We encourage you to consult the references that we have found useful. Many of them are listed in the bibliography at the end of this book.

Unlike the other books in this series, this one does not follow a step-by-step format. It provides a framework for developing workplace curriculum.

The variety of methods, subject matter, and possibilities for collaboration makes workplace curriculum development exciting and informative. We hope this book will be a source of ideas, practices, and examples. For general information useful to all workplace educators, we include principles of good practice, explanations of common teaching methods, techniques for developing materials and managing groups, checklists, and suggestions for structuring learning activities.

We use case studies (drawn from different Canadian workplaces and educators) to give life to principles and practices. A particular workplace, after all, provides the context that makes its programming and curriculum unique. We hope too that the case studies will give you useful information about how to transform workplace situations and materials into learning activities.

We chose the cases and examples for their distinctive features: sectoral as well as company and union training; collaborative partnerships; rural and urban locales; different roles for teachers and different uses of subject materials; various teaching methods and techniques; different learning styles. Look for the short set of distinctive features listed with each case study.

Adult basic skills education includes reading, writing, oral communication, math, and computer literacy. It also includes thinking and problem-solving skills. We distinguish basic skills education from training, by which we mean the instruction of specific technical skills needed to perform a job or to obtain credentials for work. For instance, training would describe a blueprint-reading course or an introduction to a new computer system.