Education Commons^™

Establishing Design Principles For Online Synchronous Literacy Learning For Indigenous Learners, Michelle Eady, Anthony Herrington, Caroline Jones

Michelle Eady

Synchronous learning has the potential to provide literacy and essential skills training to Indigenous learners living in remote and isolated communities. Although there is considerable research completed in the area of internet-based learning technologies in general, there is very little research in the area of online synchronous learning opportunities for remote Indigenous learners. This paper presents the results and theoretical framework of the first and second phases of a four phase design-based research approach that aims to establish design principles to guide the future development of synchronous online literacy services for Indigenous learners living in remote Australian communities.

Perspectives On Literacy Needs And Technology Approaches In Indigenous Communities, Michelle Eady

Michelle Eady

Michelle Eady presented at last year's ACAL conference in Gold Coast and although she didn't "catch" any waves, she definitely made some. Her current research reflects a successful online literacy program in Canada that reaches remote adult Indigenous literacy learners. This presentation will discuss the findings of the first phase of her design-based research approach and share the findings of how practitioners (many of them ACAL members) and community members feel about literacy needs and technology in their respective positions and Indigenous communities.

Print And Digital Reading In Pisa 2009 : Comparison And Contrast, Juliette Mendelovits, Dara Ramalingam, Tom Lumley

Dr Tom Lumley

PISA was administered for the fourth time in 2009. Since in each administration, one of reading, maths or science is chosen as the major domain, the 2009 survey marked the first time that a domain (in this case, reading) was revisited as the major focus of the assessment. This allowed a full review of the framework for reading literacy and the inclusion of new elements to reflect the way that reading has changed since 2000 (OECD, 2009). One such change is the increasing prevalence of digital texts. The assessment of digital reading in the PISA 2009 cycle, undertaken by 19 …

How Well Do Young People Deal With Contradictory And Unreliable Information On Line? What The Pisa Digital Reading Assessment Tells Us, Tom Lumley, Juliette Mendelovits

Dr Tom Lumley

There is sometimes an assumption that young people, as ‘digital natives’, are able to use online information effectively, including selecting and negotiating digital texts that are not only relevant for what they need, but also are likely to provide reliable information. This paper examines the question of how well young people are in fact able to recognise whether information is likely to be trustworthy. While some small-scale work has been done in this area, this paper draws on data from the first large-scale international assessment of online reading, the Digital Reading Assessment (DRA) that was part of the Organisation for …

Adult Literacy Strategies For Women On Cocoyam Production, Use & Benefits In Igboland, Dr Williams Emeka Obiozor

Dr Williams Emeka Obiozor

EMPOWERING WOMEN TO STRENGTHEN & DEVELOP GROWTH OF RAW MATERIALS TO ERADICATE POVERTY is a priority for every government if we have to attain the vision and goals of MDGs/EFA in 2015. Adult educators are contributing to this vision with extension service programmes to rural women via workshops like these.

Achieving Universal Literacy In Andhra Pradesh: Status And Prospects, Venkatanarayana Motkuri Mr., Ravi C Prof.

Venkatanarayana Motkuri Mr.

The main objective of the present paper is to assess the prospects of achieving universal adult literacy with a policy intervention factor through adult literacy programmes that

target different age groups. As a backdrop, the paper presents the status analysis with respect to the progress in the literacy rate and changes in disparities across social and

geographical groups in the literacy rate in Andhra Pradesh.

An analysis has highlighted the poor performance of the state with respect to the promotion of literacy during the last decade as compared to that of the previous decades. The

state has continued to remain …

Secondary Esl Round Table: Excavating Our Common Core Subject Standards Hopes And Fears, Revealing New Literacy Possibilities For Ells, Susan Adams, Kathryn Brooks

Susan Adams

Presentation at the 2012 Indiana Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (INTESOL) Annual Conference, Indianapolis, IN, October 6, 2012.

Research Digest Edition 2007/1 : Writing To Learn, Marion Meiers, Pat Knight

Marion Meiers (1941-2018)

This edition of the Research Digest summarises key research studies that provide evidence of the potential of writing-to-learn approaches in improving student learning in a range of subject areas. The research tells us that writing-to-learn strategies can be used by any teacher, in all subject areas, and at all levels of schooling. Throughout the digest there are descriptions of a range of writing-to-learn strategies that demonstrate possibilities for classroom practice. This research digest is based on searches of a number of databases and bibliographic resources, including the Australian Education Index, ERIC, Education Research Complete, British Education Index and Scopus. The …

Print And Digital Reading In Pisa 2009 : Comparison And Contrast, Juliette Mendelovits, Dara Ramalingam, Tom Lumley

Juliette Mendelovits

PISA was administered for the fourth time in 2009. Since in each administration, one of reading, maths or science is chosen as the major domain, the 2009 survey marked the first time that a domain (in this case, reading) was revisited as the major focus of the assessment. This allowed a full review of the framework for reading literacy and the inclusion of new elements to reflect the way that reading has changed since 2000 (OECD, 2009). One such change is the increasing prevalence of digital texts. The assessment of digital reading in the PISA 2009 cycle, undertaken by 19 …

Raising Standards : A Shared Challenge, Geoff Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

Geoff Masters outlines his recommendations to improve literacy, numeracy and science learning in Queensland primary schools.

