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Adult Literacy and New Technologies: Tools for a Lifetime

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Adult Literacy and New Technologies: Tools for a Lifetime Adult Literacy and New Technologies: Tools for a Lifetime July 1993 OTA-SET-550 NTIS order #PB93-218881 GPO stock #052-003-01330-4 Recommended Citation: U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, Adult Literacy and New Technologies: Tools for a Lifetime, OTA-SET-550 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, July 1993). For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington. DC 2040? -9328 ISBN 0-16 -041858-5 Foreword merica’s commitment to the importance of the individual has translated into a belief that education is essential for realizing the American dream. Historically, this Nation has moved to increase educational opportunity, because education was considered crucial to personal growth and Aachievement and because educated individuals were considered essential for an effective democracy. Adult education needs are difficult to define and difficult to meet; what constitutes adequate literacy changes continually as the demands facing individ- uals grow more complex. Rapidly changing demographic patterns and rapidly changing technology mean that the United States today faces a massive problem in equipping citizens with the skills needed to participate fully in the workplace and to contribute as members of family and community. (OTA’s examination of this problem, initiated at the request of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, suggests that technology offers particular capabilities for dealing with this issue. This report is an attempt to identify those capabilities, along with limitations, and outline how new information technologies can be marshaled to meet the goal of a fully literate citizenry. Throughout this study, the Advisory Panel, workshop participants, and many others played key roles in defining major issues, providing information, and championing a broad range of perspectives. OTA thanks them for their sub- stantial commitment of time and energy. Their participation does not necessarily represent an endorsement of the contents of the report, for which OTA bears sole responsibility. Roger C. Herdman, Director Advisory Panel Richard Venezky, Chairperson Jim Kadamus Richard Mumane Unidel Professor of Educational Assistant Commsi sioner Professor of Economics Studies and Higher and Continuing Education Harvard Graduate School Professor of Computer and New York State Department of Education Information Sciences of Education University of Delaware Albany, NY Reg Murphyl Executive Vice President Christine Cope Irwin Kirsch National Geographic Society President Director, Division of Cognitive and Washington, DC South Dakota Literacy Council Assessment Research Yankton, SD Educational Testing Service Dale Rezabek Princeton, NJ GAIN Coordinator Sharon Darling California Community Colleges President William Kolberg Sacramento, CA National Center for Family President and CEO Literacy National Alliance of Business Antonia Stone Louisville, KY Washington, DC Executive Director Playing to win Allen De Bevoise Ray Marshall New York, NY President Professor of Economics AND Communications, Inc. and Public Affairs Richard Varn Los Angeles, CA University of Texas at Austin Senator Austin, TX Iowa State Legislature Ronald Gillum Des Moines, IA Director, Adult Extended Earline McNary Learning Services Jamaica Plain, MA George Walker Michigan Department of Education President Lansing, MI Job Moraido Delta Wire Co. Law Offices of Public Defender Clarksdale, MS Shirley Brice Heath Child Advocacy Division Department of English San Diego, CA Stanford University NOTE: (ITA appreciates and is grateful for the valuable assistance and thoughtful critiques provided by the advisory panel members. The psnel does not, however, necessarily approve, disapprove, or endorse this report. OTA assumes fidl responsi- bility for the report and the accuracy of its contents. iv Preject Staff . — —— . —— John Andelin OTHER CONTRIBUTING STAFF Assistant Director LINDA ROBERTS Timothy Rogers Science, Information, and Natural Intern Resources Division Project Director Lynellen Long Kathleen Fulton Nancy Carson In-House Contractor Program Manager Senior Analyst Science, Education, and Transportation Patricia Morison ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Analyst Marsha Fenn Technical Editor Carol Edwards Congressional Fellow Gay Jackson PC Specialist Chris Spelius Research Analyst Tamara C. Wand Administrative Secretary Hunter Heyck Research Assistant Kristan Mayer Research Assistant CONTRACTORS Nancy Kober Education TURNKEY Systems, Inc. Joyce Hakansson Charlottesville, VA and Berkeley Learning Technologies Wujcik and Associates SL Productions Falls Church, VA Stephen Reder New York, NY Northwest Regional Educational Interactive Educational Systems Laboratory - Center for Literacy Studies Design, Inc. The University of Tennessee, New York, NY Saul Rockman Knoxville San Francisco, CA Juliet Merrifield, principal investigator Claremont Graduate School Claremont, CA J.D. Eveland, principal investigator v contents 1 Summary and Policy Options, 1 What Is This Study About? 