Return-Path: <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j8TFhHG24769; Thu, 29 Sep 2005 11:43:17 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 11:43:17 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <4936352FC7A66D512CA617E9@fantine> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: jeff fantine <fantine@ohio.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:2280] Re: FWD: Functional Context Education X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed X-Mailer: Mulberry/4.0.3 (Win32) Status: O Content-Length: 9539 Lines: 197 I have twice had the opportunity to see Tom Sticht give a presentation on the historical context of adult literacy education. It's very good, information not really available anywhere else to my knowledge, and I think this is a professional development activity that should be captured on video and preserved. Is it on video to anyone's knowledge? Is it something that AALPD could do? -J --On Thursday, September 29, 2005 7:49 AM -0400 jataylor <jataylor@utk.edu> wrote: > Hi All, > The following message is from Tom Sticht, see below ~ Jackie Taylor > ++++++++ > September 28, 2005 > > Introduction to Functional Context Education (FCE) > Research-Based Principles and Case Studies > > Tom Sticht > International Consultant in Adult Education > > Research on "contextualizing," "embedding," or "integrating" basic skills > into content subject matter of relevance to adult learner's interests > and goals was introduced as Functional Context Education (FCE) in > lectures I presented in the United Kingdom in 1992 sponsored by the Basic > Skills Agency (then known as the Adult Literacy and Basic Skills > Unit-ALBSU). > > In 1997 and again in 1999 I gave a series of FCE workshops in several > provinces of Canada. This month, the National Adult Literacy Database > (NALD) reported that the 1997 report on "Functional Context Education > (FCE): Making Learning Relevant", which I prepared to accompany the > earlier FCE workshops, was among the most frequently downloaded reports > on the NALD web site [http://www.nald.ca/fulltext/context/cover.htm] > during August 2005. From January 2005 through August, the FCE notebook > has been downloaded 8,394 times. > > This year support for FCE principles can be found in the United Kingdom in > reports of the > > Department for Education and Skills (DfES) > (www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/embeddedlearning), > > National Institute for Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) > (www.niace.org.uk/projects/LrningfromExperience/EBS/What-is-EBS.htm), > > National Research and Development Center (NRDC) for Adult Literacy & > Numeracy (www.nrdc.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=600). > > All three of these organizations published reports on "embedded basic > skills" which follow principles from FCE as introduced in a 1987 book by > colleagues and myself called Cast-off Youth. This book presents a number > of quasi-experimental studies in vocational training and adult literacy > education which formed the research base from which principles for FCE > were induced. > > What is Functional Context Education (FCE)? > > Functional Context Education is an approach to education that is based > upon a cognitive science theory of cognitive development, learning, and > instruction. The theoretical framework and the principles for applying > this framework to the task of instructional development are discussed in > the 1997 notebook. > > Literacy is given special attention in FCE because of its importance to > all schooling and instruction in our information age. A general thesis is > that the idea that literacy is something one must "get" in one program, > which is then "applied" in another is misleading. Rather, it is argued > that literacy is developed while it is being applied. This means that for > the large numbers of youth and adults who read between the fifth and > ninth grade levels, literacy and content skills education can be > integrated. Therefore there is no need for special "remedial" literacy > programs to get students to "prerequisite" levels of literacy before they > are permitted to study the "real thing." > > In overview, education based on functional context theory includes the > following conceptual framework: > > oSociety and culture provide the most important resources for human > cognitive development. These resources include symbols and symbol systems, > such as the natural language and conceptual (in contrast to perceptual) > knowledge, which constitute the primary means for the transmission of > cognitive abilities. > > oThe learner possesses a "human cognitive system" with an internal > knowledge base "inside the head" and access to an external knowledge base > in the world "outside the head." The learner has a working, or short term > memory in which processing skills such as language are used to move > information in and out of both the internal and external knowledge bases. > > oLearning is information processing whereby the learner actively seeks out > information used in constructing a meaningful interpretation of the world > and a knowledge base comprised of these interpretations. > > oA developmental perspective of literacy emphasizing the development of > oral language from earlier prelinguistic knowledge and literacy as the > amalgam of prelinguistic, linguistic and graphic symbolic knowledge. > > oThe importance of context in learning new information and in transferring > information already learned to new and different problems and situations. > > The application of this theoretical framework to the instructional > development process suggests creating courses that facilitate learning on > entry into the course, learning throughout the course, and transfer into > the contexts for which the learning is meant to apply. To accomplish these > objectives, courses should be developed that: > > oExplain what the students are to learn and why in such a way that they > can always understand both the immediate and long term usefulness of the > course content (facilitates entry into the course; motivates learning). > > oConsider the old knowledge that students bring with them to the course, > and build new knowledge on the basis of this old knowledge (facilitates > entry learning) > > oSequence each new lesson so that it builds on prior knowledge gained in > the previous lessons (facilitates in-course learning). > > oIntegrate instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, and problem > solving into academic or technical training programs as the content of > the course poses requirements for information processing using these > skills that many potential students may not possess; avoid > decontextualized basic skills "remedial" programs (facilitates in-course > learning; motivates basic skills learning; reduces instruction time; > develops "learning to learn" ability ). > > oDerive objectives from careful analysis of the explicit and tacit > knowledge and skill needed in the home, community, academic, technical > training, or employment context for which the learner is preparing > (facilitates transfer). > > oUse, to the extent possible, learning contexts, tasks, materials, and > procedures taken from the future situation in which the learner will be > functioning (facilitates transfer). > > Why is FCE important for youth and adult education? > > Unlike children, who tend to do things to please their parents or > teachers, youth and adults will usually want to understand the functional > utility of investing time and mental energy in learning something. With > respect to out-of-school youth and adults then, FCE focuses on improving > > (1) Participation in adult education programs by making explicit the > relationship between what students want to learn, what is being taught and > its application in the contexts that the person will be functioning in > after the educational program, this promotes increased motivation; > > (2) Achievement in learning and transfer by ensuring that instruction > relates to the learner's prior knowledge in such a way that the learner > can function within the learning situation and improving transfer by > deriving instructional contents as much as possible from the future > contexts in which the person will apply the learning, and > > (3) Prevention of learning problems in future generations by designing > youth and adult programs that maximize the intergenerational transfer of > the adults' new skills and attitudes about education to their children. > > A New Workshop and Notebook > > The 1997 FCE notebook elaborates upon the principles summarized above and > illustrates the application of these principles in case studies of > programs for adults, including family literacy programs with a focus upon > women's education that can provide an intergenerational transfer of > language and literacy skills to their children. > > A new workshop is being offered from October 2005 through June 2006. This > workshop, "Functional Context Education: Making Learning Relevant for the > 21st Century", brings the previous workshop up to date in treating topics > such as globalization, sustainable development, internet web sites, health > literacy, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). In addition > to an extensive historical review of adult literacy that illustrates the > use of FCE principles, the new workshop includes three case studies with > quasi-experimental designs having both treatment and comparison groups and > quantitative data from pre- post-testing. Such research cases are > extremely rare in adult basic skills education and the fact that there > are three of such evidence-based studies supporting FCE adds to the > unique features and use validity of Functional Context Education. > > Thomas G. Sticht > International Consultant in Adult Education > 2062 Valley View Blvd. > El Cajon, CA 92019-2059 > Tel/fax: (619) 444-9133 > Email: tsticht@aznet.net Jeff Fantine Director, Literacy Center College of Education Ohio University 338 McCracken Hall Athens, OH 45701 800-753-1519 fax: 740-593-2834
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