ad work experiece programmes providig literacy ad umeracy Appedix 6: The Natioal Framework of Qualificatios (NFQ) 80 4

6 Preface The Guidelies for Good Adult Literacy Work is the mai documet for those workig i the adult literacy field ad should be used as a key referece for teachig ad learig. It provides a clear expressio of what adult literacy work is about ad where it came from. It also aims to establish the right to develop literacy skills as a fudametal huma right for adults who wish to improve their literacy ad umeracy. This fourth editio of the Guidelies will be published at a historic ad critical time i the area of adult learig. VECs ad FÁS will disappear from the ladscape ad educatio ad traiig boards (ETBs) will populate the local ladscape istead, with SOLAS providig the first further educatio ad traiig authority i Irelad. Such immese chage brigs great opportuity for takig stock ad clarifyig what is required goig forward. There is a uified voice o the importace of the adult learer beig at the cetre of their learig experiece. There are also cocers of how to fully realise this. To that ed, the Guidelies provide the ratioale as to why we do literacy work the way we do, as well as how we put that philosophy ito practice. The Guidelies have bee refreshed so as to situate adult literacy work i the ew eviromet of further educatio ad traiig. This, we believe, provides us with the best method of esurig a good quality teachig ad learig experiece ad outcome for the studet ad the practitioer. I this revised editio, NALA has agai draw o the kowledge ad isight of experieced literacy studets ad practitioers. At the core of all this wisdom is the uderstadig that ay good educatioal service must take its ispiratio from the world of the learer (NALA, 1991, p. 5). As adult literacy work cotiues to develop ad evolve, NALA is idebted to all those who are willig to share their experieces, to raise issues ad to cotribute to ogoig debates o policy ad practice i adult basic educatio ad we welcome feedback o this documet. Iez Bailey Director Gretta Vaugha Chairperso 5

7 How NALA defies literacy Literacy ivolves listeig ad speakig, readig, writig, umeracy ad usig everyday techology to commuicate ad hadle iformatio. But it icludes more tha the techical skills of commuicatios: it also has persoal, social ad ecoomic dimesios. Literacy icreases the opportuity for idividuals, families ad commuities to reflect o their situatio, explore ew possibilities ad iitiate chage. The defiitio of literacy is also chagig as the cocept of literacies becomes more widely uderstood. This cocept recogises that there are differet literacies associated with differet areas of life. The ways we use literacy, for example, i techology, at home, i a learig eviromet, as part of a social or sports club, or i our commuity life, vary eormously. If a perso eeds to develop cofidece ad skills i particular aspects of literacy, it does ot mea that they have difficulty with all of the basics. Equally, if a perso has a qualificatio, it does ot always mea that they have high levels of literacy. Some will have left school cofidet about their umeracy ad readig skills but fid that chages i their workplace ad everyday life make their skills iadequate as the literacy demaded by society is i costat flux. Some adults who have ot used their literacy for a umber of years lose cofidece ad skills. 6

8 Priciples for good adult literacy work Adult literacy work is based o a philosophy of adult educatio which is cocered with persoal developmet ad social actio. Adult literacy learig is a active ad expressive process. Studets have the right to explore their eeds ad iterests, set their ow goals ad decide how, where ad whe they wish to lear. Adult literacy work respects differet beliefs, cultures ad ways of beig. A ethical code of trust ad cofidetiality uderpis all aspects of the work. Studets kowledge ad skills are vital for the effective orgaisatio of adult literacy work. Studets should have the opportuity to be ivolved i all aspects of provisio. Adults lear best whe the decisio to retur to learig is their ow ad the eviromet is supportive, relaxed ad friedly. 7

9 Terms used i this documet Accreditatio I educatio, this is certifyig that someoe has a certai stadard of kowledge or skills. A example is whe someoe receives a certificate or other qualificatio from a awardig body, a educatioal istitutio or professioal body whe they successfully fiish a course. Adult Basic Educatio (ABE) Adult basic educatio icludes adult literacy work but also ivolves a wide rage of learig i may differet areas which people may be tryig out for the first time. ABE helps adults to develop importat skills, such as literacy ad umeracy, which are importat for takig part fully i society. The term ABE is used iterchageably with adult literacy. Adult literacy The term adult literacy icludes all the elemets referred to i the sectio How NALA defies literacy. Adult literacy work Adult literacy work describes services to help adults with their literacy developmet. These may be specific programmes or literacy tuitio itegrated with other traiig or educatio opportuities. Adult umeracy NALA defies umeracy as a lifeskill that ivolves the competet use of everyday mathematical laguage, kowledge ad skills ad the cofidece to maage the mathematical demads of real-life situatios. 8

