Tom - 

 

Can you provide me with the citation for this research you reference below?

 

"I reviewed recent research showing that the greater the extent of embedding
of literacy into vocational training, the greater the completion rates,
achievements of qualifications, and other important outcomes for both
literacy and vocational qualifications."

 

Thank you!

 

Sharon Reynolds

Interim Director

Edward Stevens Center for the Study 

and Development of Literacy and Language

340 McCracken Hall

Ohio University

Athens, Ohio 45701

 

www.ouliteracycenter.org 

 

1(800 )753 - 1519

(740) 593 - 0969

FAX (740) 593 - 2834

 

reynols1 at ohio.edu

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of
tsticht at znet.com
Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2008 10:29 AM
To: professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2702] Re: Economic Stimulus
andProfessional Development

 

Jackie and all: The following note includes further information about

integrated basic skills and vocational education. It includes some links

that may be of interest regarding professional development in this area.

Tom Sticht

 

Integrated Literacy Works! Making Workforce Development Efficient and

Effective in Industrialized Nations

 

February 11, 2007

 

Tom Sticht

International Consultant in Adult Education

 

Throughout the industrialized nations of the world, which are fast becoming

the informationalized nations of the world, there is an urgent need to

up-skill the literacy, numeracy, and English language skills of what are

increasingly becoming under-skilled workforces. International adult

literacy surveys showing one- to two-fifths of a nation's workforce with

lower than expected literacy, numeracy, or English language skills, and an

emergent globalization of work being sent to lower wage nations have

heightened the need for effective and efficient ways to help adults

re-skill, up-skill, and cross-train as jobs shift globally and

technologically.

 

One approach to improving the efficiency of basic skills and job skills

training that is gaining in popularity in developed nations follows what I

have called a Functional Context Education approach. In this approach,

basic literacy, numeracy , and English language skills education is

integrated into, or embedded in, or contextualized within, vocational

education or job skills training. This approach is more efficient because

it shortens the learners overall time required to be in education and

training, and increases the amount of time that can be spent on a job

providing productive activity in the marketplace and bringing home a

paycheck. It does this because it removes the need to have learners spend

time first raising their basic skills to some established level before they

can enter into vocational education. Instead, the integrated approach makes

it possible to both raise basic skills and learn vocational knowledge and

skills at the same time.

 

In January 2007 I presented three speeches in the Dublin, Ireland area

called Integrated Literacy Works! In one speech on 23 January at the

National University of Ireland (NUI) at Maynooth I summarized a hundred

years of professional wisdom using Functional Context Education to

integrate literacy instruction with important skills training such as

farming, banking, working, and parenting. Then I summarized four lines of

scientific (quasi-experimental) research from the United States and United

Kingdom that supports the integrated literacy approach to adult basic

skills and vocational education.

 

The foregoing speech was followed by a two hour workshop in which I

presented four case studies of Functional Context Education integrating

literacy and vocational education, including methods, materials,

evaluation, and outcomes. Cases included job training in a large

organization, vocational English for English Language Learners (ELL/ESOL),

integrated basic skills and electronics education, and examples of

materials for integrating literacy and numeracy in five occupational

education programs: Construction Trades, Automotive Industries, Electricity

& Electronics, Office Technology, & Health Occupations.

 

Both the speech and the workshop at NUI Maynooth were especially relevant on

23 January because the university was celebrating the graduates of a unique

certificate program in Integrated Literacy that was jointly sponsored with

the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) in Ireland. NALA was the

originator of the Integrated Literacy effort in Ireland in which literacy,

numeracy, and English language skills are taught integrated into vocational

training.

 

The Integrated Literacy approach developed at NALA was picked-up by adult

literacy educators in New Zealand, where a recent report on integrating

literacy in other courses was developed. In a policy-oriented speech on 24

January for a group of policymakers and literacy education sponsors I spoke

about the international efforts at integrated literacy in Australia, Canada,

New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In the UK Integrated

Literacy is referred to as Embedded Literacy and I reviewed recent research

showing that the greater the extent of embedding of literacy into

vocational training, the greater the completion rates, achievements of

qualifications, and other important outcomes for both literacy and

vocational qualifications.

 

In the policy-oriented presentation I also reviewed the use of Functional

Context Education with integrated/embedded/contextualized literacy and

special subject matter content in job training in a large organization,

vocational English for English Language Learners (ELL/ESOL), electronics

education, and occupational education.

 

Implications were drawn for a policy and strategy on vocational and

work-related education and training, based on Functional Context Education

principles, including integrated literacy, numeracy, and English language

education, which provide multiple returns to investments in adult literacy

education. These "multiplier effects" of Functional Context Education go

beyond the training in literacy, numeracy, English language and

work/vocational skills and tend to return benefits in health, community

activity, and, importantly, in parenting and grand-parenting that helps

children with their school learning.

 

Ireland's NALA has produced a very important set of products for adult

educators showing how to integrate literacy with vocational training, and

it has pioneered a university level certificate program at a prestigious

university for the professional development of adult educators who can work

to integrate basic skills and jobs skills training. These activities provide

a solid model for workforce development in our globalized world.

 

Given the increasing need for both basic skills and work-related skills in

industrialized/informationalized nations, integrated literacy education

provides a cost-beneficial approach for more rapidly advancing adults into

the work they want and with the basic skills they need. In short,

Integrated Literacy Works!

 

Online Resources:

 

For NALA's resources on integrating literacy go to www.nala.ie and click on

Projects to find Integrating Literacy into Further Education and Vocational

Training; under NALA's Publications search for Integrating Literacy

Guidelines. For Functional Context Education reports go to

www.nald.ca/fulltext/fce/cover.htm and see Functional Context Education:

Making Learning Relevant in the 21st Century. Chapter 2 in this report

provides information about integrated/embedded/contextualized literacy in

six industrialized/informationalized nations. For integrated literacy in

New Zealand go to www.workbase.org.nz and search publications for a guide

to integrating literacy into other courses. For embedded literacy in the

United Kingdom go to www.nrdc.org.uk

 

Thomas G. Sticht

International Consultant in Adult Education

2062 Valley View Blvd.

El Cajon, CA 92019-2059

Tel/fax: (619) 444-9133

Email: tsticht at aznet.net

 

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