Glossary


ABE       Adult Basic Education
         
collaboration       The involvement of all interest groups
         
critical inquiry       An examination of issues to discover the tensions and power relationships in them. Ultimately, critical inquiry can give people understanding and information to help them make decisions and take action in situations that are central to their well-being.
         
basic-skills educator       A person responsible for various aspects of adult basic-skills education (teaching, curriculum development, needs assessment, evaluation, etc.). The educator focuses on improving basic skills using relevant work-related content or materials of personal interest to the participants. Basic skills educators can team up with trainers or subject teachers for an integrated approach to program delivery.
         
ESL       English as a Second Language
         
evaluation       Formal examination and interpretation of the elements of a workplace development initiative to determine how well it is meeting its goals. Ongoing evaluation allows an organization to improve the current initiative and to plan further initiatives. It enables informed decisions about support.
         
GED       General Educational Development tests cover the required skills and subject knowledge of secondary school programs. The five tests include writing skills, social studies, science, interpreting literature and the arts, and mathematics. Passing the tests is the equivalent of a high school diploma. The GED tests are used extensively in the United States and in some Canadian provinces. A number of Ontario boards of education are currently trying them out.


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