Profiles Of Learning: The Basic Skills Testing Program In New South Wales: 1989, Geoff Masters, Jan Lokan, Brian Doig, Siek Khoo, John Lindsey, Lynette Robinson, Susan Zammit

Prof Geoff Masters AO

The 1989 Basic Skills Testing Program in New South Wales provides the most comprehensive picture yet compiled of literacy and numeracy learning in Australian primary schools. In 1989, some 53,800 Year 6 students in NSW government schools were tested in five aspects of literacy and numeracy. Another 2,300 Year 3 students took part in a pilot study. This book discusses the writing of the tests, the analysis of results, and the reporting of results to parents, teachers and schools. The aim of the basic skills tests is to describe, in positive terms, the skills that students have mastered, to identify …

Improving Educational Outcomes In The Northern Territory : Preliminary Advice To The Northern Territory Department Of Education And Training, With A Particular Focus On The Ongoing Improvement Of Students’ Literacy And Numeracy Achievements, Geoff N. Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

The primary focus of this review is on strategies for improving literacy and numeracy outcomes in the Northern Territory. Clearly, the role of school education is much broader than the development of students literacy and numeracy skills, but these are foundational skills on which almost all other school learning is based. It is also clear from research that low levels of literacy and numeracy by the middle years of school are associated with lower school completion rates and a range of post-school outcomes, including higher levels of unemployment, lower lifetime earnings, and poorer health outcomes. Although the primary focus of …

Naplan And My School : Shedding Some Light On A Work In Progress, Geoff Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

Debate about NAPLAN and the My School website has generated plenty of heat. Geoff Masters casts some light on what is essentially a work In progress.

An Investigation Of The Stability Of A Literacy Variable Over Time: Implications For Standards Monitoring, Siek Khoo, Geoff Masters

Prof Geoff Masters AO

No abstract provided.

How Well Do Young People Deal With Contradictory And Unreliable Information On Line? What The Pisa Digital Reading Assessment Tells Us, Tom Lumley, Juliette Mendelovits

Juliette Mendelovits

There is sometimes an assumption that young people, as ‘digital natives’, are able to use online information effectively, including selecting and negotiating digital texts that are not only relevant for what they need, but also are likely to provide reliable information. This paper examines the question of how well young people are in fact able to recognise whether information is likely to be trustworthy. While some small-scale work has been done in this area, this paper draws on data from the first large-scale international assessment of online reading, the Digital Reading Assessment (DRA) that was part of the Organisation for …

Thinking About Diagrams: A General Diagrammatic Literacy, Brad Jackel

Dr Brad Jackel

No abstract provided.

Secondary Esl Round Table: Excavating Our Ccss Hopes And Fears, Revealing New Literacy Possibilities For Ells, Susan Adams

Susan Adams

Presentation at the 2012 Literocity Conference, Indianapolis, IN, July 9, 2012.

Experiencing And Engaging Attributes In A Sensory Garden As Part Of A Multi- Sensory Environment, Hazreena Hussein

Hazreena Hussein

This study looked into how children with special educational needs and their adult carers engage with attributes in a sensory garden during their literacy session. Walk-through interviews, personal observation and behaviour mapping of on-site activities, which the author recorded as anecdotal evidence, were undertaken at the Royal School of Communication Disorders in Manchester, United Kingdom to illustrate on the users’ experience in a multi-sensory learning environment. This data gathering was conducted in May and July, for seven days each month. The data was recorded continuously from 9am to 3pm on weekdays during the school term. The main finding showed that …

National Assessment Program : Ict Literacy Technical Report, Eveline Gebhardt, Julian Fraillon, Wolfram Schulz, Kate O'Malley, Chris Freeman, Martin Murphy, John Lindsey

Martin Murphy

This report is concerned with procedures, processes and technical aspects of the National Assessment Program - ICT Literacy 2011 Literacy (NAP - ICTL 2011) and should be read in conjunction with the Public Report from Literacy NAP - ICTL 2011 which focuses on results and interpretation of results from that assessment. The first cycle of the NAP - ICTL was held in 2005 and provided the baseline against which future performance would be compared. The second cycle of the program was conducted in 2008 and was the first cycle where trends in performance were able to be examined.

Talking With Texts: How Cellphones Empower Deaf Children In Uganda, Sacha Develle

Dr Sacha DeVelle

No abstract provided.

