From tgsticht at gmail.com Wed Jun 5 23:01:32 2024 From: tgsticht at gmail.com (Thomas Sticht) Date: Wed, 5 Jun 2024 15:01:32 -0700 Subject: [Reading-hall-of-fame] D Day and a Remembrance of Richard Venezky Message-ID: June 5, 2024 D Day and a Remembrance of Richard Venezky Tom Sticht, International Consultant in Adult Education (Ret.) In preparing for honoring D Day, the invasion of Normandy in June of 1944, coming up this June 6th of 2024, I was reviewing a report Diane Zapf and I had prepared in 1976 on Reading and Readability Research in the Armed Services. It was a report about a conference she and I had chaired the previous year of 1975 in Monterey, California. While looking through the report I came across comments by Richard ?Dick? Venezky in which he ?noted that he had gained a lot of respect from this Conference for the level of work going on in the Armed Services, and was surprised to discover that most of the military researchers were facing the same kinds of problems as those working in civilian settings with children.? He went on to note that, ?? a fundamental difference between civilian- and military-based researchers was that the latter are almost forced to translate research - into practice to show results. University-based researchers, on the other hand, are rewarded not so much for applying what they learn to the solving of problems, but for publishing research and developing terminology which may in fact obfuscate how their research might be turned into practice.? Reading these comments I recalled that I participated in another conference on literacy with Dick a little over a decade later in September of 1987at the University of Pennsylvania. I took from my bookshelf the small volume that had resulted from that conference, entitled ?Toward Defining Literacy? and went to the last chapter in the book that Dick wrote. I smiled as I read his comments about Literacy and Social Control because they showed the same direct addressing of social issues that his earlier 1975 comments addressed in the military context. This time he noted that, ?It is difficult to discuss literacy without confronting the issue of social control, and this collection of papers represent no deviation from this norm. Are we an evil society sustaining power and control by a self-selected elite through manipulation of literacy, or are we an imperfect society, honorable and just in our intents, but still striving to reach our intended goals?? He went on to say, ?For those who judge American society to be basically just but imperfect, adult literacy is a requirement for both individual and social needs. However adequate an oral support group might be for one with minimal literacy skills, it can never replace literacy itself. Our form of government requires that every citizen be able to make independent judgments, not only about political candidates and policies, but also about employment and lifestyle. Ours is a demanding form of government, requiring the intelligent participation of the masses for survival. Illiteracy may be a right that individuals could claim, but it is not one that we as a society should be proud to grant.? Two decades have elapsed since Dick Venezky passed away on June 11, 2004, too early at the age of 66. His thoughts about the role of literacy in both military effectiveness and social needs in civil society are especially relevant and poignant as we think about the events of D Day in World War II, and the forthcoming election in November of this year when a new commander of military forces and president of the United States will be chosen. As I fondly remember many conversations with Dick Venezky, and contemplate today?s circumstances our Nation faces at home and abroad, I tend to agree with Dick?s characterization of us as ?an imperfect society, honorable and just in our intents, but still striving to reach our intended goals.? Dona Nobis Pacem! xxx -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tgsticht at gmail.com Fri Jun 28 19:48:01 2024 From: tgsticht at gmail.com (Thomas Sticht) Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2024 11:48:01 -0700 Subject: [Reading-hall-of-fame] Adult Learning in the Military Context Message-ID: June 28, 2024 Toward a 4th of July Revolution in Adult Learning in Both Military & Civilian Contexts Tom Sticht, International Consultant in Adult Education (Ret.) On July 4th of each year we celebrate the Declaration of Independence of America from British rule. But true independence came only after a war of revolution was fought. Over two decades ago I reviewed much of the history of adult education in the United States and noted that in the late 1700s General George Washington ordered Army chaplains in Valley Forge to teach basic literacy skills to soldiers during the Revolutionary War for independence (Sticht, 2002). More recently (Sticht, 2022) I noted that the military's contribution to the emergence of the national Adult Education System presently funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act included the development of the technology of mass