10 Bleded learig Bleded learig is about facilitatig learig usig a variety of approaches, best determied by the eeds of the studet ad the capability of the provider. It may or may ot ivolve techology. It is simply a way of creatively matchig differet approaches to studets cotet ad cotexts. Distace learig Distace learig takes place whe studets ad tutors are separated by either space or time. Distace learig ca ivolve people studyig i a rage of cotexts usig a umber of learig or commuicatio techologies. Ideally, the studet has the optio to choose a learig eviromet that most suits their eeds at ay give time. This flexibility allows studets to lear either idepedetly or i a supported learig eviromet depedig o the level of support eeded. NALA s Distace Learig Service (DLS) NALA has bee ruig a DLS sice This service supports may hudreds of studets each year. The DLS uses experieced home-based tutors to support studets over the telephoe, through the postal service ad olie. Tutors phoe studets at prearraged times to suit the studets eeds, typically i the eveigs. NALA s DLS also offers accreditatio optios to iterested studets. Eglish for Speakers of Other Laguages (ESOL) ESOL is Eglish for Speakers of Other Laguages. It ca iclude laguage ad or literacy tuitio for people who live i a Eglishspeakig coutry ad whose first laguage is ot Eglish. Adult literacy provisio ofte icludes ESOL services. Fiacial literacy Fiacial literacy is the ability to make iformed judgemets ad to take effective decisios about usig ad maagig moey. 9

11 Health literacy Health literacy refers to the ability of a perso who is seekig health iformatio ad services to commuicate their expectatios ad prefereces to somebody who provides those services. It also refers to the service provider s ability to commuicate this iformatio to the idividual. Good health literacy ivolves there beig a mutual uderstadig by both parties. I December 2011 the Irish results of the first Europea Health Literacy Survey showed that 39% of Irish adults have iadequate or problematic health literacy. Itegratig literacy I every vocatioal, academic or other learig programme, at every level, there will ievitably be differeces i literacy stregths ad experiece. Itegratig literacy meas usig a variety of methods that take accout of those differeces ad are effective for everyoe i the group. It also meas esurig studets develop the particular kids of literacy ad umeracy ivolved i the particular subject or skill. Plai Eglish Plai Eglish is a style of presetig iformatio that helps someoe uderstad it the first time they read or hear it. To lear more about it, go to NALA s plai Eglish website: The Simply Put website has lots of free resources such as plai Eglish guides to legal terms, fiacial terms, evirometal terms ad others. It also has the latest ews about developmets i plai Eglish. Practitioer Practitioer refers to ayoe ivolved i maagemet or tuitio i adult literacywork. 10

12 Providers, services These terms refer to orgaisatios offerig literacy tuitio or basic educatio for adults. Settigs, cetres These terms refer to places where adult learig programmes are provided. Learig ca also be o-cetre based, for example, distace learig. Studets, learers I this documet, adults who are workig o their literacy, umeracy or laguage are called studets. Although both the terms studets ad learers are i use, may adults prefer the term studets. The word learer is oly referred to i this documet whe it is used i a quotatio. Local groups ad projects eed to adopt the term most suitable to their ow cotext ad ways of workig. Tutors, teachers, facilitators The terms tutor, teacher ad facilitator are used iterchageably to describe the people who assist studets i the learig process. Literacy work also results i ogoig learig for tutors. Vocatioal Educatio Committees (VECs) or Educatio ad Traiig Boards (ETBs) These are the educatioal bodies with pricipal resposibility for adult ad further educatio. Some areas refer to the VEC/ETB adult literacy service as the local adult literacy scheme. At atioal level, they are represeted by the Irish Vocatioal Educatio Associatio (IVEA). 11

13 1 Itroductio This documet sets out ad explores the philosophy, priciples ad approaches which uderpi good adult literacy work. It also outlies the facilities, tuitio optios ad maagemet styles ecessary for effective adult literacy developmet. I 1985 NALA s first policy documet, Guidelies for Good Adult Literacy Work, established key priciples ad good practice for the developmet of adult literacy work i Irelad. These guidelies were revised i 1991 ad I this latest update of Guidelies for Good Adult Literacy Work, it is importat to reiterate NALA s view that adult literacy work is about huma developmet; eablig people to live full ad meaigful lives ad cotribute towards the erichmet of the commuities i which we all live. While it affects ecoomic developmet ad employmet, literacy is primarily cocered with the rights of idividuals, families ad commuities: it is about their right to have a voice i society; to cotiue ad exted their educatio; to read ad to be read. Stadig true to the core values is also importat at a time whe the adult literacy movemet i Irelad has icreasigly moved ito the maistream of the educatio system. This has followed the Iteratioal Adult Literacy Survey i 1997, ad the subsequet icrease i State fudig for adult literacy provisio. The shift from the margis to the cetre, from adult literacy movemet to adult literacy service, has brought with it icreased opportuities ad ew challeges for adult literacy providers, practitioers, studets ad NALA. Oe of the challeges is to maitai ad stregthe curriculum developmet processes that are critically aware, flexible, resposive, learig-cetred ad learer-directed (NALA, 2009, p. 3). This documet also explores how adult literacy work ca meet this challege. 12