Literacy Instruction In Kindergarten: Using The Power Of Dramatic Play, Genan Anderson, Ann Sharp, Debora Escalante

Genan Anderson

This article supports using dramatic play in the kindergarten classroom to engage children emotionally in the learning process. It uses classroom scenarios to support the role of the dramatic arts to promote oral language development, reading readiness, reading achievement, comprehension, and writing skills. It asserts that early childhood students are best served when sound foundational literacy instruction is playfully presented, practiced in activities such as socio-dramatic play, and enhanced with creative arts.

Ageing And Women Disabilities In Sub-Sahara, Dr Williams Emeka Obiozor, Uzoamaka Lucynda Koledoye Mrs.

Dr Williams Emeka Obiozor

In a typical African community, women age gracefully, as they bear children, care, train, provide natural support; as well as receive support from their children when they grow older. The presence of infirmities and disabilities affect aging and hinder effective livelihood, human performance and general well-being of sub-Saharan African women. Critical knowledge gaps exist for responding to the general needs of the disabled women which is a concern to the authors. This position paper addressed the issues concerning aging and women disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa, the challenges, and roles of adult educators could play as support systems and in ensuring …

Supporting Educators With The Inclusion Of Technology Within Literacy Classrooms: A Framework For "Action", Lisa K. Kervin, Jessica Mantei

Jessica Mantei

Educators are challenged to consider ways that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can be included within classroom contexts. Such challenges often require the adoption of whole school, team or individual focus as technology is examined in connection with the needs of the learners within the school and the pedagogical understandings and beliefs of the educators. Each researcher has initiated, facilitated and reflected upon school-based projects focused on ways that technology can be incorporated within classroom literacy experiences. In this paper, we describe a “framework for action” that has emerged from our analysis of these. Examples from a range of projects …

Using Technology In Pedagogically Responsive Ways To Support Literacy Learners, Lisa Kervin, Jessica Mantei, Jan Herrington

Jessica Mantei

No abstract provided.

"Authentic" Learning Experiences: What Does This Mean And Where Is The Literacy Learning?, Jessica Mantei, Lisa Kervin

Jessica Mantei

Teachers are challenged to adopt practices that facilitate the development of “necessary” skills and strategies for learners. For many, however, what is required in policy and curricula is increasingly obscured and even confusing as teachers are bombarded with jargon prescribing seemingly similar (yet apparently different) approaches such as “rich tasks”, “big questions” and “fertile questions” that are to be “relevant”, “authentic” and “engaging” for the learner. Barton and Hamilton (2000) argue that literacy learning should take the learner beyond the transmission of technical skills in the classroom to an understanding of its role within a community’s cultural practices. These literacy …

Raising Our Voices And Sharing Our Vision: How We Support Literacy Learners Within Our Stage Context, Maria Turner, Robyn Menghi, Leah Galea, Jessica Mantei, Lisa Kervin

Jessica Mantei

No abstract provided.

Looking For Clarity Amongst The Challenges Faced By Teachers As They Consider The Role Of Ict In Classroom Literacy Learning Experiences, Jessica Mantei, Lisa K. Kervin

Jessica Mantei

Primary school teachers today operate within a climate of great change with the rapid infusion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into schools with the expectation that these be included within classroom experiences. Many schools purchased computer hardware and software and have provided professional development for teachers with the expectation that the technology will be put to use. Studies show, however, that many teachers continue to feel ill-equipped to use technology to support learning in spite of these in-service opportunities. Further studies identify the classroom teacher as the major factor in determining whether ICT are an important component of daily …

Incorporating Technology Within Classroom Literacy Experiences, Lisa Kervin, Jessica Mantei

Jessica Mantei

Educators are challenged to consider ways that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can be included within classroom contexts. Such challenges often require the adoption of whole school, team and individual focus as technology is examined in connection with the needs of the learners within the school and the pedagogical understandings and beliefs of the educators. In this paper we describe an elementary school-based project that focuses on ways that computer-based technology and associated peripherals can be incorporated within classroom literacy experiences. As we examine the planning, implementation and our reflections upon this process some key findings emerged. The need for …

Visions For Literacy Learning: The Quest For Meaningful Use Of Computer-Based Technology In Reading And Writing Experiences, Lisa Kervin, Jessica Mantei

Jessica Mantei

No abstract provided.

A Slow Burn: The Impact Of Ials In Australia, Juliette Mendelovits

Juliette Mendelovits

Australia Australia has put its hand up to participate in all the international literacy surveys on offer: IALS in the second wave (1996), the ALL Survey in the second wave (2006), and PIAAC in 2011-12 – in the field right now. Nevertheless, until very recently Australia’s general response to the surveys can best be described as inert: more in the vein of our habitual “she’ll be right” than the “clever country” that our prime minister of the 1980s urged us to become. For most of the period since the IALS results were published in 1997, Australia paid little attention to …