Literacy in adult contexts: policies, practices and theories
Dr L E Farrell
12 points
* 3 hours per week
* Second semester
* Clayton
Objectives Upon successful completion of this subject, students should have developed knowledge and understandings of major issues concerning the social construction of literacy, especially as they relate to ethnicity, class and gender; major issues concerning literacy education in adult and work-related contexts; some significant adult literacy curriculum and policy documents; some significant pedagogical approaches to the teaching of literacy to adults. Students should have developed skills which will enable them to identify the way in which theoretical issues arise in specific contexts; analyse the ways in which social, political and educational contexts shape individual pedagogical approaches to the teaching of literacy to adults; critically evaluate curriculum and policy documents, taking account of the social, political and educational contexts in which they are generated.
Synopsis The subject falls into three parts. The first part considers the claims made for literacy in developed and developing industrial societies. Two common claims for literacy are examined. The first is that an increasingly literate workforce will inevitably result in increases in economic productivity. The second is that, for the individual, increased literacy leads to greater personal empowerment. The theoretical frame of literacy as a social construction will be used to test the extent to which these claims can be substantiated. The second section of the subject places literacy policies within this context. Policies are analysed to uncover the assumptions on which they are based and the apparent desired outcomes. The focus of this section will be on Australian policies and so will vary according to the policies in operation at any particular time. Initially it is expected that policies concerned with assessment and credentialling of adult literacy learning will be considered. The issue of literacy competencies as they emerge in industrial awards and the Australian Standards Framework will be addressed. The third section of the subject works towards establishing a principled approach to the practice of adult literacy education. It will examine accounts of successful practices in which adult literacy teachers and students engage. It will focus on particular groups of learners in particular contexts.
Assessment Task 1 (1500-2000 words): 30%
* Task 2 (4000-5000 words):
70%
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