NSW Adult Literacy & Numeracy Council
The professional body for adult literacy and numeracy in NSW
NSWALNC in-person Annual Conference
Monday 5 December 2022
PROGRAM and ABSTRACTS
Monday 5 December 2022
PROGRAM and ABSTRACTS
8.30 |
Registration |
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9.00 |
Welcome & introduction (Room: Thomas) |
Acknowledgement of country |
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9.10 |
Keynote speaker 1 |
Jennifer Rowsell, University of Sheffield, UK |
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10.05 |
Discussion |
Disrupting Deficits: A Living Literacies Approach to Adult Literacy" |
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10.25 |
Morning tea |
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10.45 |
Keynote speaker 2 |
Bill Muth, Virginia Commonwealth University,USA |
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11.50 |
Discussion |
Doing Time: 10 Year’s Research on an Art-Based Family Literacy Program in US Prisons |
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12.10 |
Lunch |
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Thomas Room |
Wattle Room |
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1.00-2.00 |
Roundtable 1 |
Roundtable 2 |
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2.15- |
Roundtable 3 |
Roundtable 4 |
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3.15-3.45 |
Afternoon Tea |
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3.45- |
Paper 1 |
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4.15-4.30 |
Conference Roundup and close |
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ABSTRACTS
Roundtable 1
Delivering Individual Study Pathways: Comparing notes
Polly Craig, Janet Dyne, Vanessa Forrest and Zoe James
The Individual Study Pathways (ISP) course has been quietly rolling out in several locations around NSW. Many of us see it as holding promise for a return to a more student-centred Literacy/Numeracy/Digital literacy program, negotiated in consultation with learners, free of the relentless assessment and the unrelenting vocational focus of the more prescriptive FSK units that have been on offer.
However, at the same time, ISP has not been a return to the former Reading and Writing for Adults (RAWFA) program that formerly offered students the experience of a learning community in their Adult Literacy and Numeracy classes and the course has presented its own challenges.
Discussion among colleagues reveals that ISP is being delivered in a variety of ways on various campuses. This roundtable discussion will be a chance to compare notes to help us to take up the opportunity this type of course offers and to reflect on our delivery of it, so as to be better prepared to give the best possible outcomes for our learners. At the table there will be a small panel of practitioners who have been delivering this course on their different campuses to help kick off and lead the discussion and answer any questions others may have. In addition, ISP is about to be replaced in the revised form below. We will also have an opportunity to examine this.
TAFE Statement in Foundation Reading and Writing for Adults (prev. Individual Study Pathways)
This course is designed to cater for students' individual needs in the area of reading, writing, learning, oral communication, digital literacy and numeracy. It caters for rates of learning, interests and learning styles. In consultation with the teacher, the students formulate their own LLND goals and their programs. It is suggested the teacher/s on this course have subject matter expertise in the pedagogy behind adult language, literacy and numeracy acquisition, and be aware of strategies to support all levels of core skills in the ACSF and DLSF. The programs vary from student to student, encompassing both group and individual activities. The course is designed to address LLND for literacy learners where accredited training does not meet individuals’ needs. There is no list of prescribed topics for this individualised subject. Content is chosen from the full range of skills needed by adults: oracy, reading, writing, numeracy, employability and technology (according to the context of the individual learner).