14 NALA s missio NALA s missio is to be the voice of adult literacy i Irelad ad, with our parters, ifluece policy ad practice to support people i developig their literacy. While all NALA s work is ow supported by a series of i-depth policy documets (See Appedix 2), Guidelies for Good Adult Literacy Work offers a cocise statemet of priciples ad practice. It is, therefore, a core text for ayoe iterested i adult basic educatio i Irelad icludig: voluteer ad paid tutors ad tutor traiers; VEC/ETB Adult Literacy Orgaisers, seior maagers ad Commuity Educatio Facilitators; other adult literacy service providers; policy makers; adult literacy studets; studets workig i committees; maagers of educatio ad traiig programmes; Adult Educatioal Guidace Iitiative staff; ad researchers ad academics. Become a NALA member You ca become a member ad support our work to ifluece policy ad practice, supportig people i developig their literacy ad umeracy. If you joi, you ca save moey; 50% o NALA evets, 10% o some Irish publicatios ad 5% o our Plai Eglish editig ad traiig services ad literacy awareess traiig. You will also get up-to-date iformatio o literacy, available grats ad fudig sources, ews from studets, tutor resources, plai Eglish tips ad more through our member ezie (web magazie). For more iformatio, cotact NALA. 13

15 2 Philosophy of adult literacy work This chapter presets a outlie of the basic philosophy ad approaches uderpiig adult literacy work i Irelad. Adult basic educatio i Irelad is based o a belief that effective learig builds o the wealth of life experiece which adults brig to their work o literacy developmet. At the heart of this approach is the uderstadig, A begier reader is ot a begier thiker (Frost ad Hoy, 1985). Studets brig to the process of learig a kowledge ad uderstadig of themselves, their commuity ad the wider society. They wish to egage with their teachers as equals ad to support each other as peers. This uderpis the ethos ad developmet of adult basic educatio. The work ad writigs of a umber of key thikers have iformed this approach, i particular Paulo Freire, Carl Rogers, Jack Mezirow ad Stephe Brookfield ad more recetly David Barto ad Mary Hamilto, James Paul Gee ad Bria Street. Pedagogy of the oppressed: Paulo Freire Oe importat focus of adult literacy developmet i Irelad has bee the expressio ad aalysis by studets of their ow lives, views ad experiece as a essetial part of the process of developig their literacy. This approach to literacy learig is based o the pedagogy developed by Paulo Freire i Brazil i the 1960s. While Freire s literacy work related to a very differet laguage ad a society where oly a miority of the populatio had access to school, the experiece of beig oppressed ad beig sileced is oe that is shared across may differet societies. I our ow society, idividual rights ad access to educatio, employmet ad persoal developmet are ofte seriously restricted by literacy difficulties. 14

16 Freire believed that educatio should give adults the opportuity ad resources to reflect o, questio ad aalyse their world. He ecouraged studets to discuss key words ad themes importat i their lives ad to base their literacy developmet o these. He described this as problem-posig educatio based o dialogue, as opposed to bakig educatio, i which kowledge is a gift bestowed by those who cosider themselves kowledgeable upo those whom they cosider kow othig (Freire, 1972, p. 46). Freire s view is that developig skills of reflectio ad aalysis eables studets to take social actio to improve coditios for themselves ad their commuities. Wealth model Coected to Freire s aalysis of these two approaches to educatio is the cocept of wealth ad deficit models. I the deficit model, the tutor or teacher ofte has a uderlyig, but usually uackowledged, assumptio that the studet is i some way iadequate or ufortuate because they lack kowledge ad skills that must be provided by the teacher. The wealth model aims to help studets to realise their ow stregths ad kowledge. They are ecouraged to explore opportuities for further learig from a uderstadig of their ow life experiece ad the questios this raises. Adult literacy work i Irelad aims to build o the wealth model. Humaistic educatio: Carl Rogers The ideas of the humaistic psychologist, Carl Rogers, have also played a cetral role i the developmet of approaches to adult basic educatio. Rogers believes that huma beigs have a atural eed to lear ad that the goal of educatio is, therefore, to help people develop their full potetial (Rogers,1967, p. 313). His view is that effective learig occurs whe studets uderstad how they lear. 15

17 The oly [perso] who is educated is the [perso] who has leared how to lear. (Rogers, 1967, p. 304) This has bee reiforced by studies from the Orgaisatio for Ecoomic Co-operatio ad Developmet (OECD, 2000). Rogers makes certai key poits about the learig process that are importat i adult literacy work. He argues that learig ca oly be effective if the studet s sese of self is supported. People lear best whe the subject matter is relevat ad whe the learig is based o active participatio learig by doig. Whe studets participate i decisios about the learig process ad are ecouraged to evaluate their ow learig, they are more likely to develop idepedece, creativity ad self-reliace. Trasformative learig: Jack Mezirow Jack Mezirow believes that educatio ca help adults to realise that the ways they see meaig ad reality are formed durig childhood ad ca be chaged by experieces as a adult. Studets ca begi to challege their ow assumptios ad explore alterative ways of seeig the world ad themselves. This trasformative learig makes it possible for studets to develop ew perspectives ad to take actio based o this ew view of themselves, their families ad wider society. A key elemet i this process is critical reflectio. May aspects of this view of adult learig are coected with Freire s ideas o educatio ad social actio. Adult learig ad self-directed learig: Stephe Brookfield Stephe Brookfield s work o the ature of adult learig ad selfdirected learig has iflueced how adult educatio, icludig adult basic educatio, is viewed ad practised aroud the world. His priciples for good adult educatio iclude: volutary 16