3 What Is “Literacy’ 3 Who Are the Learners and What Do They Need? 5 What Problems Do Literacy Programs and Providers Face? 9 What Is the Impact of Federal Efforts? 11 How Could Technology Make a Difference? 14 Policy Issues and Options, 16 Building a Base of Technology for Literacy, 17 ■ Improving the System, 21 Experimenting With New Alternatives, 25 Rethink the Federal Role, 26 2 The Changing Character of Literacy, 29 Findings, 30 What Is Literacy? 30 ■ Defining Basic Skills, 32 ■ Beyond the Basics: Changing Views of Essential skills, 33 ■ So What Skills Do People Need? 39 Demographics of Adult Literacy, 41 ■ School Completion Rates, 41 ■ Tests of Literacy Skills, 45 ,. ■ Literacy Target Groups, 47 ■ seeking Better Information, 56 Literacy Needs: Growing or Shrinking? 56 3 Adults as Learners, 61 Findings, 61 Literacy in Everyday Life: Adults With Low Literacy Skills, 62 Profiles of Diversity, 63 ■ Competence and Strength, 65 ■ Strategies for Literacy, 69 Learning in Adulthood 69 Adults Seeking Learning Opportunities, 76 vii ■ The Decision to Participate in Adult Literacy Education, 78 ❑ The Importance of Motivation, 81 ■ Why People Do Not Participate, 82 Meeting Adult Learner Needs: The Role of Technology, 84 ■ Reaching Learners Outside of Classrooms, 85 ■ Using Learning Time Efficiently, 85 ■ Sustaining Motivation, 86 ■ Individualizing Instruction, 88 ■ Providing Access to Information Tools, 89 Conclusions, 89 4 The Literacy System: A Patchwork of Programs and Resources, 93 Findings, 93 The Delivery System, 94 ■ Who Provides the Funds? 94 ■ Who Administers Programs and Provides the Services? 99 ■ Who Is Being Served? 107 ■ What Kinds of Instruction Do They Receive? 109 ■ Who Are the Teachers? 115 New Emphases in Literacy Programs, 115 ■ Workplace Literacy, 115 ■ Family Literacy, 119 ■ Programs for Incarcerated Adults, 121 Policy Implications, 126 5 The Federal Role in Adult Literacy Education, 127 Findings, 127 Growth of the Federal Role in Adult Literacy, 129 ■ Historical Perspective, 129 ■ The Modem Federal Role Takes Shape, 129 ■ Public Awareness, “Bully Pulpit,” and National Leadership, 131 ■ Congress “Discovers” Adult Literacy: 1986 to the Present, 132 Current Federal Role, 133 ■ The Number of Federal Literacy Programs, 135 ■ Agency Roles, 136 ■ Federal Dollars, 137 ■ New Emphases, 142 ,.. Vlll ■ Definitions of Services, 144 ■ Target Populations, 144 ■ Administrative Entities and Service Providers, 146 ■ Services and Activities, 147 Accountability Requirements, 148 ■ Evaluation Requirements, 149 Encouraging Technology Use, 150 ■ Federal Provisions for Technology, 150 ■ State and Local Reaction to Federal Technology Policy, 153 Coordination Among Adult Literacy Programs, 154 Federal Requirements, 154 ■ State and Local Impact, 155 Federal Policy Issues, 157 ■ Programs and Dollars, 157 ■ Services, Quality, and Capacity Building, 157 ■ Target Groups, 158 ■ Technology, 158 ■ Coordination, 158 Conclusion, 159 6 Improving the System: Promising Roles for Technology, 161 Findings, 161 Recruiting, Retaining, and Serving Learners, 162 ■ Recruitment Issues and Strategies, 162 ■ Retaining Learners Long Enough to Meet Goals: The Problem of Attrition, 164 Serving Learners: Balancing Supply and Demand, 168 Instructional Issues, 169 ■ Curriculum: What Works? 169 ■ Helping Teachers, Administrators, and Volunteers Do Their Jobs, 170 Evaluation and Assessment, 177 Administrative Issues, 179 Funding, 179 Mandated Programs, 180 ■ Lack of Central Focus and Problems of Coordination, 181 A Final Note, 188 7 Technology Today: Practice vs. Promise, 189 # Findings, 190 ix Access to Technologies for Literacy, 190 Access to Computer Hardware, 190 Access to Other Hardware, 192 Availability of Computer Courseware, 194 Availability of Other Courseware and Programming, 196 An Untapped Base of Technology, 196 of Technology, 200 General Findings About Technology Use, 200 Benefits and Limitations of Technologies for Literacy, 204 The Promise Unfulfilled, 205 Barriers to Use of Technology, 213 ■ Funding Barriers, 213 Market Barriers, 216 ■ Information Barriers, 219 ■ Institutional Barriers, 219 Conclusions, 221 8 Looking Ahead to a Future With Technology, 223 A Look Into the Future: Three Scenarios, 224 ■ Carla King: Moving Ahead With a Changing Industry, 224 ■ Dave Decker: Changing a Life, Starting a Future, 226 ■ Tina Lopez: Family Support Through a Multipurpose Literacy Center, 228 Questions Raised by the Scenarios:
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