standardized testing, later used for determining the ?scale of need? for adult literacy and basic education (ALBE) in the Nation, the development of ALBE programs for developing basic skills (reading,, writing, arithmetic) of tens of thousands of undereducated military personnel in World Wars I and II and the Korean and Vietnam wars of the 1950s and 1960s, and the development of the tests of General Educational Development (GED) for military personnel who had not finished high school when they entered the military and which, when passed, certified the person as possessing academic knowledge and skills of a high school equivalency level (Sticht, 2022). Last year, in 2023, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine formed an Ad Hoc Committee (2023) on Adult Learning in the Military and outlined a new program of research and synthesis of literature on adult learning in military environments. The web pages of the committee on Adult Learning in the Military state that it will ?,?draw on literature on adult learning in relevant non-military contexts and note the limitations of applicability to the military. ?The committee will develop recommendations related to supporting learning in the military as well as a research agenda for the Army Research Institute. The committee?s work will be guided by the following questions: 1. What are the motivations shaping learning in adults? How do motivations change (or not) throughout the lifespan and how do these changes impact learning behaviors? 2. How do contextual and equity factors (including but not limited to task/situation; team; organizational; cultural, societal, and life cohort factors) shape the effectiveness of training and of personnel policies and practices? Where is additional research needed? 3. What are the most promising topics related to emerging learning technologies for immediate investment and near-term payoff? 4. What approaches to assessment and evaluation of adult learning and developmental outcomes are most effective? What deficiencies in the current approaches to assessments and evaluation might impede accurate measurement of learning and developmental outcomes? 5. What, if any, additional research investments should be made to better understand adult learning in the military context and to fully utilize contextual factors in achieving organizational effectiveness?? A previous review of adult education in the military formulated several ?functional context education? principles and procedures that have been productive for adult education in both military and civilian workplace contexts (Sticht, et al, 1987). Perhaps this new project on adult learning in the military will provide a 4th of July revolution for adult education! References Ad Hoc Committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2023). Adult Learning in the Military Context. Online at: https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/adult-learning-in-the-military-context Sticht, T.G., Armstrong, W.B., Hickey, D.T., and Caylor, J.T. (1987).Cast-off Youth: Policy and Training Methods from the Military Experience. New York: Praeger. Sticht, T. (2002). The Rise of the Adult Education and Literacy system in the United States: 1600- 2000. In: J. Comings, B. Garner, & C. Smith (Eds.) Annual Review of Adult Learning and Literacy. Vol. 3. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Online at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED508720 *Sticht, T. (2022). Adult Literacy and Basic Education in the United States. Oxford Research Encyclopedias. Online at:* https://oxfordre.com/education/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264093-e-1744?d=%2F10.1093%2Facrefore%2F9780190264093.001.0001%2Facrefore-9780190264093-e-1744&p=emailAmIJHdYoSIKiw -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Colin.Harrison at nottingham.ac.uk Sat Jun 29 06:14:57 2024 From: Colin.Harrison at nottingham.ac.uk (Colin Harrison) Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2024 05:14:57 +0000 Subject: [Reading-hall-of-fame] Adult Learning in the Military Context In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8FEE0F55-FFB3-455E-A364-DF12751FB592@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk> Hi Tom Well said! Thanks for this timely reminder. I don?t think that critical digital literacy is doing too well in a number of nations right now?. Best regards Colin Sent from my iPhone On 28 Jun 2024, at 21:48, Thomas Sticht wrote: ? June 28, 2024 Toward a 4th of July Revolution in Adult Learning in Both Military & Civilian Contexts Tom Sticht, International Consultant in Adult Education (Ret.) On July 4th of each year we celebrate the Declaration of Independence of America from British rule. But true independence came only after a war of revolution was fought. Over two decades ago I reviewed much of the history of adult education in the United States and noted that in the late 1700s General George Washington ordered Army chaplains in Valley Forge to teach basic literacy skills to soldiers during the Revolutionary War for independence (Sticht, 