18 participatio; mutual respect; collaborative facilitatio betwee the adult educator ad the studet; facilitatio should eable adults to develop their ow critical thikig. He sees the aim of adult educatio as eablig studets to become icreasigly empowered through self-directed learig. Literacy as social practice Bria Street s writigs i the 1980s ad the New Literacy Studies which emerged challeged a view of literacy as a set of techical skills that are eutral, detached from the social cotext i which they are used ad that are costat over time ad place (Maclache, 2008). This work opeed up a differet way of thikig about literacy, which focused o the ways we use ad experiece literacy ad umeracy ad shows that the cotext i which we use literacy is cetral. By focusig o the ways i which people use writte ad spoke laguage i their lives, differet literacies are idetified, such as workplace literacy, home literacy ad school literacy (Street, 1995; Barto ad Hamilto, 1998). Seeig literacy as a social practice recogises that the value give to differet literacies varies; that some literacies are more domiat, visible ad powerful tha others. The literacies associated with powerful istitutios i society (such as the courtroom, school, baks) are give higher status tha the literacies used i everyday life. Idividuals ad commuities who possess or take o these powerful literacies are likely to have a advatage over those who do ot (Pape, 2005). Studet-cetred or studet-directed educatio These ideas have cotributed to the developmet of a studetcetred cocept of adult educatio. The eeds, cocers ad experiece of the studets are the focus of learig, rather tha a exterally structured ad eforced curriculum based o the eeds of, for example, the ecoomy. Curriculum for adult basic educatio is a ogoig process, formed i cosultatio with studets. 17

19 18 A more challegig cocept, also at the cetre of adult literacy work i Irelad, is the studet-directed approach. This meas that rather tha curriculum ad approaches beig formed by tutors who take ito cosideratio the eeds of studets, it is formed by the studets i discussio with their tutors. Tutors the facilitate the learig which the studets wish to pursue. It does ot mea that tutors give up their role as teachers, but it does mea that their role is to facilitate ad to develop materials, approaches ad structures which ecourage the icreasig directio by studets of their ow learig.

20 3 Defiitio ad priciples Followig the outlie i Chapter 2 of the basic philosophy ad approaches iformig NALA s view of adult literacy work, this chapter examies further the ideas that uderpi NALA s defiitio of literacy ad the priciples for good adult literacy work. These priciples express the ethos of adult basic educatio i Irelad. The followig discussio explores: NALA s defiitio of literacy, ad priciples for good adult literacy work, which build closely o the priciples i the 1985, 1991 ad 2005 documets (See Appedix 1). Explorig the defiitio Literacy ivolves listeig ad speakig, readig, writig, umeracy ad usig everyday techology to commuicate ad hadle iformatio. But it icludes more tha the techical skills of commuicatios: it also has persoal, social ad ecoomic dimesios. Literacy icreases the opportuity for idividuals, families ad commuities to reflect o their situatio, explore ew possibilities ad iitiate chage. Moder society requires a adequate level of literacy amog all its adult members. Cofidece i literacy opes may doors i adult life related to work ad persoal developmet, ivolvemet i childre s learig ad commuity ad leisure activities. Numeracy ad basic techological skills are itegral elemets of literacy as everyoe faces a rage of mathematical ad techological demads i everyday life. These are some of the reasos why we recommed usig plai Eglish i everyday documets ad commuicatio. For some people, Eglish for Speakers of Other Laguages (ESOL) is the core elemet of literacy learig. ESOL literacy refers to teachig ad learig that focuses o both laguage ad literacy developmet i Eglish for studets who have literacy difficulties i their first laguage. ESOL laguage focuses o Eglish laguage developmet for studets who do ot have literacy difficulties i their first laguage. 19

21 Literacy ad self-esteem Experiecig difficulties i ay of these areas ca create cosiderable barriers for people ad may affect their ability to participate fully i family, social ad commuity life. I additio, the experieces which led to literacy difficulties ad the expectatios of society ca seriously udermie people s self-cofidece ad self-esteem. The stigma attached to adults ad youg people who are perceived as havig limited literacy skills leads may to hide their difficulties from employers, acquaitaces, relatives ad eve close family ad frieds. The emotioal ad social cosequeces arisig from these experieces may cause greater difficulties tha their cocers about their literacy. I some families, ecoomic ad social circumstaces make it difficult to beefit from educatio, which still ivolves cosiderable expese for books ad uiforms, loss of earigs from older teeagers ad other hidde costs. If the school experiece is uhappy, youg people ad their parets are less likely to see these expeses as worthwhile. Literacy work i cotext Relatioships betwee studets, tutors, orgaisers ad the adult literacy service i geeral are based o equality ad respect for the role each plays i the developmet of effective learig. I particular, eablig studets to take resposibility for their ow learig from a early stage, ad ecouragig ivolvemet i all aspects of the orgaisatio, are importat features of adult basic educatio. Explorig persoal experieces ad placig these i a wider social cotext both support the studet ad provide material for workig o literacy. The opportuity to articulate ad assess past experieces i a supportive learig cotext ca make it possible to develop a uderstadig of curret ad past difficulties. This process ofte lays the foudatios for improvig self-esteem ad cofidece, leadig evetually towards success i developig literacy. 20

