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LiteracyLink, U.S.A. |
 Background | Project Overview | Activities | Outcomes and Implications | Resources | Questions PROJECT ACTIVITIES |
 In 1996 the U.S. Department of Education, through its Star Schools
grant program, committed funding over 5 years to the PBS Adult
Learning Service, the National Center on Adult Literacy (NCAL) at
the University of Pennsylvania, and Kentucky Educational Television
(KET) to build an initiative that for the first time ever, is using the
latest in video, online, and computer technology to help adults receive
literacy instruction and gain high school diplomas and GED
Certificates. This public television and higher education partnership is
building the program, known as LiteracyLink.
The power of technology for adult instruction lies in its ability to support learning in multiple contexts; to make learning accessible in the home, the workplace, and the community; and to facilitate learning for adults with special needs and learning differences. As the project progresses, LiteracyLink aims to develop a dynamic, and user-friendly system with practical tools for learners and teachers to use to support their goals. Thus far, the LiteracyLink online system has produced one tool in particular that is proving to be very useful for adult literacy teachers who want to use the Internet for instruction, but who need a way to make critical decisions about appropriate instructional resources for adult learners. This tool, PeerLit - Peers Evaluating Educational Resources is an interactive tool consisting of:
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Other options include forms for suggesting additional sites and bulletin
boards attached to each site reviewed so that educators can comment on
their experiences using the reviewed sites. PeerLit helps adult
educators access and organize existing web instruction for use in their
classrooms. The longer term goal is to have educators take over the
evaluation process, so that they manage and build the PeerLit system
themselves. 
