Functional Context Education:
Making Learning Relevant in the 21st Century

Table of Contents and Schedule

Part 1 (0900-1030)

Chapter 1. Introduction to Functional Context Education (FCE) materials and principles available online.

Chapter 2. Research and development related to FCE principles and methods in several industrialized nations.

Chapter 3. “Relevance” at national levels in relation to foundational concepts of literacy in FCE.

Summary: Introduction to Functional Context Education (FCE) materials and principles available online; Overview of FCE in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom; Concepts of “relevance.” Determining “relevance” at the national level: the Adult Literacy and Lifeskills (ALL) survey, National Adult Assessment of Literacy (NAAL) survey, and relationships to concepts of literacy in FCE.

Part 2 (1045-1200)

Chapter 4. Functional Context Education in historical perspective.

Chapter 5. Overview of methodologies used in adult literacy research for determining what is relevant to youth and adult learners.

Summary: Functional Context Education in historical perspective, (1860-Present) (illustrated with teaching materials integrating functional content with literacy instruction): Freedman’s Schools; Moonlight Schools; Military Schools in World Wars I and II; Laubach Literacy; Paulo Freire and Learner Centered, Participatory Literacy Education. Overview of methodologies and research-based methods used in adult literacy research for determining what is relevant to youth and adult learners, including focus groups; individual interviews; literacy task analysis; photographic ethnography; community newspapers; teachers and students as researchers and reporters; environmental analysis and design for learning.

Part 3 (1300-1430)

Chapter 6. Two case studies of integrated vocational and basic skills education.

Summary: Case Study #1: Workplace Literacy: Research illustrating the effectiveness of integrating reading instruction in six occupational contexts for cooks, automobile mechanics, supply clerks, health aide, and other fields. (Comparison Group; Pre-Post Data presented). Case Study #2: Integrating Basic Skills with Vocational Education: Research illustrating the effectiveness of matching the content of instruction with student’s goals for learning: Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) and Electronics Training. (Comparison Group; Pre-Post Data presented).

Part 4 (1445-1530)

Chapter 7. Three case studies integrating basic skills education with job training, parenting, and health education.

Summary: Case Study #3: Workplace Literacy: Research illustrating the integrated use of functional content for job advancement (upward mobility), teachers, books, computers and peer instruction. (Comparison Group; Pre-Post Data presented). Case Study #4: Family Literacy: Research illustrating the integration of functional content in parenting with basic skills education. Case Study #5: Health Literacy: Research illustrating the integration of functional content in health education with basic skills education.

Part 5 (1530-1600) Q & A; Workshop Close