22 It is also importat that liks with the wider commuity are maitaied by the adult literacy service. This may iclude schools, traiig bodies, local employers, commuity groups ad other adult ad further educatio providers. These liks establish adult basic educatio as part of the wider social cotext ad may provide educatio, traiig ad employmet opeigs or opportuities for further commuity ivolvemet. Buildig these coectios makes it possible to broade literacy provisio to iclude family ad workplace literacy. The cotact betwee literacy work ad other educatioal ad commuity developmet opportuities eeds to be a two-way process. It is ot eough to assume that literacy studets ca move o to other activities oce they have achieved certai levels of literacy competece. Studets ofte wish to explore other areas of learig while cotiuig to work o their literacy. Literacy learig, therefore, eeds to iclude a wide rage of activities ad topics. As studets develop their cofidece ad their literacy, they may wish to explore the social cotext of their educatioal experiece. This may iclude the causes ad the effects of their difficulties with literacy. The social ad political cotext is a topic for study ad debate, sometimes leadig to actio withi commuities. Literacy learig ca be a part of this social ad political egagemet. This is explored further i the NALA publicatio Curriculum developmet: a evolvig model for adult literacy ad umeracy educatio (NALA, 2009, p ). Curriculum developmet A evolvig model for adult literacy ad umeracy educatio (NALA documet, 2009) Who is it for? The model is relevat to may differet cotexts ad i relatio to may differet programmes. This icludes literacy as part of traiig courses, workplace literacy, family literacy, educatio i prisos ad distace learig, as well as work i local adult literacy settigs. 21

23 Participative curriculum The model describes a process for developig curriculum. This is a participative process carried out by learig parters, such as tutors ad studets, with support from orgaisers, maagers ad others ivolved. The model does ot describe the cotet of a curriculum. That is created by the learig parters. The emphasis is o how the learig parters work together i decidig how ad what to lear. This uderstadig of curriculum is i tue with studet-directed approaches, which are core features of adult literacy ad umeracy work. It is a learig-cetred curriculum, i that, everyoe ivolved lears through takig part i the process of curriculum developmet. The model reflects a view of literacy as social practice ad is iformed by a emacipatory iterest which expects both to start with ad to trasform the learer s experiece (Mace et al, 2006, p. 14). NALA s evolvig model of curriculum developmet i adult literacy ad umeracy is available o the NALA website. 22

24 Priciples for good adult literacy work Adult literacy work is based o a philosophy of adult educatio which is cocered with persoal developmet ad social actio. Because literacy i moder society is a complex issue, adult literacy work musteable studets to coect their literacy ad umeracy learig with the reality of their daily lives, ad with past experiece. Therefore, persoal developmet is a itegral part of the learig process. I additio, literacy learig may lead idividuals ad groups to relate their ow experieces to wider social issues. Adult literacy learig is a active ad expressive process. Studets have the right to explore their eeds ad iterests, set their ow goals ad decide how, where ad whe they wish to lear. Adult literacy learig is most successful whe the studets are actively ivolved i the process ad are ecouraged to express their ideas ad draw o their experieces. Studets should also be eabled to explore the methods ad materials which help them to lear most effectively ad to take a active part i defiig their goals ad plaig the learig programme. This has implicatios for traiig of tutors, teachig ad learig approaches, choosig materials, icludig use of techology, ad the assessmet of learig. Some studets beefit from the rage of flexible optios that are available such as bleded learig, o-cetre based learig, additioal techological supports ad distace learig. Adult literacy work respects differet beliefs, cultures ad ways of beig. A ethical code of trust ad cofidetiality uderpis all aspects of the work. This addresses the cetral issue of respect for differece ad diversity. Adults who retur to learig come from may differet social ad cultural backgrouds. Adult literacy tutors ad orgaisatios eed to operate from a 23

25 clear positio of respect for differet beliefs, laguages, cultures ad ways of life. This variety should be see as providig opportuities for learig for all participats i a learig group or programme. Cofidetiality ad respect must be established from the outset i order for studets to feel safe. They ca the begi to develop the trust that is eeded if meaigful learig is to take place. Studets kowledge ad skills are vital for the effective orgaisatio of adult literacy work. Studets should have the opportuity to be ivolved i all aspects of provisio. Studets have experiece ad kowledge which are essetial for the successful plaig, developmet ad evaluatio of adult literacy provisio. Their views ad uderstadig eed to iform the way provisio is orgaised, particularly publicity, course optios, studet support, resources ad social activities. Studets should be actively ecouraged to become ivolved i the orgaisatio, for example, to take a seat o the board. However, some studets choose to atted oly for tuitio ad this choice should be respected. Adults lear best whe the decisio to retur to learig is their ow ad the eviromet is supportive, relaxed ad friedly. Adults who decide to work o their literacy have take a importat ad ofte difficult step. Studets are more likely to atted regularly ad stay i tuitio whe they see that their eeds ad cocers are at the heart of the orgaisatio, ad that good tutorig ad resources provide the best possible coditios for learig. Ideally adult literacy learig should ot be liked to welfare beefits or employmet. Studets based i other settigs, such as traiig workshops, the workplace or i prisos, should have the right to decide whether they wish to work o their literacy skills. 24

