Research
We explore how adult education can be made inclusive, digital and effective.
Services
Digital tools, specialist portals and data – for teachers, researchers, students and interested parties.
Institute
We offer research, transfer and infrastructure for lifelong learning.
Der vorliegende Bericht beinhaltet die Ergebnisse der bundesweiten alphamonitor-Erhebung des Deutschen Instituts für Erwachsenenbildung (DIE) zum Weiterbildungsangebot in der Alphabetisierung/Grundbildung für das Berichtsjahr 2012. Zu diesem unter bildungs- und sozialpolitischen Gesichtspunkten wichtigen Themenfeld der Erwachsenenbildung werden Daten zum Angebotsumfang in den beiden Teilbereichen, zur Teilnahme, zu den Lehrenden und zum Beratungsangebot der Einrichtungen vorgestellt. Datenbasi…
In today’s societies literacy is regarded as the prerequisite for participating in the professional and private spheres of everyday life. It is regarded as a human right, a tool for personal empowerment and a tool to influence the behaviour of individuals, families and communities. Despite the international consensus that literacy skills determine opportunities and provide access to today’s information-based societies, many adults in both industrialized and developing countries find themselves …
The article presents findings of an ethnographical research project concerning the international concept of literacy as social practice. In this project, literacy was analyzed from an individual and a public point of view, focusing on its multidimensional uses and purposes in everyday life. Referring to a broader understanding of literacy as social practice, the study aims at initiating a discussion concerning the purpose and use of literacy among adult educators and practitioners in literacy c…
The article illustrates a heuristic model that describes the multidimensional interdisciplinary social phenomena of functional illiteracy in a clearly arranged way. To implement professional literacy programmes that match the different target groups, scientific findings about educational deprivation, life circumstances and barriers to equal participation in connection with low literacy skills are to be arranged in a proper order. One result of the research project “HABIL” is the development of …
People with low literacy skills are often experiencing difficulties to manage their everyday life. For example, filling out forms, correspondence or banking may pose huge challenges. But what about the political participation of functional illiterates in a society which is dominated by the use of literacy? The following article focuses on how participants of literacy classes use their possibilities of contribution. These assumptions are based on first results of the qualitative research project…
This report from England is part of a research project entitled Literacy/Basic Education – State of the Art from a historical and systematic Perspective in terms of Transferability. It focuses on the way adult (il)literacy has been approached, dealt with, discussed and analysed both politically and scientifically in England. It provides a historical overview on government strategy papers and outlines central ideas in theoretical discussions regarding literacy and literacy practices. However, in…