Polly Craig has been working as an ESOL and Literacy practitioner in the Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy field for over 30 years; since 2005, she has been at Meadowbank, Hornsby and now St Leonards TAFEs. She is currently providing learner support in literacy, numeracy and digital literacy for vocational students; Language and Learning Skills (LALS) for the Tertiary Preparation Certificate (TPC); Peer Literacy and Numeracy Tutoring at high schools; and also a daytime class for students enrolled in Individual Study Pathways. She is a long-standing member of the NSW Adult Literacy and Numeracy Council. Janet Dyne has been working in the Adult Literacy and Numeracy field in TAFE and other settings for over 35 years. She has been at Ultimo TAFE for quite a while, currently providing learner support in literacy, numeracy and digital literacy for vocational students and also working in a night class with students who are enrolled in Individual Study Pathways. She is a long-standing member of the NSW Adult Literacy and Numeracy Council. Vanessa Forrest has co-ordinated and taught on a range of Adult Literacy and Numeracy programs for over 20 years in universities, TAFE colleges and RTOs, in Australia and overseas. She studied Bahasa Indonesia, Pitjantjatjara and Tetun and has a Bachelor of Arts, Aboriginal Studies and post graduate degrees in Adult LLN and TESOL. Vanessa is a Project Officer and Adult Literacy and Numeracy Teacher at the Reading Writing Hotline and has taught at Ultimo TAFE for several years, where she is co-teaching on an Individual Study Pathways night class. Zoe James has been working in the Adult Literacy and Numeracy field in TAFE and since 2008. She has extensive experience provoding learner support in numerous vocational sections and has worked on many literacy, numeracy and digital programs such as SEE and Well at Petersham and TAFE Digital. Zoe is currently HT of Literacy at St George and enjoying developing customised programs for students who are enrolled in Individual Study Pathways.
Roundtable 2
Artifactual Literacies in practice
Estelle Rozinski and Pauline Norfolk
Artifactual Literacies draws upon various key ideas in adult literacy education: student centre-learning, exploring students’ values and beliefs, their backgrounds, their ‘ruling passions’, their stories and their identities. Through the use of personal artifacts and stories, adult educators can play a role in developing and expanding oral and written literacies.
This presentation draws upon the approaches of two experienced literacy teachers to artifactual literacies and low-literacy learners. Estelle Rozinski and Pauline Norfolk will outline the structured development of oral literacies using authentic artifacts to create a 'community of learning'. They will also discuss practices involved in the transition from oral literacies to written literacies, and the ways in which artifactual literacies can be expanded and extended to support independent learning
Roundtable 3
Embedding Foundation Skills in Vocational Training (Transport and Logistics)
Subhi Madi, Carla Dawson and Suresh Joseph
MTC Australia partnered with Learning Sphere to deliver an Innovative Project funded by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) through the Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program. The project provided highly contextualised training to eligible participants in a simulated work environment to equip them with the skills and knowledge for entry level roles in the Transport and Logistics industry.
The vocational training (Certificate II in Supply Chain Operations – Statement of Attainment)
delivery took place in a simulated warehouse and involved practical skills that are required in the Transport and Logistics industry, such as: RF scanning, manual handling, and pick and process orders.
The Foundation Skills component of this Innovative Project was delivered by MTC’s SEE Trainer ina team-teaching model. The high level of contextualisation ensured participants were able to obtain an understanding of the job requirements for entry level roles in the Transport and Logistics industry, whilst developing the requisite LLND skills to attain employment. Outcomes for the participants were measured through Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) progression, competency in relevant VET Units of Competency (UoCs), and subsequent employment in the Transport and Logistics Industry.
MTC Australia also partnered with the recruitment arm of our organisation, who have a robust network of employers in the Transport and Logistics Industry. These employers directly reached out to MTC to fill vacancies across their warehouses in the Greater Western Sydney area. At the conclusion of the project, MTC Australia also conducted a survey with the participants which highlighted the success of this model. They indicated the benefits of embedding vocational training with Foundation Skills co-delivery as a winning formula, which was reflected in its ability to deliver direct employment outcomes in the Transport and Logistics Industry.
Subhi Madi (Acting General Manager, Education and Training) has nearly two decades worth of experience in Education and Training. He joined MTC Australia as Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) Trainer in 2005 and became a Centre Manager in 2006. In July 2010, he was promoted to the role of Regional Manager for the SEE program and has since held managerial roles throughout the company’s Education and Training department, including as Head of Registered Training Organisation and Head of Government Education Programs. Subhi holds a Graduate Diploma of Adult TESOL, Education and a Bachelor of Arts from Western Sydney University, as well as a Master of International Relations. Carla Dawson (Instructional Design Manager) has been the Instructional Design Manager for MTC’s Education and Training division since 2013. She has worked for over 20 years in adult education with a focus on curriculum design and development in a range of areas and programs, including VET, SEE, CTA, EST and FSfYF. Suresh Joseph (SEE Centre Manager – Parramatta) has worked in several medium sized to multinational organisations over 25 years during which time he developed skills in IT, Training and Education, as well as in management. From 2001 to 2010, he held management positions, with his most recent role as the ANZ Support Manager for IT&T where he managed service delivery across 10 sites. His responsibilities included training on new products and services with the goal of achieving maximum customer satisfaction to manage changes. In 2010, Suresh made a career change into Education and Training to follow his passion to help others achieve goals and develop skills. Suresh holds a Graduate Certificate of Adult TESOL, TAE 40116 and a Bachelor of Computer Science from University of Houston.