26 Adults lear best whe they ejoy the process. Learig provides opportuities for ew social relatioships. Adults ad youg people ofte fid that their learig beefits from the chace to relax iformally with other studets ad tutors. I additio, iteractio i a learig group cotributes to the learig process, ad to the developmet of both the idividual studets ad the orgaisatio. 25

27 4 Key stages of developmet This chapter looks at key stages of developmet i adult literacy work ad policy resposes i Irelad sice the 1970s. Efforts to build a adult literacy service Adult Educatio i Irelad (Murphy, 1973) listed a umber of actios ecessary to develop adult educatio, icludig a study of the eeds of adults with literacy difficulties. At commuity level, people were begiig to voluteer as tutors for adults who wated help with their literacy, workig maily i isolatio ad i their ow homes. Literacy was idetified as a priority for the emergig educatio service i Irish prisos ad as a aspect of work traiig programmes, maily for youg people. I the late 1970s RTÉ, the atioal broadcastig service, produced Helpig Adults to Read which provided guidace ad support for voluteer adult literacy tutors. I several areas voluteer tutors were also begiig to act as local orgaisers. I 1980 NALA was established as a membership orgaisatio to act as a coordiatig body for all ivolved i adult literacy work, to raise awareess ad to lobby for fudig ad recogitio of the issue. I 1985 for the first time, the Govermet allocated fudig for adult literacy work with a grat to NALA ad a small adult literacy ad commuity educatio budget admiistered by the VECs. Fudig cotiued at a similar level for the ext few years. Despite a very low budget, determied ad committed idividuals, groups ad commuities, most of whom worked o a volutary basis, were makig progress towards gaiig icreased recogitio ad resources for the adult literacy service (Bailey, 2004). 26

28 Iteratioal Literacy Year i 1990 brought more awareess to adult literacy work. The Presidet of Irelad agreed to act as patro of NALA ad successive presidets have cotiued i this role. Establishig a foudatio for adult literacy work Betwee 1990 ad 1997 provisio of adult literacy services grew slowly but steadily each year. I the mid-1990s two reports by the Orgaisatio for Ecoomic Co-operatio ad Developmet (OECD) gave impetus to the adult literacy movemet. Lifelog Learig for All (OECD, 1996) highlighted the role of adult literacy i promotig competitiveess ad employmet, addressig poverty, promotig democracy ad social cohesio, buildig a kowledge society ad stregtheig idividuals, families ad commuities. The Iteratioal Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), coducted i 1995 ad published i1997, provided Irelad with its first profile of the literacy skills of adults aged 16 to 64 (OECD, 1997). The survey foud that approximately 25% of those surveyed performed the give literacy ad umeracy tasks at or below Level 1. Level 1 required participats to locate a simple piece of iformatio i a basic text or chart, icludig istructios for the correct use of medicatio. A further 30% of the populatio was at Level 2. Level 3 is regarded as the level of literacy ecessary for the demads of moder society. I Irelad therefore, i terms of the IALS assessmet, the literacy skills of 55% of those aged betwee 16 ad 64 were at or below this miimum level. The publicatio of the IALS provided a comparative aalysis of adult literacy levels i wester idustrialised coutries. Up to that time there had bee o comprehesive facts o the scale of adult literacy difficulties ad the issue had bee eglected by successive Irish govermets. I 1998 as a result of the OECD survey ad persistet lobbyig by NALA, the govermet budget for adult literacy work icreased sigificatly. 27

29 Expasio ad improvemet sice 1998 Sice 1998 policy iitiatives ad dedicated fudig from the Govermet have allowed the adult literacy service to expad ad improve. The White Paper o Adult Educatio, Learig for Life (DES, 2000), embedded the adult literacy issue i atioal policy ad established the first govermet strategy to improve literacy levels amogst the adult populatio i Irelad. From 2000 to 2010 the adult literacy service was cocered with cosolidatio, expasio ad quality assurace, whilst safeguardig its distictive ethos ad status withi the broader educatioal cotext. Oe example is the developmet by NALA of self-directed olie programmes through with accompayig supports ad resources, ad the optio of certificatio. These resources are icreasigly used by providers i a bleded learig approach. Curret policy Sice 2010 atioal policy has focused o reform of the further educatio ad traiig sector. FÁS is beig disbaded. The 16 Educatio ad Traiig Boards (ETBs) are replacig the 33 VECs ad they will also icorporate FÁS traiig cetres. SOLAS is beig established as the further educatio ad traiig authority. I 2012 Operatioal Guidelies for VEC staff maagig, admiisterig ad deliverig adult literacy programmes were published. These Guidelies were produced by the Departmet of Educatio ad Skills (DES). They provide a defiitio of ad a scope for adult literacy provisio, as well as iformatio o target groups, assessmet, tuitio models ad types. Operatioal Guidelies exist for all part-time, further educatio programmes fuded by the DES. Itegratig of literacy ad umeracy i all further educatio ad traiig programmes has emerged as a priority for providers ad govermet. 28