2002). More recently (Sticht, 2022) I noted that the military's contribution to the emergence of the national Adult Education System presently funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act included the development of the technology of mass standardized testing, later used for determining the ?scale of need? for adult literacy and basic education (ALBE) in the Nation, the development of ALBE programs for developing basic skills (reading,, writing, arithmetic) of tens of thousands of undereducated military personnel in World Wars I and II and the Korean and Vietnam wars of the 1950s and 1960s, and the development of the tests of General Educational Development (GED) for military personnel who had not finished high school when they entered the military and which, when passed, certified the person as possessing academic knowledge and skills of a high school equivalency level (Sticht, 2022). Last year, in 2023, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine formed an Ad Hoc Committee (2023) on Adult Learning in the Military and outlined a new program of research and synthesis of literature on adult learning in military environments. The web pages of the committee on Adult Learning in the Military state that it will ?,?draw on literature on adult learning in relevant non-military contexts and note the limitations of applicability to the military. ?The committee will develop recommendations related to supporting learning in the military as well as a research agenda for the Army Research Institute. The committee?s work will be guided by the following questions: 1. What are the motivations shaping learning in adults? How do motivations change (or not) throughout the lifespan and how do these changes impact learning behaviors? 2. How do contextual and equity factors (including but not limited to task/situation; team; organizational; cultural, societal, and life cohort factors) shape the effectiveness of training and of personnel policies and practices? Where is additional research needed? 3. What are the most promising topics related to emerging learning technologies for immediate investment and near-term payoff? 4. What approaches to assessment and evaluation of adult learning and developmental outcomes are most effective? What deficiencies in the current approaches to assessments and evaluation might impede accurate measurement of learning and developmental outcomes? 5. What, if any, additional research investments should be made to better understand adult learning in the military context and to fully utilize contextual factors in achieving organizational effectiveness?? A previous review of adult education in the military formulated several ?functional context education? principles and procedures that have been productive for adult education in both military and civilian workplace contexts (Sticht, et al, 1987). Perhaps this new project on adult learning in the military will provide a 4th of July revolution for adult education! References Ad Hoc Committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2023). Adult Learning in the Military Context. Online at: https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/adult-learning-in-the-military-context Sticht, T.G., Armstrong, W.B., Hickey, D.T., and Caylor, J.T. (1987).Cast-off Youth: Policy and Training Methods from the Military Experience. New York: Praeger. Sticht, T. (2002). The Rise of the Adult Education and Literacy system in the United States: 1600- 2000. In: J. Comings, B. Garner, & C. Smith (Eds.) Annual Review of Adult Learning and Literacy. Vol. 3. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Online at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED508720 Sticht, T. (2022). Adult Literacy and Basic Education in the United States. Oxford Research Encyclopedias. Online at: https://oxfordre.com/education/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264093-e-1744?d=%2F10.1093%2Facrefore%2F9780190264093.001.0001%2Facrefore-9780190264093-e-1744&p=emailAmIJHdYoSIKiw _______________________________________________ Reading-hall-of-fame mailing list Reading-hall-of-fame at lists.nottingham.ac.uk https://lists.nottingham.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/reading-hall-of-fame -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Colin.Harrison at nottingham.ac.uk Sat Jun 29 06:28:58 2024 From: Colin.Harrison at nottingham.ac.uk (Colin Harrison) Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2024 05:28:58 +0000 Subject: [Reading-hall-of-fame] The RHoF list In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <9C8152CF-6F0A-4700-A7E4-BA09ACB0DEAF@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk> Esteemed colleagues May I remind you that more than a year ago the University of Nottingham decided that its listserve system would in future be used only for UoN staff and students. Since that time, I have been denied editing access to see or amend the membership of this list, and for some reason no one has switched it off. One day, this will happen, probably without warning. I urge the Board and