Multimodal Numeracies
Roundtable 4
Keiko Yasukawa
This session will ask participants to consider numeracy as a multimodal social practice, that is, numeracy as what people do with mathematics in their social life. Numeracy practices rarely rely on our intellectual understanding of mathematical ideas alone. Typically, engagement in numeracy practices are multisensory, social and involve both our cognitive and affective capacities.
In this roundtable, participants will engage in some multimodal numeracy activities to consider how we can integrate multimodal teaching and learning in adult numeracy classes, and why doing so can lead to positive cognitive, practical and affective learning.
Keiko Yasukawa (Teacher educator and lecturer in adult literacy and numeracy, UTS)
Keiko coordinates the adult literacy and numeracy teacher education program within the TESOL and Applied Linguistics program at UTS. Her research focuses on the adult literacy and numeracy pedagogies, practices and policies and how they interact with each other.
Paper 1
Research for Renewal
Vanessa Iles
This session will present the initial findings of a national survey by the Reading Writing Hotline. The Hotline is currently working on a research project on unmet needs and barriers in adult literacy, numeracy and digital literacy (LND). We are compiling firsthand information about actual learning needs, and about barriers that are preventing people learning. This kind of information needs to be the basis for a large-scale renewal of energy and focus on adult LND in Australia.
The Hotline hears from callers on a daily basis about their personal histories and experiences. We have rich data about the varied needs for literacy in their lives as parents, employees, employers, citizens and community members. We know all too well that literacy and numeracy learning is a life-deep endeavour. Access to quality adult LND provision has been recognised by the Commonwealth government as laying “the foundation for people to fully participate in their community. Without solid foundations people’s lives can lack stability and security.” But potential learners can experience a variety of barriers in finding and accessing provision that meets their needs, and providers also face barriers in funding and offering the educational options to address the needs of their communities.
We hear that the Commonwealth is looking for input about effective strategies and solutions to address adult LND. In this context of renewal, our research project is looking to enrich and complement the caller information in our database by systematically surveying a wider range of stakeholders in adult literacy and numeracy provision. The research is being carried out by Social Equity Works for the Hotline, and includes questionnaires and focus groups.
The report on our first findings, Insights from the Classroom: A Survey of Adult literacy Providers, analyses responses from teachers and managers in the adult literacy sector. It will be followed later by analysis of responses from the community sector, First Nations organisations, industry, and public libraries, and will have significance for policy and curriculum developers, educational managers, and teachers. As well as illuminating needs and barriers, the presentation will outline the recommendations for improvement made by respondents. These include a campaign to destigmatise literacy gaps, an urgent rebuilding of the specialist workforce, creating community outreach schemes, more non-formal options, funding programs that are culturally appropriate, and a diversity of models to address the wide variety of learner needs in communities.
Vanessa Iles is manager of the national Reading Writing Hotline, and an experienced language, literacy and numeracy practitioner. She coordinates a database of LLN providers and a team of teachers who field enquiries from individuals, organisations, government and industry. Vanessa holds a Bachelor of Business and Graduate Diploma of Adult LLN Teaching. She is an executive member of ACAL (Australian Council for Adult Literacy), the NSW Adult Literacy Numeracy Council, and a member of DESE’s Foundation Skills Advisory Committee. Vanessa is committed to optimising opportunities for adult learners by improving connections between learners, training providers and employers, and highlighting gaps in available provision.
University of Technology Sydney