30 What we wat to see happe NALA argues that three elemets ca make a sigificat differece to achievig better adult literacy ad umeracy outcomes. They ivolve ew thikig ad require purposeful implemetatio. These elemets are: itegratio of laguage, literacy ad umeracy developmet ito all publicly fuded educatio ad traiig; family literacy developmet, as this offers opportuities to break itergeeratioal cycles of disadvatage; ad flexible, high quality adult educatio ad traiig provisio. This meas providig ehaced adult literacy ad umeracy services across a wider rage of settigs, icludig the workplace, ad by differet modes, icludig distace, bleded learig ad itesive optios. 29

31 5 Curret cotext 30 This chapter looks at the curret cotext i adult basic educatio by focusig o studets, tutors, rage of provisio ad accreditatio issues. Studets The term studets icludes people from may differet age groups who are learig i differet settigs. Adults may decide to look for help with their literacy to help them fid a job, to improve their chaces of promotio or to move ito aother job. People ofte retur to learig whe they become parets i order to be able to help ad support their childre s learig. Others atted tuitio after their families have left home ad they have more time for their ow self-developmet. Some youg people leave school early but choose to work o their literacy as part of a traiig programme. Studets also iclude adults who work o their literacy through distace learig. Adults workig o their literacy may wish to: improve ad gai cofidece i a particular area such as spellig or basic computer skills; help their childre s learig; improve or maitai their skills for persoal reasos; use techology more effectively i their everyday life; gai accreditatio i order to move o to further traiig or educatio; work o literacy ad umeracy for employmet purposes; update skills as a result of chages i work practices; gai basic Eglish laguage commuicatio skills (ESOL); overcome specific difficulties which may have bee udetected at school; or ehace their quality of life. The cotributio of studets has always bee cetral to the developmet of adult literacy work at both atioal ad local level.

32 This has esured that ogoig work ad ew developmets are iformed by the studets perspectives. Studets play a importat role i may ways icludig: voicig studet views at evets; participatig at maagemet or board level; advisig o iitiatives such as policy developmet, materials ad speakig at cofereces, public evets ad to the media; servig as members of NALA s Natioal Executive Committee ad Studet Subcommittee; participatig i literacy awareess raisig programmes; recruitig studets ad tutors; selectig ad traiig tutors; ecouragig ad supportig their peers; gettig ivolved i admiistratio; takig part i evaluatio; ad orgaisig social evets. The more studets are ivolved i these activities, the more vibrat ad successful the service is. Tutors Adult literacy tuitio is carried out i small groups or o a oe-to-oe basis by tutors traied specially for the work (See Staff traiig ad developmet, Chapter 6). May services offer oe or two hours of tuitio per week, though a icreasig umber of programmes are able to offer more itesive provisio. Over the years, as fudig has icreased so too has the umber of paid tutors who work with small groups. Oe- to-oe tutors Oe-to-oe tutors are volutary ad they have made a major cotributio to the developmet of adult literacy services i Irelad. Ivolvig voluteers eriches the type of service provided ad 31

33 maitais its roots i the commuity. Idividual tutorial support is still a core elemet of adult literacy work ad, despite icreased fudig, the use of voluteer tutors is ofte the oly feasible way to provide oe-to-oe tuitio. Icreasigly, adult literacy services are adoptig a voluteer protocol (See Appedix 4). This sets out the rights ad resposibilities of oe-to-oe tutors so that they are clear about their ow commitmet ad the support they ca expect from the orgaisatio. Group tutors Where literacy tuitio is orgaised i groups or if studets are workig towards accreditatio i a group settig, it is importat to have traied ad paid group tutors. They eed to be skilled at creatig a co-operative ad supportive learig atmosphere, to be able to prepare materials for differet levels ad iterests ad to respod to the chagig goals ad aspiratios of the members of the group. Rage of provisio Overall resposibility for adult basic educatio provisio lies with the Govermet, i particular the Departmet of Educatio ad Skills. Adult literacy work takes place i a rage of differet settigs ad cotexts. VEC/ETB Adult Literacy Service Local VEC/ETB Adult Literacy Services are headed by the Chief Executive Officer of the idividual VEC/ETB ad supported by the Adult Educatio Orgaiser. The local service is maaged by a Adult Literacy Orgaiser, sometimes workig with resource ad outreach workers, ad usually icludes: oe-to-oe tuitio, maily provided by voluteer tutors who are traied locally to a agreed atioal stadard; ad group tuitio, typically ivolvig o more tha six to eight studets workig together or idividually i a group settig. The local service is kow as the Adult Literacy Service. 32

34 SOLAS SOLAS is the ew further educatio ad traiig authority beig established i 2013 to provide strategic directio ad fudig to the adult learig, further educatio ad traiig sector. The ame SOLAS is from the Irish title Seirbhísí Oideachais Leauaigh agus Scileaa, which meas Cotiuig Educatio ad Skills Services. Traiig ad work experiece programmes Literacy tuitio is provided as part of several traiig ad work experiece programmes. May of these provide dedicated literacy ad umeracy tuitio alogside itegrated provisio, where vocatioal traiers build literacy ad umeracy developmet ito their subject areas (See Appedix 5). Orgaisatios that work with people with disabilities May orgaisatios workig with people with a rage of disabilities iclude literacy ad umeracy as a key elemet of their programmes i local ad atioal cetres (See Appedix 5). Workplace Basic Educatio (WBE) Some employers offer literacy tuitio i the workplace (See Appedix 5). Literacy ad umeracy developmet is also itegrated ito may workplace traiig programmes. Eglish for Speakers of Other Laguages (ESOL) A wide rage of orgaisatios play a sigificat role i developig ESOL policy ad practice. ESOL is a sigificat part of adult basic educatio. Family learig Family learig programmes help to develop literacy ad umeracy learig i a family cotext ad ecourage adults to lear for their ow persoal developmet ad for the beefit of their childre. Family learig ivolves partership betwee the Adult Literacy Service, schools ad local commuities ad services. Prisos ad post-release projects Educatio is available i all Irish prisos uder the Irish Priso Educatio Service ad is provided i partership with a rage 33

35 of educatioal agecies icludig the VECs/ETBs. Literacy ad umeracy tuitio is give high priority i prisos ad post-release cetres. Commuity Developmet Projects Local developmet compaies, icludig commuity developmet projects are also ivolved i adult literacy work. Distace Learig Service (DLS) There are a icreasig umber of distace educatio iitiatives for idepedet literacy learig usig resources such as TV, DVDs, CDs, videos, radio ad websites. NALA has bee ruig a DLS sice This service supports may hudreds of studets each year. The DLS uses experieced home-based tutors to support studets over the telephoe, through the postal service ad olie. Tutors phoe studets at prearraged times to suit the studets eeds, typically i the eveigs. NALA s DLS also offers accreditatio optios to iterested studets. The NALA Write O website is a free olie e-learig site that offers learig ad accreditatio optios i readig, writig, umeracy, commuicatios, computers, digital media ad persoal developmet. The website offers certificatio at Levels 2 ad 3 o the Natioal Framework of Qualificatios i Irelad. Studets ca study i their ow time ad at their ow pace. The website offers studets persoalised learig plas so that they oly study what they eed to. There are hudreds of free resources i the form of videos ad dowloadable worksheets at to complemet the iteractive cotet. The website ca be used i bleded learig cotexts to support cetre based study with a tutor. It is desiged for people who wat to improve their basic literacy skills ad for ESOL studets who wat to work o their ow. It ca also be used by studets who wat to combie usig Write O with other learig activities or situatios such as workig with a tutor. 34

36 The website covers may levels, from begier (Level 2) up to itermediate ad advaced readers ad writers (Levels 3 ad 4). Libraries Libraries have a importat role i literacy developmet at local level, particularly i relatio to materials ad access to techology. Accreditatio The Irish Natioal Framework of Qualificatios (NFQ) is a 10 level framework of stadards for accreditatio purposes, established i October There were o previous awards at Levels 1 ad 2. Levels 1 to 4 are of most relevace to adult literacy studets, but progressio to higher levels is also importat. However, accreditatio is ot a requiremet of participatio i adult literacy, ad it is vital that participats cotiue to take part i adult literacy learig activities with a optio of accreditatio. The itroductio of NFQ Levels 1 ad 2 brought the accreditatio optios ito everyoe s reach. For may, icludig the 500,000 Irish adults with literacy difficulties idetified by the Orgaisatio for Ecoomic Co-operatio ad Developmet (OECD) Iteratioal Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) (1997), it provided a more appropriate or realistic opportuity for certificatio, ofte for the first time. This was a sigificat iovatio i a Irish cotext ad relatively ew i iteratioal terms. Providers are required to formally agree quality assurace arragemets ad to validate programmes with awardig bodies before they ca offer programmes to studets that lead to certificatio. Both the quality assurace agreemet ad programme validatio cover assessmet policies ad processes. For studets The Further Educatio ad Traiig Awards Coucil (FETAC) is beig subsumed ito The Qualificatios ad Quality Assurace Authority of Irelad (QQAI). Assessmet for accreditatio, especially at Levels 1 to 3, is largely based o portfolios of work which the studets put together. This makes it possible to build o the 35

37 approaches to study that suit their ow pace ad style of learig. NALA s Distace Learig Service (DLS) offers accreditatio optios to studets o their website: The NALA DLS also has learig resources at Level 4. Some studets are ot iterested i gaiig certificates, especially at the early stages of their retur to learig. Others are kee to gai recogitio for their achievemets from the start, especially as accreditatio may help them gai access to employmet, traiig or further learig opportuities. I additio, may studets become iterested i accreditatio as they progress i their learig. For tutors I order to provide tutors with opportuities for professioal developmet, formal qualificatios at Higher Certificate to hoours degree level have bee developed by NALA ad Waterford Istitute of Techology (WIT).The NALA / WIT accreditatio project offers a flexible, modular approach to study ad icreasigly adult literacy work is becomig a career optio for people iterested i educatio (See Appedix 3). There are also several other adult educatio degree courses ad postgraduate level adult educatio programmes i Irish uiversities, for example, i Natioal Uiversity of Irelad (NUI), Mayooth. For providers Accreditatio is ot a requiremet of participatio i adult literacy programmes. However, adult literacy services should provide the optio of appropriate accreditatio for all studets. While most services provide this optio, there is work i progress to provide all adult studets with access to certificatio choices. 36