members again to take action on this, before the communication door closes. Best regards Colin Sent from my iPhone On 28 Jun 2024, at 21:48, Thomas Sticht wrote: ? June 28, 2024 Toward a 4th of July Revolution in Adult Learning in Both Military & Civilian Contexts Tom Sticht, International Consultant in Adult Education (Ret.) On July 4th of each year we celebrate the Declaration of Independence of America from British rule. But true independence came only after a war of revolution was fought. Over two decades ago I reviewed much of the history of adult education in the United States and noted that in the late 1700s General George Washington ordered Army chaplains in Valley Forge to teach basic literacy skills to soldiers during the Revolutionary War for independence (Sticht, 2002). More recently (Sticht, 2022) I noted that the military's contribution to the emergence of the national Adult Education System presently funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act included the development of the technology of mass standardized testing, later used for determining the ?scale of need? for adult literacy and basic education (ALBE) in the Nation, the development of ALBE programs for developing basic skills (reading,, writing, arithmetic) of tens of thousands of undereducated military personnel in World Wars I and II and the Korean and Vietnam wars of the 1950s and 1960s, and the development of the tests of General Educational Development (GED) for military personnel who had not finished high school when they entered the military and which, when passed, certified the person as possessing academic knowledge and skills of a high school equivalency level (Sticht, 2022). Last year, in 2023, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine formed an Ad Hoc Committee (2023) on Adult Learning in the Military and outlined a new program of research and synthesis of literature on adult learning in military environments. The web pages of the committee on Adult Learning in the Military state that it will ?,?draw on literature on adult learning in relevant non-military contexts and note the limitations of applicability to the military. ?The committee will develop recommendations related to supporting learning in the military as well as a research agenda for the Army Research Institute. The committee?s work will be guided by the following questions: 1. What are the motivations shaping learning in adults? How do motivations change (or not) throughout the lifespan and how do these changes impact learning behaviors? 2. How do contextual and equity factors (including but not limited to task/situation; team; organizational; cultural, societal, and life cohort factors) shape the effectiveness of training and of personnel policies and practices? Where is additional research needed? 3. What are the most promising topics related to emerging learning technologies for immediate investment and near-term payoff? 4. What approaches to assessment and evaluation of adult learning and developmental outcomes are most effective? What deficiencies in the current approaches to assessments and evaluation might impede accurate measurement of learning and developmental outcomes? 5. What, if any, additional research investments should be made to better understand adult learning in the military context and to fully utilize contextual factors in achieving organizational effectiveness?? A previous review of adult education in the military formulated several ?functional context education? principles and procedures that have been productive for adult education in both military and civilian workplace contexts (Sticht, et al, 1987). Perhaps this new project on adult learning in the military will provide a 4th of July revolution for adult education! References Ad Hoc Committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2023). Adult Learning in the Military Context. Online at: https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/adult-learning-in-the-military-context Sticht, T.G., Armstrong, W.B., Hickey, D.T., and Caylor, J.T. (1987).Cast-off Youth: Policy and Training Methods from the Military Experience. New York: Praeger. Sticht, T. (2002). The Rise of the Adult Education and Literacy system in the United States: 1600- 2000. In: J. Comings, B. Garner, & C. Smith (Eds.) Annual Review of Adult Learning and Literacy. Vol. 3. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Online at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED508720 Sticht, T. (2022). Adult Literacy and Basic Education in the United States. Oxford Research Encyclopedias. Online at: https://oxfordre.com/education/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264093-e-1744?d=%2F10.1093%2Facrefore%2F9780190264093.001.0001%2Facrefore-9780190264093-e-1744&p=emailAmIJHdYoSIKiw _______________________________________________ Reading-hall-of-fame mailing list Reading-hall-of-fame at lists.nottingham.ac.uk https://lists.nottingham.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/reading-hall-of-fame -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: